The weather conditions have not been ideal in regard to preparing for this spring’s track and field season. But, in the case of the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn girls team, that does not mean that work is not being done.
“We have been working hard on doing the little things right,” noted Hawk head coach Kirsten Taylor. “Practicing indoors is not anyone’s preferred method of training, so we have been working on quality reps with the space and facilities we have. Injury prevention is key right now. A lot of basic drills so once we finally get outside, we’ll fly.”
HMS has enjoyed some competitive indoor opportunities to hone their skills, both mental and physical. “Indoor meets are additional opportunities for our athletes to compete that they wouldn’t otherwise get,” said Taylor. “Any chance to compete is beneficial to our athletes’ competitive spirit.”
Top returnees from last year’s team are senior Emily Mutombo, juniors Abby Otto, Lexi Croatt and Jocelyn Abonce and sophomores Kam Ebel, Frankie Mohnie and Eliza Tewes. Other team members are junior Alexis Grover, sophomores Natalie McDaniel and Megan Otto and freshmen Alyvia Baker, Payton Diehm, Clara Funk, Pamela Mutombo, Moriah Otto, Evelyn Steffen and Hannah Tessum.
“We graduated a solid core of athletes last year, so it is going to take us a few
meets to figure out how we are going to effectively fill our meet lineups with the
younger group that we have,” explained Taylor. “That’s exciting. We should be filling in more of our field events. Most of our distance crew is back, which helps us fill in those longer races. We have a nice class of freshmen who are willing to step up and try new
events. We love that as coaches.”
Some of Taylor’s athletes will slip back into familiar roles. “Mutomobo leads our sprinters and the long jump after an eighth place finish in the 100 meter dash at state last year,” said the coach. “She is looking strong right now and still has a lot of room to grow this season. Abby Otto will fill in the short sprints/relays, as she has done a nice job for us her previous seasons doing so. Our returning distance runners are looking good right now, and I expect them to only improve. Abonce will fill in the 800 and 1500, Croatt in the 1500 and 3000, and Kam will fill in anywhere in between. Eliza Tewes returns as a sophomore to lead our throwers. I am excited to see where we put everyone in relays, as there are a lot of new faces out there this season.”
This is Taylor’s second year as girls head coach at HMS. “I am always excited to continue to build relationships with our athletes and the community,” she remarked. “With a year under my belt at HMS, I see how the culture of this place impacts its student athletes, and I just love being here and working with our girls. Our athletes know my expectations and they lead by example. We’re finding that routine. We have a great group of young women on this squad.”
The coach feels the Hawks’ schedule will help prepare them for the big meets that show up at the end of the season. “HMS has moved up a class this track and field season to 2A, although we didn’t change our schedule much,” said Taylor. “We are already used to seeing bigger schools when we attend meets like at Spirit Lake and Okoboji. Our schedule gives our team the opportunity to compete against athletes not only in the War Eagle Conference, but also against some of the best in the state. Our girls rise when they face great competitors on a weekly basis.”
Getting better is the season-long goal for the Hawks. “We always want to see improvements throughout the season – hitting season and personal bests at the right times,” noted the coach. “Times will go down and marks will go up as our athletes trust the process. Even though we moved up a class, I have no doubt we will have some state qualifiers.”