Fresh Freeman

Freeman track coach John Hays counts on a buddy system.

Each year, team captains for the Scotties, who regularly finish the boys and girls track seasons among the top teams in the state, meet with the coach to hold a draft.

“I take the captains out and they take turns drafting other team members,” Hays laughs. “Each captain ends up with eight or 10 teammates that they are responsible for – making sure they get to their events on time and get their workouts in.”

This year their responsibility will be a bit greater.

“We’re going to have both boys and girls teams be competitive,” Hays said. “But we’re going to be young. I have about 15 freshmen boys and about the same number of freshmen girls.

“But at the same time, I have a great bunch of seniors who are helping me to teach these young kids what track is all about.”

Last year Freeman finished second to Newport in the State 1A meet powered by Kevin Hatch’s three first-place finishes in his final prep track meet.

This year, said Hays, the Northeast A League has no regional meet and qualifies just two athletes per event to state.

“I don’t like to measure our success by state championships and things like that,” Hays said. “We’ve had some very good success. Our boys have placed state every year now for six or seven years. But it’s about having kids go out and doing their personal best. So long as they’re doing that, I’m happy.”

The Freeman boys have just three seniors in Luke Heinen, Patrick Lewis and, hopefully, 2004 discus champion Andrew Wilkerson, who missed state last year because of illness and this year’s basketball season after undergoing back surgery.

“He had back surgery about six weeks ago and he’s hoping to come out after spring break, but we’ll have to wait and see,” Hays said. “He had a herniated disc, but they didn’t have to do any fusing, fortunately.”

Wilkerson placed in state as a freshman when teammate Nick Jordan posted a school record state title.

“He came up to me afterward, this young freshman, and told me that he was going to not only win state the next year, he was going to break the school record,” Hays said. “Sure enough, he did just that.”

Senior Michael Wittwer opted to turn out for tennis this season.

“He was a 43-foot shot putter and an 11.3-second sprinter – he was a big part of what I was expecting to have back,” Hays said.

Junior sprinter Chris Davis ran an 11.5 100 before spring break and junior Jimmy Lara turned in a 11.7 – which should translate into a good 4x100 relay team.

Junior Greg Emtman and Lara also return from a 4x400 relay team that placed third at state.

Luke Heinen already has turned in a 16.4 in the 110 hurdles and a 43.7 in the 300 – marks that still might not get him into the state meet.

“We’re going to get some really good competition from Newport in the hurdles,” Hays said. “There will be a dogfight to get to state.”

On the girls team, senior Jessie DePell returns looking to improve on a fourth-place state finish in the pole vault. She’s cleared 9-feet-6. The basketball standout also long jumped 15-11 at state.

Junior Jennesa Miller returns after a third-place finish in the high hurdles last year and already has run a time comparable to her personal best from a year ago.

“We’re hoping she can go sub-16-seconds this year,” Hays said.

Junior state veteran Maeve Sayres returns in the distances and ran a personal best in the mile her first time out – then doubled back to win the 800.

Hays has several freshmen who should do very well.

Leah Willard will high jump and run the 200 and 400 and Taryn Wingett will run the sprints and hurdles.