1A track preview
Clark Fork Wampus Cats
Coach: Richard Hanna
Top returners: Boys – Brian Young, senior, sprints/relays; David Barnett, junior, hurdles/s/r; Josh Anderson, jr., jumps; Leo Haase, jr., distances; Austin Martin, sophomore, hurdles/r; Matthew Belville, soph., discus/hur. Girls – No returners.
Top newcomers: Boys – Tom Witt, jr., dist; Stewart Berkley, sr., throws; Adam Denham, freshman, middle distances; Pat Young, fr., j/s; Ryan Miller, jr., s/r; Bo Gustafson, jr., j; Zack Anderson, fr., s/j; Cody Bowers, fr., t. Girls – Rachell Trunnell, sr., hur; Abbey Love, sr., hur/middle distances; Bailey Hewitt, fr., s/hur/j; Sterling Berkley, sr., s; Cali Candeau, sr., s/high jump; Stacey Schenck, soph., t; Morgan Yarger, jr., s; Brittney Draton, soph., s/j.
Outlook: Graduation gutted the Clark Fork boys relays that finished second at state, but a handful of Wampus Cats will challenge for state medals. Hanna has a light turnout among the girls and no experience.
Coeur d’Alene Charter Panthers
Co-coaches: Chris Sears and Lewis Watkins
Top returners: Boys – Mark Weller, soph., mdist; Michael Gleixner, jr., dist; Josiah Menzies, jr., t; Cameron Hjeltness, soph., dist. Girls – Heidi Ronningen, soph., s; Kalyn Lovlyn, jr., t; Ashleigh Stueckle, sr., dist; Hannah Reid, soph., s; Libby Redline, soph., s.
Top newcomers: Boys – Luke Iott, fr., dist; Tom Raybell, fr., mdist. Girls – Amanda Chambers, jr., dist; Danika Hjeltness, fr., s; Betsy Hoffman, jr., mdist.
Outlook: Charter is poised to become the North Star League powerhouse in track. It may take another year, but watch out. With a turnout of 55, Charter more than doubles the other schools, and there’s some promising potential, too. Weller and Ronningen earned state medals as freshmen.
Kootenai Warriors
Coach: Shannon LaFountaine
Top returners: Boys – Frank Donohoe, soph., j/s; Cameron Lockard, sr., dist; Patrick McHail, soph., dist; Scott Pankratz, sr., s. Girls – Darcy Collins, sr., hur/high jump/s; Kendra Willms, jr., j; Jordan Kincheloe, sr., pv; Stephanie Blackburn, jr., pv/s; Nakita Amy, sr., t.
Top newcomers: Boys – Kolten Willms, fr., j/r; Dakota Amy, fr., hur/s/r; Dalton Sherat, fr., j/s; Stephen Palmiter, soph., s; Taylor Wallace, soph., s/pv. Girls – Tami Hendricks, sr., t; Kami Haynes, fr., t; Morgan Mende, fr., t.
Outlook: Kootenai’s girls, winners of four straight state titles, hope they have a fifth in them before their run concludes. With Collins leading the way, it will be difficult to dethrone the Warriors. LaFountaine may have an emerging power among her boys. The bulk of the turnout is sophomores and freshmen, and there’s some talent among them.
Lakeside Knights
Coach: Brad Veile
Top returners: Boys – Travis Miller, jr., t; Sam Torpey, soph., mdist/j. Girls – Sara Gauthier, jr., j; Nonna Johnson, sr., j/hur.
Top newcomers: None identified.
Outlook: Veile continues to see an interest in the sport at the middle school, but the numbers haven’t quite caught up at the high school. Gauthier is the lone state qualifier from a year ago. Johnson, who didn’t turn out last year, placed fifth at state as a sophomore in the high jump.
Mullan Tigers
Coach: Dave Rounds
Top returners: Boys – Cory Pehan, sr., j; Seth Gray, soph., s/j; John Coy, soph., s. Girls – Fawn Story, soph., mdist.
Top newcomers: Boys – None. Girls – Katie Knapp, soph., mdist.
Outlook: Rounds, Wallace’s head coach, continues to co-op with Mullan and serve as its head coach. The Tigers’ turnout is the lowest among the NSL schools. Katlyn Valerio, a state placer last year, must sit out the season after blowing her knee out in basketball. Pehan has the best chance to place at state.
Post Falls Christian Eagles
Coach: Tim Mitchell
Top returners: Boys – None. Girls – Katie Hoye, jr., j/t.
Top newcomers: Boys – Grayson Hays, fr., s; Max Munson, jr., j/s; Sean Fuson, jr., j/s; Spencer Goodall, soph., t; Chris Bremer, jr., t. Girls – Kelly Smrz, jr., mdist.
Outlook: The Eagles have struggled with numbers because most of the school’s athletes turn out for tennis and golf. Mitchell may lose a few of the light turnout as the season progresses and reality dawns on his athletes. The school will fold after this year after officials earlier had announced it had found an alternative site for the school. That deal fell through recently.
Wallace Miners
Coach: Dave Rounds
Top returners: Boys – Tom Norris, soph., s/j; Nick Caron, jr., j. Girls – Shannon Michael, sr., s/r; Lisa Carver, jr., t.
Top newcomers: Boys – Heath Petersen, sr., s/r; Elliott Philp, jr., s/r. Girls – Jessica Johnson, soph., s/r; Miranda Wheeler, soph., s/r; Kristin Hartmann, soph., s/r; Vanessa Loper, jr., j.
Outlook: Turnout is larger than a year ago but still not where Rounds wants it to be. He believes a couple of sophomores from a talented group of girls could emerge to form a state medal-contending relay.