Mexico track and field athletes hoping to go distance

Mexico wants some kids to make a run at state.

The track and field program has a number of kids returning with experience, including at distance running, pole vault and relays. There will be 38 boys and 13 girls on the team.

“Our goal will be to make all our kids much better athletes in their events and get our top-tier kids to state,” head coach Bucky Green said.

Tyler Grimes, Andrew Peuster and Hunter Bickell are the key returning boys distance runners for Mexico this season, which is one area Green believes the team will be at its strongest. He said Grimes, Davontae Frame, Charlie Fisher, Taye Potter and Marquise Anyaeto are some kids that can make a strong boys relay team, and the pole vault will have Alexandra Terry for the girls and Luke Fowler for the boys.

Among the experienced kids who scored points for Mexico last season, Landon Higgins, Jacob Quinlan and Ryan Dingledine are some other key returning boys for Mexico, and Maggie Ramsey and Emma Seibert are key returning girls. Marcos Matuz in throws, Anyaeto in sprints and Raegan Frappier in the 400 meters are new seniors that should give the team some strength.

Community R-6 track and field wants to continue state streak under new head coach

The Community R-6 track and field team has had some state presence over the last few years.

Miranda Fennewald takes over as the new head coach after four years as an assistant at Community R-6. There will be 22 athletes on the team this season including two returning from state relay teams a year ago.

Lane Carter and Caden Thomas were part of the 4x100- and 4x200-meter relay teams and will be some of many returning athletes for Community R-6. There will be two seniors, Drake Welch and Kate Robnett, who each will be competing in various events.

“In all of my years coaching, I have been to the state competition,” Fennewald said. “I would love to keep that tradition going, and I know my athletes would too. We do a great job scouting, preparing and practicing to get to where we need to be mentally and physically to get there.”

Some other key returners are Chloe Johnson and Adriana Woodson, who each have had “very successful seasons” in the past. Fennewald said Kat Meyer is hoping to “make a statement” in the 800-meter-run, and Brett Beamer, Nicholas Henke and Grace McCoskey will return in the mid-distance races.

Fennewald is high on some freshmen for this season and later years, including KaTavyn Wheeler, Layton Wright, Colton Peak and Ezra Johnson for the boys, and Lydia Hoyt and Kooper Schafer for the girls. Hoyt looks like a “natural” in the long jump, and Schafer has impressed Fennewald early.

“She stood out to me at our first practice because she did what was asked of her with 100 percent effort and never complains, even when it hurts, gets tough, or working through tough weather conditions,” Fennewald said.

Van-Far bringing back sectional athletes, adding more kids

Van-Far track and field will have a lot of kids out this year.

Alongside state qualifier Gaven Gaston and sectional qualifiers Garrett Hopke and Evan Utterback returning this season, Van-Far will have 40 kids on the team this season. Of those 40 kids, 23 will be underclassmen.

“I look for the program to have more depth in our sprints and throws for the girls side, and on the boys side, more athletes in the field events and depth in both sprints and mid distance races,” head coach Kris Cross said.

The team’s six seniors include Katelynn Caldwell and Erin Childs for the girls and Tyson Douglas, Malik Douglas, Gabe Freie and Caleb Hazel and for the boys. Gaston, Hopke, Utterback, Jackson Fischer and Trinity Skwirtz are considered the key returners after scoring and medaling for the team in the past. Gaston made it to state in the boys 100-meter dash, Hopke made it to sectionals in the boys 3,200-meter run and Utterback made it to sectionals in the boys javelin.

Some key newcomers who have scored and medaled in junior high meets include Kylie Dameron, Cayden Douglas, Carly Hunn, Jaydon Hug-Hernandez, Ashlyn Marshall and Emily Smith.

“We have quite a few more athletes out this year so hopefully we will see a lot more successes in meets,” Cross said.

North Callaway track and field wants growth from roster

North Callaway track and field will have plenty in its ranks this season.

Of the 53 kids on the roster, 34 will be underclassmen. There will be nine returning seniors, however and most will be in the field events. Christian Moore, Casper Safranski, Faith Cash, Bailey Hill, Amelia Rohrbach and Abigail Schmidt will all be throwers along with junior Kymorie Myers.

“This year, we have a team that is somewhat inexperienced,” head coach Reid Randolph said. “However, there are some seasoned players on it. Our field event groupings are currently becoming a rather good group. It appears that there will be a number of talented girls who will be evenly distributed throughout the events. The success of our veterans and the growth of others will determine our prospects for the season.”

Some key track returners for the girls include Madyson Gordon and Cora Tripp as sprinters and Grace Rasmussen as a middle distance runner. For the boys, some returning track athletes will be Emerson Reinhard as a distance runner and Collin Moore as a sprinter.

Randolph said he wants the team to finish in the top three at meets.

Missouri Military Academy returns to track to further prove itself

Missouri Military Academy has a group of promising runners in its track and field program this year.

Head coach Traevonne Smith said it is a roster of mostly younger cadets but likes the potential seasons of some of his runners. Kyran Carter, Alex McBride and Ryan Miles all return to various distances on the track.

Carter is coming back as a top 100-meter-dash runner, McBride is a returning 200-meter-dash runner and even set a new school record time of 22.93 at sectionals at the end of last season, and Miles is a long-distance runner that has competed in the 400-, 800- and 1600-meter events for the Colonels.

These three cadets stand out because they are returners who have proved themselves in the past,” Smith said. “Some of my team’s strengths this year will definitely be the 100-meter-dash, the 200-meter-dash and the 400-meter-dash.”

Smith said many other areas are still up in the air, but he at least hopes that McBride will make it to the state meet.