Winter Track Shooting for Volume in States

The winter track program finished off its 2010-11 campaign with much to be said of the relay teams. Two boys squads (4x4 and 4x8) medaled, placing seventh and eighth respectively, while a girls 4x200 team qualified, along with individual sprinter Joe O'Such, who is now a senior. O'Such also runs cross country in the fall.

Winter season head coach Danielle Stauffer, who is in her 14th season as head coach and teaches Spanish at the , said that in the past 13 seasons, there has only been on season where not a single competitor made states. So, it has become tradition for the program to send at least a few kids to Penn State for the PIAA-approved state meet. The meet is run by the Pennsylvania Track and Field Coaches Association.

Stauffer also reported that the boys relay team qualified for the national meet, as well, in 2010-11. They qualified each of the last four years, while the girls did not make the requirement to qualify. They qualified three of the last four years. With the national standard changing because the competitions (formerly held in Boston and New York on the same weekend) combined, the girls missed the new qualifier. Stauffer said she hopes to see the more experienced runners get a chance at nationals this year.

However, the team did suffer a few key losses, including Damien Boham, who was in both of the medaling relays in 2010-11.

"He could run anything from the 200 to the mile," Stauffer said. "That was a really big loss."

Stauffer also mentioned Jimmy Rizzuto as a big loss on the weights side.

"He came a long way from being a scrawny freshman to one of our leading points-scorers his senior year!" she said.

On the girls side, Amber Muhammed, who now runs track up in Boston, was a key loss to graduation. Muhammed was the top 400-meter competitor consistency-wise, according to Stauffer.

Tak Yee Ho was another big loss on the girls side. She was a pole vaulter, consistently jumping in the 10-foot range. Stauffer indicated the current pole vaulters have not been able to reach the qualifying height of eight feet to date.

Stauffer identified key leaders on the girls side in 2011-12 as senior sprinters Brandy Nice and Mikaila White (sprinter, senior), senior thrower Jen Yeakle and junior thrower Kaila Nogar, senior distance runner Audrey Burger, and senior Anna Lombardo.

"[The] throwers are responsible and good team leaders," she said. "Audrey Burger is one of those kids that is nice. Kids feel they can go to her when they’ve got something going on. It’s good to have kids on the team that have a rapport with the coaching staff when other kids feel that they don’t [have that]. Anna Lombardo is also great. She wasn't always a pure talent, but she just worked so hard and has such a great attitude."

On the boys side, Stauffer said O’Such is the best all around runner. Jesse Magolon, who runs cross country in the fall, leads by example, according to Stauffer.

"He's quiet, quirky and funny," she said. "And if you know anything about distance kids, that's how they are."

Ryan Pierson, a junior, has been a pole vaulter for the past two years.

"The other day, he said his quirky fact was that he was a junior who has never run in a running event," said Stauffer. "It’s weird, because we always make the jumpers do running just for the experience. He’s a serious kid who does lead by example. He doesn’t ask much from anyone. He does what he needs to do. I like that kind of a kid."

The freshmen and sophomore classes are quite stacked, as well, with promising youngsters on both teams. Stauffer said Joe Bush (sophomore, football), Ryan Connelly (sophomore), Jared Shoemaker (sophomore, football), David O’Such (sophomore, cross country), Maggie Krueger (freshman, soccer), Morgan Fenerty (sophomore), Sam DiPietro (sophomore), Kara Fitch (sophomore, cross country), and Madison Schott (sophomore, cross country) should all prove to be promising youngsters.

Overall, the big goal for Stauffer and the approximately 125-person team is to send a sizeable group to states.

"It used to be that we were expecting to get at least one," she said. "The past couple years, I told them, I want to take two vans. The vans sit nine. I want to take two vans! That’s the goal! The goal is, you’ve been taking sizeable teams."

Another big goal is to get those underclassmen the experience they need.

"I know our boys made it a goal to medal up at states, because we graduated out some kids, but we also have a lot of kids back that are willing to fill in those vacancies," Stauffer said. "They’re definitely making their goals high. The girls are hoping to get qualified."

In the end, Stauffer wanted to let the community know how hard these kids truly work.

"The winter track kids practice outside every day," she concluded. "It does not matter the weather. It’s difficult sometimes, because of the limited use of facilities. Basketball is inside using up all the gyms. We don’t hate on basketball, but they use the gyms, wrestlers have a wrestling room. The winter track kids were told years ago it’s too dangerous for them to run in the hall.

"They don’t like the liability issue. So, when it’s inclement weather, barring ice on the sidewalks, the kids are running outside through rain, sleet or snow. If there’s a delay that day, the kids are still outside. The only time they miss a practice is if it’s icy, all after-school activities are canceled, or if the windchill gets below 17. Otherwise, they’re out. They’re out there every day with 125 kids on this team who have decided to make that commitment. They’re a great group of kids, who are dedicated and have gone through a lot of adversity."