Boys Track Ready To Defend Big 8 Title
The McDonald County High School boys track team is the defending Big 8 Conference champions.
But that championship seems like a long way in the past due to the loss of the 2020 season due to covid-19.
The expectations for last year were high, with several key members of the championship team back for their senior season.
Despite the loss of those athletes due to graduation, the cupboard is not bare. Coach Chris Kane said his team’s goal is to defend that championship.
“We don’t have as much top-end ability, but we are deeper this year,” Kane said. “We believe we have a good chance to win the conference.”
Kane said leading the way will be a strong group of throwers — shot put, discus and javelin.
Kaidan (Campbell) and Garrett (Gricks) have a chance to do some good things in the shot put,” Kane said. “Junior (Eliam) and Logan (Harryman) are former baseball players who came out for track this year. They both are looking good in the discus and the javelin. Ricky Salas also has a chance to score some points in the javelin.”
Kane also said the team has a solid group of sprinters, led by Bailey Lewis.
“Bailey will be a short sprinter (100, 200) guy,” Kane said. “Freshman Sam Barton is looking good in the 200 and 400. Estaban Martinez might run all three of the sprints.”
Lewis and Martinez will also lead the jumpers — Lewis in the long jump and Martinez in the triple jump.
Kane also cited Andrew Watkins in the pole vault as a key contributor to the team point total.
On the girls’ side, coach Ashleigh McFarland is in her first year as track coach at MCHS.
McFarland though is not unfamiliar with several runners on the team after she coached the cross country team last fall.
McFarland said cross country runners Madison Burton, Melysia McCrory and Anna Belle Price will be joined by Savannah Leib to form strong 4x400 and 4x800 relay teams.
“We have a solid group of middle distance runners,” McFarland said. “These girls work so hard. They have made the decision to be the best they can be.”
Kaycee Factor, Reagan Myrick and Katelynn Townsend will lead the sprinters. All three are in their first year of high school track. Factor is a senior, but played soccer as a freshman and sophomore before missing last year. Myrick is a sophomore and Townsend is a freshman.
“I see great things coming from Kaycee,” McFarland said. “She will run the 400 and be on the 4x400 team. Myrick will run the 100 and 200 and be on the short relays.”
Also McFarland cited Gissele Reyes and Corina Holland as potential sprinters.
In the field events, Melanie Gillming will lead the pole vaulters while Sosha Howard leads the team in the long, triple and high jumps.
Throwers will be led by Jada Alfaro (shot put and discus) and Mariana Salas (javelin).
Two key members of the team will be seniors Caitlyn Barton and Erin Cooper, though not as competitors. Both will miss the entire season due to injuries, but McFarland said their influence will still be felt.
“I think they will contribute more in leadership than they think,” McFarland said.
McFarland said the goals for the girls team is to be in the top three of the conference and see some athletes qualify for sectionals.at the district meet.
McDonald County opens the season on March 25 at the Mustang Stampede at McDonald County High School.