By David Peck
The 2010 track and field season begins this Saturday, March 20, when Greybull High School hosts the annual Bill Gerrard Invitational.
Field events begin at 9 a.m., running events at 11 a.m.
Both the Lovell Bulldogs and the Rocky Mountain Grizzlies have been working to prepare for the start of the season, though due to conflicts or athletes not having had enough practices, both teams will be at about half strength, coaches said this week.
In Lovell, coach Joe Koritnik and his staff have been working with 55 athletes so far, including 10 seniors. The Lady Bulldogs have five returning state placers in the form of seniors Katie Walker and Mykel Anderson, junior Karen Koritnik and sophomores Jodi Walker and Susie Shumway.
The Bulldogs have two state placers returning: seniors Tyler Anderson and Ben Long.
“All of the points we had at the state meet are back,” Koritnik said, noting that the Lady Bulldogs placed fourth in Class 3A a year ago.
“I talked to the girls and obviously feel we can be right in there in contention in 2A. But obviously things have to go well.”
Koritnik said Lingle-Ft. Laramie, which tied with Mountain View for the state title, is the team to beat on the girls side this year.
“They’re a good team,” he said.
When you talk about the Lovell Lady Bulldogs, you start with the jumps. Karen Koritnik is the defending state champion in the long jump, Katie Walker was third and Jodi Walker fourth. Katie Walker was third at State in the triple jump, Koritnik fourth. Shumway was second in the high jump, Anderson fourth in the pole vault.
Joining Koritnik and the Walker sisters will be sophomore Alyssa Geiser, another strong jumper who is out this season after sitting out her freshman year. She’s also a strong sprinter.
“Alyssa could place and pick up some additional points for us,” Coach Koritnik said. “That’s what we’re looking to do, not just place first or second but also get points from seventh and eighth place.”
Anderson excelled in the pole vault last season and is expected to have a strong senior year, Koritnik said, although she is off to a slow start after twisting her knee at the regional basketball tournament in Riverton on Feb. 27.
Shumway placed in four events at State: second in the high jump, second in the 800 meters, third in the 400 and fifth in the 1,600.
“For a freshman she had a phenomenal meet, and there’s no reason to believe she won’t be every bit as dominant in 2A,” Koritnik said.
Joining her sister on the track is freshman Amanda Shumway.
“Amanda is a very talented runner who could have the same type of season Susie had as a freshman,” Koritnik said. “She gives us a chance to cover the distances better. With more depth, we’ll cover more events and utilize more athletes in the relays, as well.”
Another proven distance runner, Koritnik said, is freshman Meryk McArthur.
“She can come in and be the kid who places fifth, sixth or seventh as a freshman and scores some team points,” he said. “This meet (Saturday) will give the freshmen a chance to practice and compete and see where their abilities are.”
The Lady Bulldogs also return strong throwers including senior Keesha Savage and sophomores Miranda Griffis and Schuylar Davis, but Koritnik said the throwers will have to work hard to improve because there are some very strong throwers in Class 2A.
Boys hopes
Koritnik said the Bulldogs have a pair of outstanding throwers returning in senior Tyler Anderson, who won the discus in Class 3A last year and was third in the shot put, and sophomore AJ Montanez. Also out are throwers Jon and Jake Wakelin, Scott Everheart, Tanner Rohrer and Mark Grant.
With several athletes competing in the same event, Koritnik is glad that Class 2A is now allowing four athletes per event from a school at Regionals and State, allowing the Bulldogs to score some extra points.
Senior Ben Long will be counted on for his leadership, Koritnik said. Long, who competed in indoor track, has been improving in the long and triple jumps and will also do some running, Coach K said.
The Bulldogs also have several strong distance runners including junior Kenneth Moncur and sophomores Colin May and Collin McArthur.
“We’re counting on them to be able to go out and score and position themselves to qualify for State,” Koritnik said.
Back this season is junior Kaleb Leithead, who ran indoor track this season, as well.
“I’m anxious to see what he can do this year,” Koritnik said.
There are some sophomores out who didn’t compete last year but have some promise, the coach said, including Brigham Hopkin, Morgan Baxendale and McKayan May.
Also strong are Kenny and Nathan Grant in the pole vault and Dimas Patina in the sprints, Koritnik said.
“We’ll be missing a lot of kids for this first meet,” Koritnik said. “We’ll probably have about half the team going to Greybull. It’ll be a typical first track meet. It will give everyone a chance to get their marks, compete and see what happens.”
Koritnik will coach the sprints, hurdles, high jump and the 400-meter relay, Chad Lindsay the throws, Caleb Sanders the distance events and the 3,200-meter relay and Josh Sanders the long jump, triple jump, pole vault and the 1,600-meter relay.
Rocky report
At Rocky Mountain, coach Dave Beemer has 26 athletes out for track and field, and the team is very young, he said, with 10 of the 14 boys being freshmen or sophomores and nine of 12 girls also being young.
“We’re real young,” Beemer said. “We have a lot of freshmen and sophomores. We don’t have a lot of upperclassmen, and a lot of the kids who should be out for track aren’t.”
The Lady Grizzlies lost several strong athletes to graduation and have non seniors on this year’s squad. The team is led by junior Lauren Peterson, who placed sixth in the 800 meters at State a year ago.
“I’m trying to get Lauren to run the open 800 again, but she’s reluctant,” Beemer said. “I’d also like her to run the quarter.”
Another team leader is junior Leslie Blackburn, who placed third in the high jump at State.
Other athletes and events (when known) include: junior Melissa Iverson, jumps and sprints; sophomores Kim Beard, sprints, Ashley Bridges, throws, Caitlyn Sorenson, middle distance, and Karli Leonhardt, sprints and throws; and freshmen Rachael Allred, sprints, Hannah Parker, throws and sprints, Brianna Hocker, Kallee Hernandez, sprints and hurdles, and Kellie Schmidt.
The Rocky Mountain boys lost Randall Mann and Korey Hocker to graduation as top point-getters, but some athletes came out this year that didn’t a year ago, including seniors KJ Blackburn and Martin Consuelos, who will compete as throwers, joining fellow senior Jeff Sanders.
Also competing are: junior Nicholas Bagby; sophomores Derik Romero, sprints and the long jump, Travis Hatch, sprints and throws, Caleb Estes, sprints and jumps, Austin Brost, sprints and Ethan Strom, sprints; and freshmen Bryce Ward, sprints and the 300 hurdles, Michael Bernhisel, distance races, Dalton Banks, sprints, Jake Bose, and Brady Winland, 400 meters and long jump.
Beemer will handle the jumpers, sprinters and hurdlers once again this season, John Bernhisel the distance runners, and Traci McArthur, throwers.
