Two state titles in the 4 x 100-relay is great. But Dolores has bigger plans. Faster plans.
Three sophmores, now juniors, return from last years state champion relay team. Lexi Atkinson, Mindy McCracken and Cassie Lard joined Cortney Brunner (graduated) as part of the team that tied the 2A state record time of 50.37, which set a Dolores High School record. But thats not good enough for the Lady Bears.
Our coach has big expectations for us. He wants us to not only be the best in 2A, but he wants our time to be better than the 4A and 5A girls, Atkinson said. I think were very capable. I think we are capable of breaking the (state) record this year.
Of the runners competing for that fourth spot on the relay are hurdlers Cydney McHenry (junior) and Brianna Schwartz (sophomore).
Were just going to play it by ear and see who fits in, Dolores coach Nick Kohler said. I would be surprised, if we werent faster than last year in that relay.
As a team, the Lady Bears took fifth in 2A in 2011. Atkinson also placed third in the 100-meter dash and sixth in the long jump.
My goal is to go undefeated and take the state 100, Atkinson said. Right now, I have the top returning time (12.64). Im hoping to get that. For jumping, I want to be top-three at state.
Lard took sixth- and seventh-place at state in the triple jump and 200. Senior distance sprinter Rachel Beverlin had 10th-place finishes in the 800 and 1,600. McHenry sprinted and leaped her way to sixth in the 300-hurdles. Schwartz will be a state contender in the hurdles as well. As a group, expectations are high on the Lady Bears.
If were going to do better at the state meet, we have to score more points in the individual events. That will include the hurdles, Kohler said. Hopefully, one of those girls will step it up this year and score for us.
For the Bears, state champion 300-meter hurdler Alex Bernholtz graduated. The boys are young and inexperienced as a group, but coach Kohler feels his Bears may be improved overall as a squad this season.
It will be a different year for the boys, he said. The funny thing is, I think well be better as a team. The team is young. We got a lot of kids out this year. Hopefully, well find a way to squeeze a couple relays in to the state meet. Its going to be pretty new for most the kids were working with.
Senior Stephen OConnor-Seville is a state returner in the 400 and the 4 x 200-relay. He will be the alpha Bear this year.
He has a lot of potential to make a lot of noise at the state meet, Kohler said.
OConnor-Seville looks to return to state again in the 400. He will also compete in the 100, 200 and 800 runs this season.
The starting gun fires today in Farmington, N.M., at the Piedra Vista High School Invitational at 9 a.m. Kohler is having his teams take it easy this first weekend to iron out some kinks.
Well get to see the new faces and see how they look, he said. Were just trying to figure out what these kids can do. I dont have a clue and I dont pretend to, until we actually watch them run. Within a couple weeks, well have a pretty good idea where our strengths and weaknesses will be.
Other meets on the docket are the Montezuma-Cortez Invitational on March 23, and Dolores will co-host the Southwest Invitational with Dove Creek on April 21, at Cortez Middle School.
Reach Bobby Abplanalp at bobbya@cortezjournal.com.
