Young Tigers ready for roaring season

Encampment's 2014 track team may be fairly young and low in numbers, but its athletes are big in heart and determination.

The new young team currently has seven athletes, consisting of one freshmen, five sophomores and only one senior. KeeGan Johnson, Garrett Dale and Guy Erickson make up the boys, while Alyssa Barkhurst, Randa Sorensen, McKenzie Powell and Karie Russell round out the girls' side of the team.

Dale is the team's only senior, and Johnson and Barkhurst, who both went to state last year as freshmen, are the only returners from last season. Barkhurst was the team's all-state athlete for 2013, receiving first in the 100 and 200 meter dashes, and she made all-conference for first place the 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, 100 meter hurdles and long jump.

Coach Kegan Willford said a large team is always good, but a smaller team leads to more time to focus on the athletes individually. Johnson, Dale, Barkhurst, Powell and Russell are the team's runners, while Erickson and Sorensen are preparing for field events.

"We had 14 last year, which was still small enough were we could individualize, but this year we definitely can commit more time with these kids because of the small number," Willford said. "There's a great unity behind having a smaller team, so that's definitely one of the advantages. You can also concentrate on more of their individual events and strengths. Alyssa and KeeGan, even though they're only sophomores, they're pretty much our old vets."

Willford said he looks forward to any improvement this season, and hopes the kids can accomplish their goals.

"We look for improvement from week to week, whether it's meet to meet, whether it's an inch, second, half a second or tenth of a second," he said. "Whatever they can do to improve each week is kind of our goal. A lot of these kids have individual goals from the beginning to the end of the season, whether it's to make it to state, place at regionals, or be a state champion. Alyssa's our two time defending state champion, so we're hoping good things from her this year."

The team's first meet is the Glen Legler Memorial Invite at Natrona County High School in Casper, which starts at 10 a.m. this Saturday. Willford is hoping for clear, snow-free weather this weekend.

"In year's past we haven't gone to it, because this early in March in Wyoming they get canceled a lot," he said. "Weather pending that will be our first meet."