Contact days help build momentum for Monday’s official start to season

MEDFORD TRACK & FIELD PREVIEW

Nearly two years after being hired, Shawn Sullivan will finally make her debut as a track and field head coach when the Medford Raiders officially start practices for the 2021 season Monday.

In many areas on both the girls and boys teams, Sullivan and the coaching staff will be starting from scratch after losing several standout athletes to graduation in 2019, when the teams last competed, and in 2020, when the team got in one week of practice before the COVID pandemic shut down the season.

But both teams do bring back some dependable performers and leaders who will serve as the foundation for each team as they return to competition.

Medford is scheduled to open the season on Thursday, April 29 with a home meet at Raider Field.

“We’re excited to get started and to have a season,” Sullivan said Wednesday. “It’s going to be a different season. This year we go well into June. But I think everybody is just excited to have a season.”

Like most programs, the Raiders got a head start on the season by taking full advantage of the 15 contact days spring coaches were allowed to spend with their athletes before the current dead week ahead of Monday’s official start. Sullivan said those days, aided by spectacular early spring weather, were huge for her, the coaching staff and the athletes themselves. This year’s staff includes veteran assistant Katie Losiewicz, Davey Sapinski, Morgan Wilson and Jen Berger.

“Our goal with the contact days really was to meet the athletes because we haven’t seen them in such a long time,” Sullivan said. “A lot of these athletes have changed quite a bit in that time. Then you have the freshmen who we didn’t really see compete in middle school. For us, we lost a lot of seniors last year, 20 of them. We lost 10 girls and 10 boys.”

To start getting that feel for what the roster of about 40 total student-athletes can do, the coaches conducted what Sullivan called “predictive testing” with things such as timed sprints, timed 400-meter dashes or timed miles. They tested them with throws and jumps as well to start getting some ideas for who will fill spots in the field events.

“We started to be able to figure them out and it gave them the opportunity to try some things and maybe find some things they might like doing,” she said.

Of course, early conditioning, plyometrics and weight room work helps too heading into the season. Each contact day started with full team warm-ups before breaking off into groups which the Raiders hope help started the process of building the team.

“These are some great kids and we’re excited to be able to coach them,” Sullivan said.

When we last saw Medford’s girls teams, the Raiders were capping off a brilliant 2019 season with Great Northern Conference and WIAA Division 2 regional championships and a runner-up finish in the sectional meet at Mosinee. Desirae Weissmiller and Leah Leonard medaled at the state championships in shot put and discus and school records were set by the 3,200-meter relay team and Katie Phillips in the 800-meter run.

Of the state qualifiers, only Alicia Kawa remains. The senior standout is expected to lead a distance running crew filled with talent, which it has demonstrated in the past both on the track and in cross country. Without a doubt, the Raiders should score well in the long races. Kawa has committed to run cross country at UW-Green Bay.

“We expect a lot of great things from Alicia,” Sullivan said. “She’s such a hard worker.”

The distance crew includes juniors Jennifer Kahn and Alexis Fleegel, sophomore Brooke Rudolph and freshmen Mer- edith Richter and Ella Daniels.

Marissa Fronk, Karli Higgins and Perla Herrada round out the list of returning seniors. Fronk figures to be one of Medford’s most valuable athletes as well having had lots of previous success as a sprinter. Higgins has held key roles in the long jump and sprint relays and Herrada came on as a sprinter in her sophomore.

Sprinter Sophie Brost, a junior, won a letter as a freshman sprinter. Lacey Brandner is attempting to make her mark in the discus and shot put. Anya Apfelbeck competed in the 400-meter dash two years ago.

Sophomores emerging early on, according to Sullivan, include Bryn Fronk as another sprinter and Alyssa Brandner, who might fill a middle distance role. A handful of freshmen are searching where they will fit in as well.

The boys finished second in the Great Northern Conference two years ago and fourth in the regional meet at Lakeland before sending the 3,200-meter relay team to state. Two members of that team are back in senior Carson Church and junior Joey Sullivan.

A state qualifier this fall in cross country, Sullivan will be relied upon to score well in distance events. Church and fellow senior Owen Wipf will look to fill 400- and 800-meter roles. Seniors Colton Surek and Tyler Kapitz return to the sprints and senior newcomer Jack Tlusty will add distance depth.

In the field, the Raiders will lean on senior jumper Ty Baker and shot putter Brady Hupf for scoring. Baker is a solid sprinter as well.

Among juniors, Jake Seifert is emerging as a thrower while Gabe Felix will get a shot to shine in the long sprints and jumps. Sophomores Tristan Price, Ethan Mottle and Lucas Borman are all cross country runners, but they may fill roles in some shorter races on the track, such as the 800-meter run or even the hurdles events.

The freshman class includes some athletes who have already made a mark at Medford this school year, such as Cory Lindahl, Kris Gubser, Jude Stark, Adam Kowalski and Logan Kawa to name a few. They may help fill some gaps in the field events.

Being a little light on overall depth, the Raiders will get chances to show what they can do in multiple events.

“We have told them everyone will be looked at for multiple events,” said Sullivan, who was a standout at Northland Pines in her high school days in the 1980s. “You’re not going to be one and done. Some will need to progress and will need some time, but they may be able to do two events. The veterans should expect to be multi-event athletes. We’ve told them to be prepared for that.”

For now, the Raiders’ schedule is lighter than usual. Obviously, the late start eliminated the need for indoor meets. Sullivan said scheduling this spring has been tricky due to team or athlete limits at meets per WIAA guidelines. The Raiders are holding out hope to add some meets yet.

As always, the goal is to build toward peak performances when it counts at the conference and post-season meets.

“We have a lot of kids who have that chance,” Sullivan said. “We’d love to be down at state. That is the goal.”

MATT FREY/THE STAR NEWS