Highland boys tracksters hope bigger numbers lead to more improvement in 2020

Highland boys track coach Robert Vance is enthusiastic about his turnout for the 2020 Bulldogs track team.

Vance has 40 athletes out who will participate this spring and he’s very hopeful the increased numbers will lead to bigger and better results for the Bulldogs this season.

“We’ve got good numbers with roughly around 10 kids in each class which is pretty nice,” Vance said. “Only eight seniors but maybe a dozen juniors and it’s a nice mix of kids ... everybody is working hard and trying to get better.”

Middle distance will again be the main strength for the Bulldogs. Big things are expected from senior Nick Hanratty (4x800 relay, (1,600 meters, 3,200 meters). Hanratty narrowly missed going to state in three different events in the sectional meet last year as he finished third in the 1,600-meter run, the 3,200-meter run and the 4x800 relay.

“We’re looking for some big things from him,” Vance said of Hanratty.

Junior Josh Loeh will lead the charge in the 800-meter run. Senior Ethan Augustin is back to compete in the 1,600-meter run and 4x800 relay team. Augustin ran the mile in under five minutes as a junior last season.

“He’s a good, solid performer,” Vance said.

Jacob Lyons, a senior transfer will also see action in middle distance events.

Senior Connor Sands returns to work in the triple jump, long jump and the sprints.

“He’s a guy that’s got some really good wheels and he’ll probably have his best chance to qualify for state in the long jump and triple jump,” Vance said. “He can long jump over 20 feet and triple jump over 40 feet and we need him to add a couple of feet or more onto both of those.”

In the pole vault, junior Bryce Kirsch is back and will look to get past the sectional meet this spring. Senior Owen Kobbeman will fill in as a utility runner and can run sprints, hurdles or distance.

Senior Ethan Leftwich is set to lead the sprints in the 200. Senior hurdler Brylee Portel, who qualified for state in the 300 hurdles last season, is back for a final run.

“He qualified (for state) last year in the 300 hurdles and we’ll probably have him in the 110 highs as well and he’s a member of our 4x800 relay team,” Vance said. “He’s another guy that can do a lot of different things.”

Trevor Zobrist will lead the Bulldogs in the throwing events as their lead shot putter.

“He’s (throwing) right at about 40 feet in the shot put and we’re hoping for bigger and better things from him this year,” Vance said. “He’s gotten stronger so we anticipate that he will throw further.”

Juniors expected to contribute big include Logan Chandler in the sprints and shot put; Kole Fisk in middle distance; Cole Goodall in the pole vault; Connor Miller in the sprints and jumps; Cole Reed in the triple, jump, high jump and hurdles; Jack Geiger in the sprints; Easton Rosen in the 1,600-meter run; and utility runner Jacob Rittenhouse.

Sophomores such as James Beard in the sprints and jumps; Andrew Capelle in the high jump, pole vault, and hurdles; NicK McAllister in the discus; and Carson Baer in the high jump are all expected to make timely contributions as well.

Highland opens season with solid showing, set to kick off outdoor season

The Bulldogs are already seeing improvement in individual performances across the board thanks to a solid showing in the Jacksonville High School Invite Friday in Jacksonville.

“One of the things I liked at our meet on Friday was we had 10 guys with 10 indoor personal bests,” Vance said. “We had 13 performances that were better than what they had done outdoors as well, so even early in the season to be doing better than you’ve done before is a really good sign and we’re hoping for that to continue.”

Highland opens the outdoor season at 4 p.m. Thursday, March 19, at Granite City in a tri-meet with Granite City and Metro East Lutheran.