Track and field preview: Seton’s Blaut looking for back-to-back state titles
Rain has delayed the start of the high school track season, but that just gives you - the reader - more time to get to know how things are shaping up for the season. So, here’s a preview of how the teams in the Western Hills/Delhi/Price Hill Press coverage are looking in 2014:
Elder
After capturing a district title and finishing as regional runner up, senior pole vaulter Joe Ratterman joins a bevy of returning Panthers who are looking to lift the team to the top of the Greater Catholic League in 2014.
Joining Ratterman are four regional qualifiers in Jaquon James, Andrew Sportsman, Jonathon Reiter and Logan Steiner.
James is a hurdler, while Sportsman is a sprinter and reached the regional meet in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes.
Steiner and Reiter are distance runners, while Steiner also reached regionals as a member of the 4x800 relay team.
“We are a very experienced team returning a large number of our top point scorers from last year,” coach Brian Flaherty said. “We should be able to score in multiple events and should have the opportunity to win a few events.”
Gamble Montessori
The Gators are coached by Matt Kane (boys) and Siobhan Taylor (girls).
No other information was available before press deadline.
La Salle
Senior Tim Bell headlines a Lancer team that won its fourth straight Greater Catholic League title in 2013.
Bell owns the school record in the long jump and was both the GCL and district champion in the event last season on his way to earning GCL Field Events Athlete of the Year honors.
According to coach Frank Russo, Bell is being recruited by Ohio State, the University of Cincinnati, Akron and Kent State.
Bell is also a part of both the 4x100- and 4x200-meter relay teams, who both finished fifth at regional’s last season. Adam Franklin, Tyler Harmon and Jeff Larkin all return to round-out the two relay teams who will likely be state contenders in 2014.
Sophomore Jeremy Larkin also returns and will make an impact on the relay teams as well as in individual action as well.
The addition of football players Luke Doerger and Jordan Thompson will strengthen the field side of things for Russo, as both will join the team as throwers in both the discus and shot put events.
After a couple rainouts early the season, the Lancers continue 2014 on the track April 9 at Fairfield High School for the Coaches Classic.
Mercy
Depth not only provides you will comfort, but it can also provide a team with some valuable points throughout the season.
That will be the case for the Bobcats and coach Dennis Schapker this season.
“We have a young and emerging group of athletes with an outstanding work ethic who are eager to improve to Mercy’s fifth-place finish in the GGCL the last two year,” Schapker said. “Our number of athletes is way up over last year. This depth will allow us to field a team with the potential to score points in just about every event, whereas in the past we have had to rely very heavily on the distance and field events for our points.”
Senior Emma Hatch will lead the way when it comes to distance. Hatch earned second-team All-GGCL honors in the 3,200-meter last season and will also run the 1,600. Freshman Alex Stevens will also run distance events this season.
Sophomore Katie Cavanaugh is one of those youngsters Schapker expects to contribute in 2014. She will see action in both the 400 and 800.
As far as the sprints go, sophomore Sarah Hoesl and freshman Jennifer Ramsey will lead the way. Ramsey will also participate in the long jump.
Oak Hills
Ben Hageman enters his second year as coach of the boys team after coaching the girls from 2001-2007.
Coming off a fourth-place finish a season ago, the Highlanders return a strong group of distance runners led by Nate Smith, Derek Knabe and Andrew Schille.
Schille (Northern Kentucky University) and Knabe (Capital University) will both continue their track and field careers at the collegiate level next season.
“Andrew and Derek will lead a strong group of distance runners,” Hageman said. “They have been rocks all winter, leading the distance groups through their off-season conditioning.”
Smith will be relied upon as the leader of the pack.
“Nate will continue Oak Hills’ tradition of strong quarter milers,” Hageman said. “He will be one of the top 400 runners in the area. He is a strong example to the underclassmen on how work ethic can impact performance. We are expecting very big things from him this year.”
Look for Devin Moore to lead the team in field events. Moore is a strong high jumper and long jumper and already owns the school record in the triple jump and was a regional qualifier in the long jump last season during his sophomore campaign.
Jake Richards is hoping his youth shows some maturity in 2014.
Sophomore Alyssa McCarthy leads a young Lady Highlanders’ squad from the long jumping spot and started the season with a bang notching a personal best jump in the first meet of the season.
Fellow sophomore Alexis Conley worked on her high jumping technique in the offseason which leads Richards to believe she can make an impact after failing to place in the Greater Miami Conference meet as a freshman.
