With a good mix of newcomers, go-getters and school record holders, the Wolves track team looks to break plenty of personal and school records this spring.
Head coach Brad Moore said this year’s team is one of the biggest in recent years and sees most of its key competitors return.
“Regardless of how many kids I have and the caliber, the goal is always to have them all improve,” he said.
Girls’ team
An influx of freshman and sophomore girls should make an impact right away, Moore said, considering last year no Sequim girls went to state.
Last season, Sarah Hutchison, now a junior, barely missed state berths in the 100 and 300 hurdles. She and Emily VanDyken took top eight at districts in pole vault, too.
Hutchison remembers in middle school seeing high schoolers vaulting high in the sky and wanting to do the same.
“It’s fun to say I’m 4 feet 11 inches and one of the best hurdlers in the league,” she said.
Moore said VanDyken and Hutchison make a good duo in the pole vault and that VanDyken could break the school’s sophomore record of 9 feet 6 inches.
Senior Jasmine McMullin looks to hop her way into state after placing in the top eight at districts in long jump and triple jump in 2012. She’s already come within 4.5 inches of the Sequim triple-jump record on March 13 with a jump of 34-6.
“I just got stronger,” she said about her offseason.
“I did cross country in the fall along with some offseason training. I was just pushing it.”
On the 34-10 1/2 school record, McMullin thinks she’ll get it.
“I want that record. It’s my goal,” she said. “If I meet that goal, then I’ll probably go to state.”
The growing girls’ team boasts a number of key girls, Moore said.
“Hannah Hudson is a runner who can do a lot of things for us this year,” he said.
“Sophomore Heidi Vereide has some potential as a runner and jumper and Audrey Singleton, a good 800-meter runner last year in middle school, looked good in practices.”
Freshman Emily Webb, the Wolves’ top cross country runner, bolsters the distance runners.
Boys’ team
While the team loses state participant Emanuel Herrera (sprints, relays, hurdles) and district qualifier Mack Grinnell (pole vault), returning are Jayson Brocklesby (school record holder in high jump and 400 meters) and Dylan Chatters and Judah Breitback, three-quarters of the 4×100 relay team that placed eighth at state.
For three years, the 4×100 team broke the school record, which could happen again, Moore said. However, Breitback is coming back from a broken clavicle, so they are looking at running with Brocklesby, Lopaka Yasumura, Christian Miles and Dylan Chatters.
Moore said Yasumura is sprinting well and will have a good year. He ran 11.78 seconds on Saturday in Port Angeles in the 100 meters. Yasumura just missed out last year in competing at the state shot put, too.
Brocklesby set most of his personal achievements last year as a junior, placing fourth at state in high jump and setting the school’s record to 6 feet 5 inches [in the high jump] and in the 400 meters to 49.98.
His goals before graduating are to overcome 6-7 and make a repeat appearance at state jumping and with the 4×100 team.
Moore anticipates good pole vaulting from Joshua Cibene who already hit 10-6 in Bremerton, which was his best mark as a freshman.
“Here’s a kid that this year will make some serious advances in his height,” Moore said.
On the distance running team, Moore said the crew is young but competitive with cross country members who placed ninth on the state team this fall, including Adrian Clifford, Chatters, Mikey Cobb, Peter Ohnstad, C.J. Daniels, Chris Jeffko and Jackson Oliver.
