March 20, 2017 at 12:56 p.m.
Team preview: RHS track & field
Hodag track optimistic for future
Team preview: RHS track & field
The coaching staff has been reshuffled with Brittany Haakenson taking over as the girls' coach. Chris Ferge remains the head coach on the boys' side.
The Hodags have roughly 70 kids out for the team in total this year, many of them underclassmen.
"We should be competitive in our conference, if not in all of our meets," said Rhinelander assistant coach Aaron Kraemer, who led a handful of Hodag athletes into action last Thursday in Wisconin Rapids. "On both sides, we should competitive."
Rhinelander finished last in the Great Northern Conference on the boys' side last year and fifth on the girls' side.
While numbers are up this year, the youth of the squad will likely keep the Hodags from making a run at the top of the GNC standings.
So, as a result, this year is about improving and developing some of the young talent on the team.
"As a team, it's coming together and building a team mentality," Kraemer said. "I think in the past we've had a lot great individual runners, but we lacked that team mentality. Bringing our teams together - boys and girls both - and truly pushing each other and competing. One of the things we have taken from our coaching clinics and our meetings is that we want our athletes to be as fast as humanly possible. So we're really working on our speed and our acceleration in all of our drills."
Girls
The girls' squad is coming off a season in which the Lady Hodags had sectional qualifiers in three different events.
Eva O'Melia competed in the 800 and 4x800 meter relay, but has since graduated.
Three of the members of that relay team are returning in Alayna Franson, Gracie Quinn and Payton Hartman.
Franson also qualified for the 1,600 meters and placed fifth with a time of 5:30.91. She also placed fifth in the 3,200 at regionals with a time of 12:30.99.
Franson, of course, is also a soccer player. But when her schedule allows her to run, Rhinelander expects big things from her.
"Alayna is a special athlete," Kraemer said. "If you watch her in her sports - soccer, basketball and cross country - you can see. She's gifted. We do have some high expectations for her and there are girls there to push her, too."
Junior Lexie Rick should be competitive in the shot put and discus this season for Rhinelander.
The Lady Hodags are also looking for Erika Jorgenson and Ellen Padgett to help out in the sprints.
Boys
The boys are a bit more inexperienced than the girls, with no sectional qualifiers last season.
Many of the boys are underclassmen or new to the sport in general.
Wrestling standout Colton Krueger is expected to be a factor in the shot put and hurdles.
Anthony Kowalski is also projected to help out in the 400, while A.J. Kopplin has shown promise in the high jump.
Ferge and Kraemer were able to recruit some other athletes in other sports such as Drake Martin, Peyton Erickson and Chase Hunt.
"These boys have been working hard in the offseason," Kraemer said. "We've taken some speed training and done some splits, and we've seen already really, really fast kids coming out."
Outlook
This season may not be the breakout year for Rhinelander, but that could be on the horizon.
If the Hodags can keep their young talent and they improve continually, they could be a team to watch in the next couple years.
"That's one of the biggest things we've been talking about," Kraemer said. "The experience is what keeps you coming out. It's not necessarily the times or anything like that. It's the experience and the success that you have with your team."
Rhinelander already completed its first meet at Wisconsin Rapids, in which only 15 kids competed due to spring break.
The Hodags will have significantly more athletes Tuesday in an indoor meet at Lakeland Union High School.
Nick Sabato may be reached at [email protected] or via Twitter @SabatoNick.
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