Although the weather has been a no-go in regard to outdoor preparation for this track and field season, the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn boys are definitely in “go” mode. “I’m extremely impressed how our athletes have handled the weather and willingness to compete,” remarked Hawk head coach Jay Eilers. “All of our (early) work has been indoors and their character has allowed us to get better on a daily basis. Extremely impressed with our kids putting in extra time to improve their skills.”
Eilers lists as his top returners from 2022 seniors Kooper Ebel, Ryan Borden, Ethan Diehm and Bradley Zamudio and juniors Adam Schierholz and George Vargas. The other upperclassmen on the squad are seniors Bryce Dodge and Jonny Ortiz and juniors Jr Araiza, Kevin Arambula, Jacob Cates, Evan Eilers and Aidan Espeland. The sophomore contingent includes Damian Dodge, Blaine Finster, James Gellerman, Ryan Grotluschen and Jose Perez. Freshmen are Camden Ball, Alex Billings, Josh Cruz, Carter Dolphin, Caleb Grotluschen and David Wetrich.
“We feel very strong with Ethan Diehm, Ryan Borden and Kooper Ebel coming back from very good sprints and relays from a year ago,” commented the Hawk head man. “We look forward to a Jr Araiza or James Gellerman to fill that open position and help us reach our goal of qualifying for State.”
HMS has been competing indoors, including at the Iowa Association of Track Coaches (IATC) indoor championships held March 9 at Ames. There, in the long jump competition, Diehm finished 29th at 19’ 8-1/2” and Zamudio was 97th at 16’ 4-3/4”. Zamudio also placed 70th in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 9.43. In the 60 meter dash Kooper Ebel placed 18th in 7.24 and Ryan Borden was 93rd with a time of 7.63.
The Hawk coach cited some advantages to competing at the indoor meets. “It gives us a great chance to see teams and athletes that we would never see again,” said Eilers. “It has given the coaching staff an opportunity to evaluate what we are good at and what we can improve on. Overall we have stayed healthy and that is always a positive.”
Eilers was asked about his transition from assistant coach to head coach. “We have a great staff and we all work together,” he noted. “Jim Thomas has been an anchor for HMS and his willingness to work with all of our kids in a positive way creates a foundation for our TEAM. I only know how to be me, and we’re going to continue to work hard and have FUN in the process.”
The HMS coach is attempting to strike a balance between participation in the earlier meets and preparing for the “big” meets at the end of the season. “Keeping our kids FRESH as the season progresses will be a major emphasis,” said Eilers. “Early, we are going to challenge our athletes to be in as many events as possible and make sure there is a role for everyone on the team.”
Eilers commented on the team’s goals for the season. Said the coach, “Getting back to State is no guarantee, but we are going to keep that in the forefront and make sure our kids are FRESH when it counts and work on the small detail things such as starts, handoffs and creating a competitive mindset. We are competing with ourselves at all times.”