The Saratoga Panthers boys track team came home with second place at state last year. “I hope the feeling they got last year with their second place finish will spur each and every one of them to have even greater expectations this year,” Panthers’ head coach Rex Hohnholt said.
With four returning seniors, the team who were state qualifiers last year followed by returning sophomores and juniors, the team has a lot of experienced athletes, Hohnholt said.
Jake Fourman finished second with the 400-meter relay team last year, had success in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash and was a seventh place finisher in the long jump, Hohnholt said.
Hunter Mason was a state qualifier in the 100- and 200- meter as a freshman. Mason was also part of the second place 400-meter relay and third place 3200-meter relay team. Tate Stinson is the third member of the 400 meter team that placed second last year and returns as a junior.
Marshal Hill was a state qualifier in the pole vault as a freshman last year.
Ben Gates, Luke Lineberry and Cameron Collamer were part of the 3200-meter relay that placed third last year. They also placed well individually with Gates placing third in the 400-meter dash and 800 meter run.
Lineberry earned a first-place finish in the 1600-meter relay.
Collamer placed seventh last year in the 1600-meter run.
“The key to our success this year will be that key leadership it takes to challenge each other,” Hohnholt said.
Hohnholt has been able to put together some quality relay teams and is looking to move kids to another level through the season, he said.
Last year he had 20 boys out for track, this year Hohnholt has 24.
The girls’ track team has only one senior returning and no juniors. “We are going to have to depend on our youth and help them improve throughout the season,” Hohnholt said.
He has 10 girls running including veterans Taylor Smith, Veronica Lincoln and Kelsie Samson.
Samson was the only state placer for the girls team last year and as a young sophomore, she will become the leader for the team, Hohnholt said.
“We got a great turnout from our freshmen and this will help us,” Hohnholt said. “Our returners are few, but they can do some pretty special things if they continue to put in the work.”
Hohnholt said he has some high expectations for all of the Panthers and he can’t wait to see who steps up this year.
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