Waukon girls track team returns nine letterwinners, variety of multiple-year and multiple-event State qualifiers for 2021 season
2021 Waukon girls track team ... Left to right - Seated in front: Annika Headington, Berlin Troendle, Katarina Kovarik, Maycie Curtin, Paige Hansmeier, Maggie Criswell, Maddy Waters, Nicole Luong; Second row: Lynsey Houg, Olivia Marti, Bailey Sherman, Kaitlyn Krambeer, Mia Kurth, Shania Dundee, Maya Dahlstrom, Hailey Houg; Third row: Madi Kurth, Ava Bossom, Breckan Stewart, Brittany Liddiard, Taylor Crawford, Olivia Bossom, Cameron Johnson, Mady Helgerson, Hannah Teslow, Brenna Berns; Back row: Paisley Vine, Emma Palmer, Sarah Hennessy, Claire Opperman, Trinity Sommer, Avery Regan, Azlynn Cota. Not pictured: Bailey Shafer, Ellyssa Christen, Hailie Hanson, Meridian Snitker, Jayden Knox, Rose Benda, Alice Day, Kyrie Snitker.
It’s been about two years since the Waukon girls track team has been able to compete, following last spring’s emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic that ultimately closed down the spring high school athletic seasons and the last couple months of the 2019-2020 school year. In addition to that pandemic erasing the entire 2020 track season, the loss of that season will likely continue to have impact throughout this spring as well, according to Waukon girls track coach Bob Wasson.
“I feel that there has been a huge negative impact due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Coach Wasson explained. “We have a lot of ninth and 10th grade athletes who have not had a chance to compete at the high school level yet, so there will be a steep learning curve this season. All of our competitors missed out on the opportunity to train and compete last year, and I felt like we were going to be a very strong team last season. Another disadvantage is the loss of the opportunity to learn from experienced upperclassmen.”
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