Monday, March 31, 2003

Champion City High has more goals to achieve

Prep girls track preview

By Andy Hamilton
Iowa City Press-Citizen

The Little Hawks return nearly everyone from the team that went undefeated and won the state title last year. And they've got their sights set on bigger goals this year.

City, which challenged the record for most points in a state meet last year and set the record for widest margin of victory, would like another state title and would like to have its name mentioned as one of the best teams in Iowa history.

"There's been a lot of hard work and dedication," said senior Meggan Reed, the state runner-up in the 800 last year. "All the girls have stepped up and have done the work to become better than we were last year, and a lot of younger girls are filling in the spots where we needed help last year."

The spots where City needed help last year are hard to find. The Little Hawks placed third or better in eight events last year at the state meet, piling up 65 points - four shy of the 3A record set by Indianola in 1980.

"There's a reason why some of those records for points are there, because there were some pretty talented teams that put those up," City coach Terry Coleman said. "We thought we were ready to do that last year, and we were really close. It was a pretty special team. It takes a little preparation, a little bit of luck and maybe some things we don't understand right now."

The talent could be in place for City to make another run at the record this year. Seniors Reed and Monica Mims, who anchored the sprint medley team to victory last year, give City a dynamic mid-distance duo.

Distance standout Nelle Trefz, hurdlers Maya Monitto-Webber, Emily Triplett and Tara Whiting, and thrower Jessica Elliott form part of a strong returning nucleus for the Little Hawks.

"Definitely it's a team that's got a lot of quality kids back and they've been working darn hard since the end of cross country," Coleman said. "We're going to keep plugging at it every day and we'll see what happens in the end."

City is hoping to make a strong mid-season addition to its lineup. Junior Jennie Funk, the 3,000 champion last year, could miss at least the first month of the season with a stress fracture in her leg.

• WEST HIGH: Some faces have changed for the Women of Troy. The standards have not.

West coach Mike Parker said his team will be among those challenging for a state title again in May. The Women of Troy finished second last year, extending their streak to four consecutive seasons of finishing in the top two at state.

"We're going to contend," Parker said. "The years we were undefeated and dominant, I said we were going to contend. So when we're the best team or the underdog, it's still the same for us. We've developed our program to where each and every year we're going to contend.

"It doesn't matter who's here and who's not. ... I know that each year we're able to put together a program that allows us to contend for a state title and what I've seen in the indoor season just reaffirms that."

West returns a strong cast, led by Illinois recruit Lynn Dobyns, who anchored the Women of Troy to state titles in the 4x400 and 4x800 last year.

"I think we have one of the best anchors in the state of Iowa," Parker said. "When you put Lynn at the end of your mile relay, your 4x8, your (distance) med, sprint med, whatever, there's something about that team camaraderie and doing it for the other three girls, Lynn just has phenomenal performances."

Nicole Novak, Kristin Jacobs and Lindsey Windauer are all back after joining Dobyns on the 4x400 team last year. State cross country champion Robdu Adam leads a strong corps of distance runners that includes 4x800 champions Janet Dobyns and Julia Frudden. Juniors Amanda Judisch and Liz Huntley return from the second-place distance medley team of a year ago.

Parker said he believes West can be right there with City High, Cedar Falls and Mount Pleasant, among the Class 3A elite teams this year.

"There's an upper-level tier of teams that if everything goes well for them and they get a few breaks, they'll be right there to win a state championship," Parker said. "Fortunately, again, we find ourselves in that group."

• REGINA: Can success in other sports carry over to the track for Regina?

Regal coach Chad Swope said he believes it can.

In the past six months, Regina finished fourth at the state cross country meet, posted its best record in school volleyball history and reached the state semifinals in basketball.

The extended basketball season has limited preparation for track. That's not necessarily all bad, according to Swope.

"I think it's better for them to go through that competition," Swope said. "They know what it takes to get there, they know what it takes to get to the next level, and some of those girls are really starting to bring that to the track now. That's what I'm excited about, even though we haven't had them in practice much."

The Regals expect to be strong once again in the sprint relays. They placed fifth at state in the 4x100, third in the 4x200 and fourth in the sprint medley relay, and return all four members from each squad.

"This is by far the deepest number of sprinters and the most talented team (I've had)," Swope said. "Last year's was, and I think this year's is better."

Sophomore Carly DuCharme, junior Katie Hurt and senior Emily Pechous ran on all three state place-winning relay teams, while being joined by Hope Coffin and Kelsey Homewood. DuCharme also was one of the state's best in the long jump last year before a foot injury limited her at state.

Regina's success this year could depend on how much the Regals get out of their distance crew that led them to the fourth-place finish at the state cross country meet. Freshman Clair Anciaux and sophomores Evelyn Ross and Katy Synan each finished in the top 30 in cross country.

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