GREEN RIVER — With its largest roster in a decade and a blend of experienced athletes and newcomers, the Green River High School track and field team enters the outdoor season focused on development and competition as it begins to take shape.
Head coach Daniel Hansen said early impressions are limited, but the size and makeup of the team stand out.
“We have 77 athletes signed up for outdoor track and field at this point,” Hansen said. “There are 20 Freshmen, 24 Sophomores, 22 Juniors, and 11 Seniors, while there are 40 boys and 37 girls. This is the biggest team that we have had in the last ten years.”
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With spring break cutting into early practices, the team is still in its initial stages.
“Being that we are on spring break, we have not had but two practices thus far,” Hansen said. “Next week we will continue with the kids that are in town to get into shape and work on skills.”
Even with limited time on the track, Hansen pointed to depth as a defining strength.
“I would say that our biggest strength is our numbers,” he said. “Athletes will be in competition for a varsity spot as we will have varsity and JV meets to attend during the outdoor season. I believe this will also make us a stronger team.”
That internal competition will be key early in the season as coaches evaluate where athletes fit best.
“In the first few meets we will be trying athletes in several events to find out which events they will excel at and build the team accordingly,” Hansen said. “With so many new additions to the team, it will be interesting as to how the team will develop.”
Several athletes return after strong indoor seasons and are expected to help lead the way. Hansen said the list of contributors spans both the boys and girls teams.
“The indoor track and field athletes who excelled, that are on the outdoor team looking to lead the way are plentiful,” he said. “For the girls we have Athena Clement, Amanda Davis, Kaydee Duke, Nixie Guzman, Alayna Kellhofer, Vivian Murray and Molly Thompson. For the boys we have Jacob Bronstein, Brake Covington, Zeke Erdmann, Noah Hemphill, Trevor Johnson, Logan Nash, Hunter Rushing, Konnor Sleight and Kyler Steiss.”
Additional athletes are expected to join the team as other sports wrap up.
“The athletes that are involved in/finishing their other sports are: Sophia Arnold, Alaki Shafe, Jake Stanton, Garren Steiss, and Nicole Wilson,” Hansen said.
The influx of new athletes has also added intrigue to the season outlook.
“We have 24 new athletes this year that have not participated in High School Track and Field,” Hansen said. “Some of these athletes have been state champions or at the top of their other sports they have competed in this year. This shows their coaches that they want to improve their craft and be a better student/athlete.”
As the Wolves move past the early stages of the season, Hansen said the focus will remain on growth, competition and finding the right mix across events as the team prepares for its first meets.
