Enthusiasm high for Spencer track team this year
Numbers and experience are down, but enthusiasm is up for the Spencer track team this year. With 14 boys and 14 girls on the team, coach John Zastrow said individual events will be the team’s strong point this year as the athletes work to try to recover some of the experience they lost.
Because last season was cancelled, Zastrow said the seniors, juniors and sophomores on the team are lacking a year of experience that would have helped them improve their techniques in their events. For field events, that loss is huge.
“We just don’t have anyone with four years of track experience,” he said. “So everybody who was a junior is a sophomore based on experience. We missed a whole year with them. Talking about technique like in pole vault, shot and disc, a year lost is huge. They are a year behind.”
To make sure the athletes are able to make the most out of this year, which is still dealing with the repercussions of a cancelled season, Zastrow said they have been working since early March to get them in shape. Due to the cancelled season last year, he said the WIAA allowed teams 15 contact days before the season’s official start for this purpose; which has been very beneficial for the team.
“The 15 contact days helped out a lot,” he said. “We were able to work with them and give them the recovery days they needed. We couldn’t go every day, but we did it Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with Tuesday and Thursdays as recovery.”
So far, the strategy Spencer has used to get its athletes in shape seems to be paying off. With a couple meets already under their belts, Zastrow said individuals are already having some successes and he expects they will continue to improve as individuals as the season continues on.
As a team though, Zastrow said based on their numbers, there isn’t much of a chance for them to compete at events like Conference. Depth is needed in multiple fields, he said, and without enough people to fill in certain events, it will be hard to get enough points to score big as a team.
“We just don’t have the numbers to compete for Conference,” he said. “We will be able to compete for individuals, but not as a team.”
Looking at the athletes as individuals, Zastrow said there are a few of them he hopes will be able to qualify for some of the late season meets and possibly State.
“Emily (Wehrman) and Leah (Zastrow) are both juniors,” he said. “Emily has a very good shot in the 800m… Leah will be in pole vault, hurdles and possibly long jump, we will experiment with that. Cam Nieman is really strong in the 800m and Will (Gorst) in the long jump.
There are eight seniors on this year’s team. They are Connor Clark, Haley Miller, Martina Miradoli, Lydia Nieman, Faith Miller, Alizabelle Carman, Cameron Nieman and Haylee Hopperdietzel. The team also has five juniors: Leah Zastrow, Emily Wehrman, Kaizer Eickleberry, Will Gorst and Noah Schultz.
A majority of the team is made up of sophomores, with nine total: Bristol Engevold, Kyle Nieman, Dylan Riemer, Raphael Gehring, Malachai Anderson, Jadyn Zschernitz, Elisha Blanchard, Alyssa Kobs, and Elliot Bauer. The freshmen on the team are Madison Riemer, Landon Behselich, Devyn Schmidt and Alexander Baumgarten.
The Spencer track team has competed at Colby on April 27, at Auburndale on April 29 and at Gilman on May 4. The team will host a pair of home meets, one on May 6 and another on May 11.
CHEYENNE THOMAS/STAFF PHOTO
