Lady Cat Track will give all-out effort
Head Track Coach Julie Castles was clear about the Lady Cat’s goal for the 2022 track season, “Our goal is to win district. We want everyone in the girl’s programs to be involved. When that happens, it creates more potential to score needed points.”
Archer City will hit the track and field with 29 athletes poised to score enough point to earn a district crown. The Lady Cats were fourth in district last year behind Windthorst, Quanah, and Seymour, but on Friday April 8th in Petrolia they will get a chance to make a run at a better finish.
Seniors Mallory Maxwell, Maddie Lopez, and Aspyn Huseman will lead the way. Maxwell returns to make another run at an appearance at the State Meet. Last year she place eighth in Austin in the 200 meter run with a time of 26.65. She won the district in the triple jump last year and would like nothing better than to make an appearance at the state meet in that event.
Lopez will handle the shot put and discus. She finished fourth at the Regional meet last year narrowly missing a state berth. She hopes to get past region to the state meet and hopefully make a regional appearance in the discus.
Huseman was sidelined last year due to injury but will return this year to compete in the 100 meter dash and provide some quality legs on the relays. Junior Kadence Huffman will join her in the 100 meter and relay legs.
Junior Rebecca Taggart, and sophomores Kassiday Marin and Landri Payne will attempt to better their times in the 800 meter and 1600 meter runs. Taggart recorded fifth place finishes at district last year in both events. Marin and Payne both advanced to the Area meet last year running competitive times in both events as well. All three with improvement could crack times good enough to qualify for the Regional meet.
Sophomore Brynlee Skelton has shown promise in the high jump clearing 4’8” in a warm up meet early in the year at Windthorst. She is young and has potential to make a run at an appearance at region.
Newcomer freshman Adelyn Harvey is expected to add some depth in the sprints. She could wind up as a solid leg in relay events.
Castles felt the Lady Cats could put a strong combination of runners on the track for the 4x100 and the 4x200 meter relays. She said, “It will take some time to get the right kids in the right spots.”
She will have some talented athletes to choose from. The Lady Cats will be in Petrolia for a meet on March 21 and at home for the Wildcat Relays on March 31.
