El Dorado track to open season Thursday
El Dorado’s girls’ track program won its first state championship last season. The core of that team graduated and now Coach John Koonce will try to keep the Lady Wildcats on the right track with new faces.
Koonce said the team has been working out all year in the weight room but has been on the track since December. The varsity squad has 31 girls participating this season.
“It’s a big sophomore group. We graduated a bunch but we had a bunch come up, too. We had quite a few of those sophomores who were freshmen last year, score points for us at state,” said Koonce.
“It’s going to be a different team. We are losing a lot of quality and we’re losing a lot of depth. Last year we could go to meets and rest our good kids and still win by a lot. Our depth was just that good. We’re going to have to have some kids step up to be that depth this year. Last year we had a lot of seasoned kids who were pretty much ready to rock-and-roll that first meet. I don’t think that’s going to be the case this year.”
Koonce stressed El Dorado will be far from bereft of talent, however. Hurdler Addrienna Gray and high jumper Davin James top the list of returning athletes who placed in last year’s state meet. That list includes sprinters and jumpers Zyron Brock, Asia Caver, Damecia McDaniel, A’Miya Moore and London Ingram.
“All these kids scored points in state last year. But, we have a lot of other kids who weren’t in the picture last year who could be in the picture by the end of the year. They’re just going to have to develop as the year goes,” Koonce said.
“I feel pretty good about who we have. I know who the top dogs are. I have a pretty good idea of who those kids are who will get you third, fourth, fifth place in conference. They have to develop into that. They have the potential. The season will train them to be that person.”
One of last year’s graduates was Carshaila Rozier, a workhorse who earned high point honors. When asked who could fill those spikes, Koonce answered without hesitation.
“Zyron Brock could be that girl. She’s going to have to develop into that as the season goes. She’s already in three events. She’s a very
good high jumper, very good 100-meter dash, very good 200-meter dash. We think she could fill out some other events.”
El Dorado's season was scheduled to start last Thursday but Texarkana's Doc Walker Relays were canceled due to the threat of bad weather. The Lady Wildcats will open the season Thursday at Prescott.
“We're upset we lost that first meet because of the girls that have been working all off-season. They were ready to go,” said Koonce. “But as a team, we were about 15 girls short. It was going to be a developmental meet for us. But it was unfortunate for those girls.”