Track team short on depth, but coach optimistic about grit

Scott Swanson

The roster is thin but new Sweet Home Head Coach Dakotah Keys says his team has heart, which goes a long way in the sport of track and field.

As of last Friday the Huskies had 54 athletes on the roster, a third of them girls, and some were still iffy.

It’s a work in progress, said Keys, one of the best athletes ever to wear the green and gold uniform, who led Sweet Home’s boys to three straight state championships and went on to place third twice in the NCAA Division I decathlon nationals at the University of Oregon.

The Huskies are coming off a fifth-place district finish by the boys and a fourth from the girls in the Sky-Em League, in which Cottage Grove, Junction City and Elmira have been the teams to beat in recent years for the boys, with Sisters a perennial titlist for the girls, challenged at times by Junction City.

But Keys says his team, though the smallest the Huskies have had in the last decade-plus, has what it takes to win, at least individually.

“For the small amount of kids we have, I think there are actually quite a bit of kids out here who will surprise themselves and surprise coaches and parents,” he said.

“One thing I’ll say about these kids, they’re mentally tough.”

He cited a “crazy hard hill workout” the sprinters performed during the first week of practice.

“It was a college-level workout. I told them, ‘You’re going to hit the times in the first set. In the second set and the third set, you aren’t going to hit your times any more. I want you to work through the fatigue and continue to push yourselves.’

“And not a single kid quit. By the time they were finished, some of them were almost walking by the time they were hitting the 200 mark on the hill. Now it’s just getting them excited about doing the little things and if they can do that, I don’t see why any of these kids can’t go to state or make the district team because they’re all really, really tough mentally.”

This year’s girls team is led by junior Bethany Gingerich, who was Sweet Home’s most successful athlete at last year’s state meet scoring 11 points with a fourth-place finish in the 400, eighth in the 800 and anchoring the 4×100 relay team. Gingerich won district in both sprints as well.

Also back is senior Dana Hiett, who is finishing up dance season at the state championships this weekend before moving over to track. Hiett, who also led the Huskies in the pole vault last year, finished seventh in the triple jump at state after winning the district title in that event.

On the boys side, senior Trey Reed, a three-time state qualifier in the 400, will once again be competing in that event, and senior Dillon Stutzman is back after qualifying for state in the pole vault last year by winning a jump-off with a PR of 12-8.

Sweet Home had a number of young athletes on last year’s team who distinguished themselves at districts, though not necessarily with top medals.

Now-senior Wes Parker finished fifth in the triple jump last year and current sophomore Lance Hanson was seventh – with a three-foot PR to score for the Huskies in that event.

Rounding out the boys team are Andrew Baham, Chase Blanco, Eric Blanchard, Justin Carpenter, Sevin Carson, Noah Dinsfriend, Austin Griffin, Nathan Hager, Mason Hook, Parker Justham, Marc Kanngvesser, Caden Knight, Parker Lemmer, Ryan Lunden, Hayden McDonald, Noah Moore, Hayden Nichol, Wes Parker, Misael Pastrana, Nick Rietz, Conner Russell, Tristan Saultz, Tanner Sayers, Austin Sills, Austin Stevens, Jake Swanson, Cameron Taber, Noah Taraski, Casey Tow, Noah Webb, Bradley Wolthuis, Ricky Yunke and Robbie Yunke.

Other girls team members are Jinny Chawengchote, Ria Chiba, Anna Coleman, Shelby Goodwin, Megan Hager, Sarah Hewitt, Zoe James, Madelyn Neuschwander, Hailey Nicholson, Gracie Olson, Alice Ramsey, Kendyl Stutzman, Lauren Taber, Jessie Thomas and McKenzie Yoder.

Assistant Coach Billy Snow, who has been with the Huskies for three decades, said he expects Sisters’ girls to be the “odds-on favorite” again after winning the district title last year.

“They have just about everything coming back,” he said. “What they have ia lot of speed. In high school track, that goes a long way.

“Not only do they have speed, but they have some good distance runners and a good thrower. They also seem to always have at least one good jumper in each event.“

Junction City and Cottage Grove may be in the hunt for a title as well, he predicted.

JC will have a decent squad. Lot of young kids.

On the boys side, Junction City and Cottage Grove look to be in the lead going into the season, Snow said.

Recently arrived Coach Ricky Knutson is a “great person and a good motivator” at Cottage Grove, Snow said. “He gets kids out.”

Sisters was lacking depth last year, but if the Outlaws can build their team, they could also be in the hunt for a trophy.

Sweet Home opens its season on Thursday, March 23, at the Cascade Icebreaker meet, then will not compete until after Spring Break other than the opportunity for individuals to take part in the Summit Decathlon/Heptathlon competition, which was relocated there a couple of years ago from Sweet Home.

The Huskies will host Sutherlin and Elmira in a home meet April 6.

Total
0
Share