Varsity track teams excited to start season
The Siloam Springs varsity track and field teams are scheduled to participate in their first outdoor meet of the season on Friday at Springdale Har-Ber.
It’s the beginning of a busy and exciting spring schedule for the Panthers and Lady Panthers.
The varsity track program has nearly 70 kids competing in it, and around 170 are in the program counting the junior high athletes.
“It’s probably the largest team we’ve had,” said head girls coach Sharon Jones. “In high school I know it’s the largest.”
Sharon Jones and head boys coach Chuck Jones said there are additional junior varsity meets this year which have helped get more kids out to run track.
“That allows us to get twice the kids,” Chuck Jones said. “We’ve been fortunate the last couple of years we’ve been able to retain a lot of the ninth graders. We have a good number of sophomores and a lot of them will participate in JV. In the past there would have been no way to get that many kids in the meets.”
Another exciting aspect of the track and field program is a brand new running track at Glenn W. Black Stadium as well as updated jumping areas where the old visitor’s bleachers used to be.
“It’s amazing,” Sharon Jones said. “So far the kids are loving it.”
The updated facility will be on display later this month when the track program hosts its three home meets. The seventh- and eighth-grade home meet will be March 30, followed by the ninth-grade meet on March 31. The annual Siloam Springs Panther Invitational will be April 2.
“It’s really nice,” Chuck Jones added. “They did a good job.”
The Panthers and Lady Panthers return a mix of newcomers and veterans at the varsity level that the Joneses hope will rev up the competition.
Keegan Soucie finished in the top 20 in the decathlon a year ago and recently finished second in the long jump at the state indoor meet.
“I really feel like Keegan is primed to have a good season,” Chuck Jones said.
Palvinson “Jeff” Phizema is going to be a top sprinter for the Panthers and has already broken Primo Agbehi’s indoor records in the 100 and 200 meters, Chuck Jones said.
Chase Mills is a senior pole vaulter and will help in running races. Senior Oren Stafford has come out for track and will compete in high jump, triple jump and the 200 meter. Michael Capehart finished in the top four in the two-mile race at the state indoor meet.
Chuck Jones said the Panthers have a good group of throwers returning including Keondre Westbrook, who was state runner-up last year and Kolby Fesler. Jace Sutulovich, just a sophomore, recently placed third at the state indoor meet in the shotput.
On the girls side, the Lady Panthers return Jael Harried, who won high point at two events last year and is a heptathlon candidate.
“She’s just a good athlete,” Chuck Jones said.
Brooke Henderson and Quincy Efurd return as veterans as does Kailey Pentz who is “in the best shape she’s been in,” according to Sharon Jones.
Regan Riley, a newcomer and also a soccer player, has fared well in the indoor meets in the 400 meters and long jump.
The coaches are excited about a promising group of sophomore throwers, including Cora Dewey, Chloe Chandler and Brianna Woods.
“Our boys and girls throwers are really primed to have a strong year,” Chuck Jones said. “Coach Henry Janes does a great job with those kids.”
The coaching roster for track season is also set. Chuck Jones is head boys coach and works with high school sprinters and jumpers. Sharon Jones is head girls coach with middle distance and high jump. Coach Conlan Efurd coaches the distance runners.
Coach Craig Cowart is the junior high head coach and coaches pole vault and seventh- and eighth-grade sprinters. Janes coaches all the throwers, while Michael Smith is the head seventhgrade coach and coaches hurdles and long jump.