Head coaches: Dave Clifford and Gregg Meyers
Team strengths: The 2017 Mount Si High School track and field team has a laundry list of assets, from youth to experience, depth to breadth, if you ask any of the upperclassmen and track veterans.
“I feel like everyone’s got a strength,” said junior distance runner Chloe Cosgrove. “Some people are amazing at distance, and we have a lot of good throwers.”
“Right now, we’re kind of a young team,” added fellow distance runner, Hannah Waskom, a senior. “If we can develop the freshmen, we’ll be really strong.”
Dedication is also in ready supply for these athletes.
“Track is a rainy sport, so everyone who’s here really wants to be here,” said Launa Bateman, a senior shot putter.
As the athletes practiced in the rain and occasional snow last week at Mount Si High School, they built endurance, and goals.
Cale Brengle, a senior shot putter, aims to improve, and to break his personal-record drought of last season. “I PR’ed at the first meet last year, but then I couldn’t get another one,” he said.
He is also assuming more responsibility this year, like the upperclassmen who taught him in past years.
“I remember the influence the seniors had on me when I was a freshman, and I just want to have that same impact,” he said. “They worked really closely with us, and that kind of set the younger guys up for success.”
While Waskom has been to state competition every year of her high school career, a fourth trip to state is only one of her goals. With an eye on the developing program, she says that the team is close and supportive and has always made the sport fun for her. “That’s what I want to do for everyone else, make it fun.”
Riley Ovall is keeping her goal simple, after an injury took her out of competition last year. “It’s definitely a comeback year for me,” said the senior javelin thrower.
Challenges: Cold, wet weather and practicing next to the loud construction zone of the Mount Si High School remodel are among the challenges the growing team faces, but there are more.
“This year started a little fast,” said Brodie Hanson, a junior javelin thrower, looking ahead to the team’s first meet. From the end of mid-winter break Feb. 27, when most spring sports started up, to their first competitions teams have only two to three weeks to get up to speed.
Their first meet of the season is Thursday, at Issaquah High School
Don’t miss this meet: The season opener at rival Issaquah is always a good bet, say the athletes. Otherwise, the Mount Si Invitational, April 22, is a good choice, “If people wanted to see what track was all about,” said Ovall.
2016-17 Mount Si Varsity Boys Track Schedule
- Thu, Mar 16 Issaquah 4 pm at Issaquah High School
- Thu, Mar 23 Bothell 4 pm at Home
- Thu, Mar 30 Inglemoor 4 pm at Home
- Wed, Apr 5 Newport 4 pm at Newport High School
- Sat, Apr 8 Arnie Young Invite Lindbergh 9 am at RentMem
- Thu, Apr 20 Eastlake 4 pm at Home
- Sat, Apr 22 Mount Si Invitational 11 am at Home
- Thu, Apr 27 Skyline 4 pm at Skyline High School
- Thu, May 4 Woodinville 4 pm at Home
2016-17 Mount Si Varsity Girls Track Schedule
- Thu, Mar 16 Issaquah 4 pm at Issaquah High School
- Thu, Mar 23 Bothell 4 pm at Home
- Thu, Mar 30 Inglemoor 4 pm at Home
- Wed, Apr 5 Newport 4 pm at Newport High School
- Thu, Apr 20 Eastlake 4 pm at Home
- Sat, Apr 22 Mount Si Invitational 11 am at Home
- Thu, Apr 27 Skyline 4 pm at Skyline High School
- Sat, Apr 29 Shelton Invite 3:30 pm at Shelton High School
- Thu, May 4 Woodinville 4 pm at Home
Representing the runners and jumpers for Mount Si are senior hurdler Matt Proctor, sophomore in long jump and triple jump Tatum Dalgleish, senior sprinter (100 and 200) Jacob Belceto. Carol Lawig/Staff Photo
The Mount Si High School throwers this season will be led by seniors Launa Bateman (shot put), Riley Ovall (javelin), and Cale Brengle (shot put), and junior Brodie Hansen (javelin). Carol Ladwig/Staff Photo
