Girls track teams look for stronger outdoor seasons By MIKE KEMMETER of The Gazette The Wisconsin Valley Conference's indoor runner-up, the Stevens Point Area Senior High girls track and field team, will only get tougher with two of its top runners back for the outdoor season. Seniors Erin Legro, the 100-meter hurdles state champion, and Emily Pliska, who ran in a relay at state last year and competes in the long jump, both missed the indoor season but are healthy and already competed in the team's triangular Tuesday. "We're going to be stronger outdoors," SPASH coach Mike Olson said. "Our depth is going to help us. We've been working hard in indoors and it should start to pay off." Joining Legro and Pliska are seniors Kjersten Johnson (distance), Tracy Knippel (long jump and triple jump); juniors Cassie Dudeck (middle distance), Abby Ofori-Amoah (shotput, discus, sprints) and Alexis Sustman (middle and long distance); and sophomores Kim Klosno (sprints, pole vault, jumps) and Amber Perri (400, sprints). D.C. Everest beat the Panthers by more than 30 points at indoor conference and, even though Legro and Pliska are back, Olson said the Evergreens are still the team to beat. "I think we can get closer but they're still clearly the favorite," he said. SPASH has a lot of returnees who have experience at the state meet and hope to get just as many people, if not more, to La Crosse. "We have a lot of girls with experience there. I think we'll do well in tournament time," Olson said. "It's just a matter of keeping our focus and working hard like they did in indoors." Pacelli The Cardinals also were nursing injuries in the indoor season and are looking for bigger and better things in the outdoor part of the schedule. "It looks a lot more promising," Pacelli coach Kate Luebke said. "We had some injuries in the indoor season and the girls have recovered from that." Seniors Joy Jacoby (400, 1600 relay), Lisa Ksionsk (relays and LJ, TJ), Cindy Lila (sprints, relays), Laura McCorkell (middle distance, discus) and Kristin Mitchell (LJ, TJ, HJ); sophomores Katie Hansel (distance) and Emily Swenson (hurdles, 400 relay); and freshmen Angela Peters (distance) and Lyndi Benz-Dean (shotput and discus) will team to combine most of Pacelli's points. "The relays are making big improvements. I guess we're really looking to score most of our points on relays," Luebke said. "We're focusing on that because we don't have a lot of depth for the individual events." In the conference race, Luebke said Chippewa Falls McDonell is the favorite and will be tough to beat. "Hopefully we'll be able to at least compete for a second place finish," she said. Amherst Led by defending state 3,200-meter run champion Jane Ovanin, the Falcons will look to make some noise at both the conference and state meets. Ovanin, a junior, and fellow junior Samantha Diver are both back after competing in last year's state meet. Diver was in the 800 meters a year ago. "With some of the people that we have, we should make a good showing. Our goal is to finish strong at conference," Amherst coach Keith Waterson said. Senior Missy Kayon gives Amherst a big point scorer in the sprints. She will team with sophomore Stephanie Carlson, freshman Jenna Baker and sophomore Megan Harvey in the 800 relay. The relay advanced to sectionals last year and Waterson said he is looking for another good showing. "Missy was a three-time winner last week. I look for good things from her," Waterson said. "The relay team looks good." Sophomore Kristin Woyak returns after winning the Central Wisconsin Conference large division title in the shotput last year as a freshman. Waterson said he likes the team's attitude and their closeness on and off the track. "We have some very good friendships that have occurred through this. They give strong moral support and that's good to see," he said. Almond-Bancroft The Eagles enter their third year of the girls track and field program with more depth than ever and are looking to make a move in the CWC small division standings. "We have a good nucleus back," A-B coach Rodney Wedig said. "The freshmen give us more depth. I definitely think the girls can finish in the top half. We've been very competitive so far this year." Leading the way is a trio of seniors - Stephanie Jenz, Andrea Wimmer and Sarah Wimmer. Jenz won the conference shotput title last season and set the school record at Tuesday's Amherst Invitational. The Wimmers will compete in the discus and short relays. Junior Renee Reince is back after finishing second at conference in the triple jump. She will also run sprints. Fellow junior Cindy Nickel will compete in sprints and the long jump while sophomore Carissa Yonke runs middle distance and throws the shotput. The Eagles have two freshmen, Beth Turner and Christlyn Johnson. In the conference race, Wedig said Rosholt and Iola-Scandinavia are the team to beat. The Eagles, though, could be in the group behind the Hornets and Thunderbirds. "We're really seeing the improvements and we've been competitive," Wedig said. Rosholt The Hornets, a perennial powerhouse in the CWC small division, are seeking another conference title and more. Rosholt has seven returnees who have competed at the state meet, including junior Jenna Eschenbach, the defending state champion in the 100-meter hurdles. "The goal is not just to win conference, but to go beyond that," Rosholt coach Mike Trzebiatowski said. "I think we have enough girls to do some damage at sectionals and at state. "We should be able to do some damage down the road. We have to stay healthy and keep our heads on straight." Eschenbach will also compete in relays and the high jump. Senior Jen Zdroik, junior Amy Scott (distance, high jump) and sophomores Tasha Check (long sprinter), Kate Flick (middle distance), Kate Kosobucki (distance) and Tami Scott (distance) all have competed at the state meet as well. Other returnees include seniors Jess Arrigo (sprints) and Lyndsey Carter (weight throws); juniors Lana Dalton (sprints), Kari Kurszewski (weight throws); and sophomores Angela Ryan (middle distance), Sarah Simonis (distance), Steph Wierzba (shotput) and Lisa Yenter (distance). Newcomers include exchange students Perjo Eelmaa (long sprints) and Kiki Straub (sprints, jumps). "The only weak area we have is the jumps," Trzebiatowski said. "We'll try to manufacture some points at the end of the year. Every other event we should be able to do pretty well. We just have a nice crew of girls that aren't afraid to work. Rosholt's main competition at the conference meet, Trzebiatowski said, will be Iola-Scandinavia.