Coach Ed Prytherch enters the 2009 Track and Field year with championship experience on both the boys' and girls' side. The boys finished third in the 2008 State Championship and have their sights set on finishing the job this year.

"We came so close the last couple of years. One of my team goals for this year is to win the state championship," Aaron Walters, a junior, says.

Cliff Ayers, the 2008 high jump champion, is the key returner for Coach Prytherch. However, there are a solid core of sophomores, juniors, and seniors who make up this year's squad. The strengths of this year's boys' squad are the hurdles, jumps, and springs and relays. Even though the goal is to win the team state championship, there are individual goals for championships.

"I want to break the state record for the 400m," Walters says.

Perhaps with the help of his teammates, Walters will get a chance to accomplish both of his goals.

While the boys finished third last year, the girls finished second. Coach Prytherch has a large number of returners, headlined by Madison Kocher, Mason Castles, and Margaret Dean Fawcett. Castles is the defending champion of the 1600m. Fawcett won the 3200m. Kocher broke the record for pole vault for the fourth straight year in 2008.

Fawcett says that winning the 3200m motivates her for the upcoming season. "It was really exciting because I didn't expect to win. It was really awesome."

The girls will look to sprints, distance, pole vault, and relays to carry the team this season while hoping that improvement in hurdles and jumps and throws will be enough to obtain their goals.