Kamilah Williams returns as the team’s top sprinter and will be joined in the position by McCarthy. Richards believes Williams has the potential to be one of the top sprinters in the GMC as a sophomore.
Laura Jennrich leads a group of talented, young distance runners, while freshman Megan Kappen looks to take her talents from middle school to high school and make an immediate impact in both the hurdles and sprint relays.
“While it seems like I’ve said this every year now, I’ll say it again: We’re young and we’ve got quite a bit of long-term potential,” Richards said. “Although we may not have a senior leader, we’ve got a strong foundation to build on in our returning sophomores and juniors and a good group of enthusiastic freshmen
Seton
Loretta Blaut is looking to make it two-for-two in 2014.
After winning the Division I state title in the high jump last season with a jump of 5 feet 7 inches, the goal is even greater this season in hopes of cracking the state record of 6 feet 1 1/4 inches.
“The sky’s the limit,” track and field coach Karen Berndt said. “She has so much more strength to gain. I don’t even know what her limits are because we’re just getting started with her.”
Blaut – a University of Cincinnati commit - is just one of 13 starters back for the Saints who are coming off a second-place finish in the Girls’ Greater Catholic League last season.
Field events are without a doubt where the Saints’ strengths lie.
Junior Alyssa Ramstetter is coming off a regional appearance in the discus, while senior Ellie Hahn returns after capturing a GGCL shot put championship last season. Sophomore Anna Schoster finished fifth at districts in the long jump as a freshman.
Look for big things from junior Kelsey Kurzhals who was the 2013 GGCL champion in the 100-meter dash.
Junior Gabriel Hirlinger will be Berndt’s top distance runner as she will compete in the 800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter races.
“Our strength in field events will carry us this season backed with depth from all other event areas,” the coach said.
St. Xavier
After leading the Bombers to a cross country state title, seniors Michael Hall and Evan Stifel will now try to do the same on the track.
Hall returns after capturing a district and regional title in the 1,600 last season. Hall was also part of the 4x800 relay team that that finished third at state in 2013. Three quarters of the relay team is back and is expected to be comprised of Hall, junior Michael Vitucci, junior Brad Eagan and senior Jax Talbott. Talbott was part of the team throughout the 2013 season but was replaced by Eagan at the state meet. With the graduation of Jake Grabowski, both are expected to run the event this season.
Vitucci finished behind Hall in the 1,600 at districts and regional’s while notching a ninth-place finish at state.
Senior Zach Lynett returns after finishing 14th in the state in the 300 hurdles in 2013.
Look for junior sprinter Ron Fricke and senior hurdler Andrew Racadio to contribute this season as well. Senior Ben Egner is injured, but coach Oliver Mason expects him to make an immediate impact upon his return.
“Last year during the indoor season a lot of these guys proved they’d be a force during the outdoor season,” Mason said.
According to the school’s athletic website, the Bombers are back in action April 7 at the Fairfield Come N’ Run.
Taylor
Coach James Tenhundfeld expects his Yellow Jackets not to be the same team they are now come late May.
With plenty of new faces, seniors Ryan Bundy and Adam Coleman will be relied upon heavily to step into the leadership roles.
Bundy is a senior thrower who finished eighth in the Cincinnati Hills League in the shot put last season.
Fellow thrower Ryan Sandling finished fourth in the shot put and sixth in the discus as a sophomore.
Expect junior Roman Murray to challenge for a top spot in the CHL in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes, while junior Chad Mason should also be near the top of the league in distance events.
“The exciting thing this season will be watching our athletes grow through the season,” Tenhundfeld said. “Hopefully by the end we can reach the potential that we have.”
The girls bring a lot of experience back in 2014.
Senior long jumper Allie Dolan – who was a regional qualifier last season – owns the school record at Taylor.
Junior Lizzi Lakamp is back after qualifying for the Division II state meet in both the 100- and 300-meter hurdles as a sophomore.
Sophomore Sutty Godar is Tenhundfeld’s distance runner, while fellow sophomores Randi Schutte and Carly Schutte will compete in the high jump. Randi will also compete in both hurdles events after reaching the district finals in both as a freshman.
“We are well-rounded in every aspect,” Tenhundfeld said. “We have some areas that will score big points, but we should be able to score everywhere.”
Western Hills
Lark Dudley is the coach of both the boys and girls track teams at West High.
No other information was available before press deadline.