Spring sports preview: Track & Field
Head coach: Brad Moore (25th year)
Assistant coaches: Jon Fodge, BJ Schade, Jasmine McMullin, Kim Robinson
2018 finish: Boys — 9-1 in Olympic League; third place at league meet, second at districts, seven athletes/one relay to state; Girls — 2-9 in Olympic League; seventh place at league meet, 17th at districts, one athlete to state
Top returning athletes: Boys — Riley Martin (sr.), Murray Bingham (sr.), Riley Cowan (sr.), Liam Byrne (sr.), Alec Shingleton (sr.), Fischer Jensen (sr.), Darren Salazar (jr.), Logan Laxson (so.), Keeshawn Whitney (sr.), Silas Isenberger (sr.), Michael Mattern-Hall (sr.), Andrew Cambalik (sr.), Emmanuel Gomez (sr.), Brenton Dryke (sr.), Noah Eveland (so.), Connor Forderer (jr.), Richard Hall (sr.), Noah White (so.), Sidney Johnston (so.), Pascual Roybal (so.), Sawyer Nute (sr.). Girls — Elizabeth Sweet (sr.), Bailey Cauffman (sr.), Shayli Schuman (sr.), Kaitlyn Viada (sr.), Lindsey Leader (jr.), Daisy Ryan (jr.), Gabby Happe (jr.), Mary McAleer (so.)
Key newcomers: Boys — Jarrett Allen (sr.), Zach Baird (jr.), Jared Bates (sr.), Alex Berikoff (sr.), Adrian Brown (fr.), Erik Christiansen (so.), Jaxson Cogburn (fr.), Ty Coone (fr.), Ben Cowan (sr.), Evan Drescher (sr.), Pryce Glasser (fr.), Zach Gulfer (NA), Beau Halverson (fr.), Henry Hughes (fr.), Rigo Langston (sr.), Charlie Logan (fr.), Theo McMurray (fr.), Kaleb Needoba (so.), Koda Robinson (fr.), Kenneth Wolfley (fr.). Girls — Hope Glasser (jr.), Sonja Govertsen (jr.), Keena Paris (fr.), Lesea Pfeffer (jr.), Danica Pierson (fr.), Riley Pyeatt (fr.), Abby Schroeder (so.), Mia Underwood (NA), Rileigh Van Dyken (fr.), Flora Wlachenbach (sr.)
Key league competition: Boys — North Kitsap, Bremerton, Kingston. Girls — Olympic, North Kitsap, Port Angeles
In the wake of another banner year for Sequim’s boys track and field squad, this year’s Wolves boast a strong lineup of upperclassmen that figure to keep the purple and gold near the top of the Olympic League standings.
And though a bit thin in terms of roster numbers, SHS’s girls squad is getting a boost from newcomers that may have them battling for top league spots, too.
Six of Sequim’s boys seven state individual qualifiers are back this season, led by runners Murray Bingham and Alec Shingleton. The pair qualified for state in two events (Bingham the 800 and 1,600, Shingelton the 400 and 800) and teamed with Logan Laxson and Darren Salazar — also returning to the squad — to place seventh at state in the 4×400 relay.
Also back are a pair of top-five hurdlers in seniors Riley Martin (third, 110 hurdles) and Fischer Jensen (fifth, 300 hurdles) and senior Riley Cowan, who placed fourth in the javelin at last year’s state final.
Senior Liam Byrne is also back after placing 12th among state 2A pole vaulters.
Laxson (400) and Salazar (200) were both district meet qualifiers in 2018.
In all, Sequim sees 44 boys turning out this spring.
“There are lots of pieces of that puzzle (for the boys),” Sequim head coach Brad Moore said. “We can be very competitive.”
The Wolves’ boys were third at the Olympic League meet before placing second at districts behind Fife.
Sequim’s girls squad sees about 20 athletes turn out this spring — close to the same turnout as last year — but will have some key additions, including all-around athletes like Hope Glasser and Abby Schroeder.
“(We) could tell right away she’s strong,” Moore said of Glasser; the trick, he said, is to figure out what events are best to utilize that strength.
Added to the mix is freshmen runner Riley Pyeatt, who placed 13th at the state 2A cross country finals and was a standout track athlete in middle school.
Sequim does see the return of several veteran tracksters, led by Elizabeth Sweet. The SHS senior ties school mark in the pole vault at 10 feet and placed third at districts and sixth at state as a junior.
Also back are Shayli Schuman, Lindsey Leader, Bailey Coffman, Daisy Ryan, Gabby Happe, Kaitlyn Viada and Mary McAleer. Ryan and McAleer make up half of SHS’s 4×200 relay squaad that qualified for districts.
“We’re pretty excited about this group,” Moore said. “There are some real athletes and really good atiitudes so far — that’s a nice recipe for a successful season.”
