March 8, 2023 at 1:06 p.m.
Many hands make light work of track practice
Many hands make light work of track practice
He wanted to be, but illness kept him from doing so. Luckily for Kraemer and the Hodags, there were plenty of hands on deck to help get the team through Day 1.
The Hodags have more coaches on board this year than they've had the past couple of seasons. That made Monday a bit easier and will also lessen the burden on Kraemer throughout the year.
The group is a mix of old and new. Melissa Krueger is back covering distance while Jim Povolo is back helping the pole vaulters. Kraemer's wife, Kayann, is also returning as a volunteer assistant.
"It's always nice to have veteran coaches back," Aaron Kraemer said after returning for Tuesday's practice. "Having Jim and Melissa there you walkway feel comfortable that whatever plan you put in place, they can run it. They've been there, they know me. Having my wife around too as a volunteer ... she helped pick the pieces up."
The team also has three new figures on staff this year, starting with former RHS head track coach Rod Olson, who skippered the middle school team last year. Olson will oversee the hurdles this year.
"Rod Olson took the charge with all the paperwork and making sure that kids were there," Kraemer said of the first-day duties. "He's a head coach of multiple programs. He's been the track head coach before. He knows what it takes and it was nice to have him."
Drake Biolo is on staff this year to help with the sprints. Biolo, in his first year at RHS, was on the Hodag football staff with Kraemer last fall.
"We worked together in football and he knows what I expect. He's obviously someone I respect a great deal and I'm excited for him," Kraemer said.
RHS alum Brock Snyder has returned and will assist in the throwing events, which were his specialty when he competed for the Hodags.
"As much as I wish that he was still throwing shot and disc at River Falls, I'm really happy to have him back," Kraemer said. "He's knowledgeable and it's truly obvious when you see him with our throwers and when you talk to him, he's really passionate about what he's going to do. He's excited to bring some vibrance to the throws department and he's got a lot of things, going through it, that he knows that he wanted to see or work on. He's excited for the opportunity to be there."
Kraemer will still oversee the jumps, but said the additional help will give him more flexibility this year.
"It's a whole difference coaching feeling," he said. "I'm the administrator. I'm the guy that's trying to hold the pieces together rather than coaching the sprints, the jumps, the relays and the hurdles all at once. It's all covered this year. I get to coach the jumps and be a floater, help encourage kids and do things that I really, really enjoy."
Having the extra coaching is certainly a benefit, considering that more than 90 athletes signed up for the sport. Kraemer said the number in attendance over the first two practices settled into the low 80s, but that he won't have a true gauge of where the numbers lie until after Spring Break next week.
Regardless of where those numbers shake out, Kraemer said he feels he has a strong nucleus from which to build his boys' and girls' squads.
"We have a solid group of athletes - 50 boys and 30 girls," he said. "I feel really, really positive and excited about the outcomes that could happen this year, especially with the quality of athletes that we have from top of bottom."
The first day of practice included baseline testing in a number of drills - broad jump, vertical leap, 40-yard-dash, flying 10-yard-dash, power ball toss and overhead medicine ball toss. The team began working on individual events on Tuesday.
Though a number of athletes will be gone on break, the Hodags will bring a contingent down to Wisconsin Rapids next Thursday for the first indoor meet of the season. The Hodags are slated to have four indoor meets - including the second annual Hodag Hybrid in the Hodag Dome and at Mike Webster Stadium April 11, before beginning the outdoor season April 18 at Lakeland.
Track is the first of the spring sports allowed to start practice, under WIAA regulations. Softball practice is slated to get underway next Monday, baseball and girls' soccer begin March 20, and golf and boys' tennis begin March 27.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
WEATHER SPONSORED BY
E-Editions
Latest News
E-Editions
Events
August
To Submit an Event Sign in first
Today's Events
No calendar events have been scheduled for today.
Comments:
You must login to comment.