Waukon boys track team fields 17 letterwinners to pace 2016 campaign
Left to right - Front row: Hunter Jensen, Haden Hammel, Kameron Klinge, Peyton Hesse, Michael Schulte, Wyatt Wille, Blain Swenson, Carson Schwartzhoff, Carver Conway, Thomas Byrnes. Second row: Dillon Jacobsen, Austin Day, Abe Schwartz, Brandon Regan, Tanner Mathis, Aaron Sherman, Chris Miller, Mitchell Snitker, Brayden Mulholland, Colin Waters, Miles Hansmeier. Third row: Tyler O’Neill, Nate Helgerson, Adam Gruman, Tanner Manning, Adam Hansen, Alex Brink, Tanner Peterson, Evan Armstead, Jadon Johnson, Baldemar Villerreal, Wyatt Kiley, Jared Campbell. Back row: Caleb Opfer, Connor Berryman, Michael Benson, Brenan Bednarski, Wyatt Little, Isaiah Welch, Tristan Hansmeier, Chance Opperman, Landon Berns, Peyton Bieber, Ethan Krueger, Dalton Brookins, Patrick Waters, T.J. Treptau. Not pictured: Lukas Larson, Andrew Dickson, Brandon Bieber, Pryce Hesse, Brady Sullivan. a
A strong collection of 17 returning letterwinners within 51 total competitors will bolster the efforts of the 2016 Waukon boys track team this spring. Within that collection of returning veteran talent lies a good balance of contributions to nearly every facet of track and field, although that overall balance of experience doesn’t lend itself to much depth in any one facet, according to Waukon boys track and field helmsman Ted Snitker.
“I think we have some strength in all of our areas, as we have multiple letterwinners back all over our squad,” Coach Snitker explained. “Our weakness, especially early, might be depth.”
In addition to balance throughout the squad, that returning experience brings with it an abundance of State-level competition, although senior Peyton Hesse is the only returning veteran with competition experience from the State Track Meet after having qualified in each of the last two seasons as a member of the Tribe’s 4x800 relay crew. Still, all but a very small handful of this season’s returning veterans bring with them experience at that highest level of high school competition from either the State Cross Country Meet or State Football Play-Offs this past fall.
“We have a lot of guys who have contributed at the varsity level in one sport or another,” Coach Snitker said. “We would like those guys to bring their experiences to help our youngsters develop and mature as competitors. As always, we expect our letterwinners to lead our practices and meets, especially early in the year. The young guys and new guys need that leadership as they start to get their feet wet. As the season progresses, and those new ones become more comfortable, we still expect our letterwinners to lead, but more by what they are trying to accomplish themselves and how they compete. Whether that be the best finish they can achieve in the NEIC Conference meet, our Indian Relays, or be it a chance to run down at the State Meet.”
Graduation of a vast majority of the Tribe’s two-time State qualifying 4x800 relay crew will leave some considerable holes to fill in the Tribe’s middle distance events, along with another graduated pair who competed at that season grand finale last spring. “We graduated some tremendous middle distance runners from last year in Adam Benzing, Marshall Lyons and Landon Sivesind,” Coach Snitker said. “Also, Travis Herman and Jake Ronan were kids who had State Meet experience with that trio. We are also hoping (senior) Isaac Fink can come back from injury to compete for us this season. All of those kids have been tremendous for our program, both in leading practices and scoring points at meets.”
Early-season efforts from this year’s squad members provide promising potential for helping alleviate some of that graduation loss, according to Coach Snitker. “I think our kids have been working hard and getting better every day,” he said. “Some of those returning letterwinners have been looking strong.”
Those early-season efforts have the veteran coach optimistic about meeting the goals his squad sets, year in and year out. “We usually have the same goals for most seasons,” Coach Snitker said. “Compete as hard as we can, improve throughout the season so we are peaking at the end, as a team place well at our Indian Relays and the NEIC Conference meet, and then qualify as many events and athletes to the State Meet as possible.”
Standing in the way of those goals will be another strong representation of teams and athletes within the Indians’ own Northeast Iowa Conference. “I think that you will see Decorah, Waverly and Charles City fielding very strong teams again,” Coach Snitker forecasted. “I hope we stay healthy and can get in there and challenge that pack.”
The Indians were scheduled to begin that quest with the Tuesday, March 22 Northeast Iowa Conference Indoor meet at Luther College in Decorah. The Tribe will then prepare for its first outdoor meet, Tuesday, March 29 at Sumner-Fredericksburg before hosting its own Early Bird Invitational Thursday, March 31 at 4:30 p.m.
