The TCHS Track teams will open their season next week and will look to improve from last season. Both the Girls’ and Boys’ teams performed well last year, but the experience coming back for the Boys’ team have the expectations high. The Girls’ team will be looking to fill some roles as a lot of experience from last year was lost to graduation. There is a total of 50 athletes that came out to compete this season, 20 Girls’ and 30 Boys’ athletes will make up both teams.
The Girls’ Track team will be looking for some girls to step up after a strong nucleus was lost to graduation. This year there is 20 girls out for the season. Here are the members that make up this year’s Girls’ team, Seniors: Riley Evans, Kelcee James and Inza Pacella. Juniors: Mary Carr, Sarah Bates and Macy Nestor. Sophomores: Abbie Eakle, Addie Buckley, Karlee Smith, Zoe Nestor, Rachel Friend and Kandace Nestor. Freshmen: Vivanna Teter, Olivia Myers, Cassie Davis, London Hood and Katelyn Falls. Coach Shane Eakle was asked about this year’s Girls’ and he said, “We have some pieces back from last season, but we are going to have to have some young girls step up to help us be successful.”
The Boys’ team has some good experience back and is ranked 9th in the preseason rankings. The Boys’ team is made up of 30 athletes. Returning for their senior season is: Corrick Ambrose, Zane Myers, Mark Barnes, Gariet Pennington, Owen Poling, Ben Callaway, Cole Rapp, Edward Lewandowski, John Anderson, Seth Cangley, Cameron Wamsley and Chris Chambers. Juniors: Noah Lipscomb, Hunter Collar, Will White, Holden Young, Ethan Pacella, Jacob Moore and Raine McCauley. Sophomore: Josh Callaway and Tate Mullenax. Freahmen: Grant Poling, Harper Russell, Mason Tibbs, Logan Husk, Ternt Eure, Haden Wamlsey, Wesley Strawderman, Clay Poling and Owen Porter. Coach Tom Gutshall is back as the Boys’ Head Coach and Coach Eakle is the Girls’ Head Coach, but both coaches will assist each other with both teams.
The schedule is loaded up again this year with mostly “AA” and “AAA” teams which makes the team better toward the end of the year. These athletes will be working for 35-40 dress positions at each of the 8 regular season meets. The first meet of the season was scheduled for next Tuesday on March 26th at Keyser. Here is the schedule for the remainder of the schedule; 4/2 @ Buckhannon-Upshur, 4/5 @ Parkersburg South, 4/9 @ Buckhannon-Upshur, 4/12 @ Laidley Field Charleston, 4/18 @ Preston, 4/23 @ Buckhannon-Upshur, 4/25 @ Keyser. The PVC will be 5/1 @ Elkins and the Regional Meet will be 5/9 @ Lewis County. The State Meet in Charleston is scheduled for 5/17 and 5/18. Keep up with the Track team all season on TuckerCountySports.Com and RunWV.Com
