Highland girls track team looks to be competitive meet in and meet out in 2020

As the weather begins to warm up with spring quickly approaching, the Highland girls track team is looking to make its mark in the 2020 season.

Lady Bulldogs coach Doug Bradley has 15 athletes returning to this year’s squad and is looking for consistency meet after meet.

“I’m looking at out of the blocks trying to be competitive in every meet we’re in and I want us to b competitive pretty much every event,” Bradley said, “We’ll probably stress trying to get some improvement and, if we get the right weather, (focus) on trying to improve every time out.”

Junior shot put and discus thrower Taylor Kesner will lead Highland this spring. Kesner, who help the Lady Bulldogs basketball team reach the Class 3A sectionals, medaled at state last year in the shot put and has already placed in the top five in two indoor meets this winter.

“Taylor Kesner obviously is a big deal,” Bradley said. “She was a state medalist last year in the shot put and she is our greatest strength returning, so that’s a really big deal.”

Sophomore Josie Hapack will also be strong in the throwing events.

“Josie has a lot of potential and last year she ended up one of our best two discus throwers,” Bradley said. “Now that she’s a sophomore we anticipate she will score regularly for us in the shot and the disc.”

Middle distance will also be a strength for HHS as sophomore Krista Rittenhouse (4x800, 800); juniors Julia Loeh, Jessica Borror, Grace Meyer; sophomore Faith Brindley; and junior Paige Schaible will bring experience, flexibility, and depth for the Lady Bulldogs in the middle distance events.

Freshmen Maddie Dortch, Liv Heinzmann, and Maggie VonHatten will come over from the cross country team to help with middle distance as well.

“Distance will definitely be a strength for us,” Bradley said. “Our throws and our distance runners look to be the ones that give us the most hope.”

In the jump and sprint events, junior Liv Wilke, who also played with the Lady Bulldogs basketball team, will compete there and be expected to score most meets.

“When it comes to jumps and sprints, Olivia Wilke is the big deal because she scores in multiple events for us pretty much every meet,” Bradley said.

Junior Kirstin Taylor, who is a newcomer this spring, will compete in the sprint and jumps and in the pole vault.

A junior transfer from Mattoon, Tanille Thompson, is getting work there when not running in the hurdles. Sophomore Lydia Hadowsky is back to lead the pole vault and will also run in the sprints and hurdles.

Junior class will be crucial, HHS hopes to hope several state qualifiers

The junior class will have the biggest impact on the Lady Bulldogs fortunes this spring with 13 juniors on the roster.

“The junior class is going to be the tail that wags the dog,” Bradley said.

Bradley said as far as state expectations go, if the Lady Bulldogs could be in the neighborhood of sending eight-nine athletes to state, that would be a good achievement.

“I think if we could maybe qualify both throwers in one or more of throws and maybe get a pole vaulter, and maybe qualify a couple of distance event this year and not just one, I’d say that would be a pretty successful season,” Bradley said.

This story was originally published March 10, 2020 at 1:05 AM.