Once again, East Linn Christian is looking deep into the season in setting its track and field goals.
The Eagle girls finished second last year in the 2A Special Division 2 championships, then went on to take home a third-place trophy at state.
Distance star Daisy Lalonde helped take them there, scoring big points for ELCA in winning both district and state titles in the 1500 and 3000 and placing third at state in the pole vault.
Though Lalonde has graduated and moved on to Colorado Mesa University, the cupboard is certainly not bare for the Eagles, who return eight girls and six boys who have tasted state competition.
“This year’s team has 31 kids, a little bit smaller than last year, but we have a lot who are up-and-coming,” said Head Coach Kellen Peters. “On the girls side, we got it’s more junior- and senior-heavy. And then our boys are really young. We’ve got a bunch of sophomore boys and three seniors and no juniors.”
The boys who return, however, include senior Hank Davidson, who set the school pole vault record of 13-7 and finished the season with a district title and sixth place at state (12-1¼), and sophomore Ryder Howard, who cleared a personal-best 6-2 in the high jump as a freshman and long jumped 19-4½, placing fourth in the state high jump with a leap of 6-0¾.
The Eagles’ all-freshman 4×400 Relay team of Howard, Jonah Magness, Gabe Talleur and Cole Pennington finished 10th at state in 3:37.91, two seconds out of the medals, and they’re all back as sophomores now.
Davidson also finished 12th in the discus last year with a throw of 100-2; at the Eagles’ opener at Sweet Home two weeks ago he threw 108-4.
Also, junior Josh Rehart returns after qualifying for the 800, but finishing eighth after injuring himself.
“He’s one of our top 200, 400 guys,” Peters said.
“Cole Pennington, he’s one of our kind of key guys,” Peters said. “I think, just as far as unknowns, he can pole vault, he can do sprints, he can do hurdles, he just did high jump with 5-6 (at the Sweet Home meet).
“Our boys 4×4 is an area we’re really putting an emphasis on this year, instead of our 4×100,” he added.
Rounding out the boys roster are seniors Owen Nofziger and Bain Pool, sophomores Zeke Cowart, Jack Johnson, Beckham Kramer and Karter Nofziger; and freshmen Jordan Gilliam, Kyle Nunnery and Henry Yanke-Knurowski.
On the girls side, East Linn is loaded with experience.
June Cowan, now a junior, was second in the 100 hurdles at state (16.00) and senior Lexi Kauffman is back after a fifth-place finish at state in the 200 (25.67 after running 26.39 in the prelims). Kauffman was also eight in the 100 (13.30/13.12 in the prelims).
The girls 4×100 team of Cowan, now-junior Avery Runyon and Kauffman, together with then-senior Josie Grunerud, were fourth in the 4×100. All but Grunerud are back.
Cowan, sophomore Kaylyn Kauffman, Lexy Kauffman and LaLonde were sixth in the 4×400.
Cowan also placed 13th in the long jump (13-5½).
Also returning is sophomore Maci Modderman, who was seventh in the discus at state (99-4) and just missed qualifying in the shot with a third-place at districts (31-4½).
Lana Manner, now a senior, was 11th in the state javelin and both she and her sister Tatiana, also a senior, were among the state pole vault qualifiers, though they did not clear the opening height – which is demanding at state.
Also, Peters noted, junior Tessa Salvage returns to track after splitting time with softball last year. She opened her season with a PR of 4-8½ in the high jump.
Other girls on the roster are senior Bella Albert; juniors Erin Davey, Anna Henry and Allie Presley; sophomores Madison Kauffman and Ella Stutzman; and freshmen Hadassah Albert and Morgan Lalonde.
As far as what the Eagles will face in district action, Peters said he expects competition from Delphian, a newcomer to the district with the departure of Salem Academy, which moved up to the 3A Division.
“Delphian’s boys won state last year, so they’ve got a good team. Regis always reloads. They’re usually pretty solid. But yeah, Delphian is definitely one to beat.”
On the girls side, East Linn lost to Salem Academy at districts. But Peters is hoping for a different outcome this May.
“I think we’ve got a lot of returning experience and if we have enough depth, I think maybe we have a chance of going for a trophy at state.”