Track: Trojans look to carry on winning tradition
Sports reporter
To say Hillsboro High School had a good track season last year would be an understatement.
The Trojan's girls' squad claimed the 3A state championship, while the boys' finished ninth.
The boys' team placed in eight events, while the girls' racked up medals in 10 events.
Head coach Dennis Boldt will miss nine seniors total from both of his teams, seven of which earned medals at state.
However, he will have 21 returning letterwinners, 12 from the state track teams of a year ago.
Dakota Kaufman and Chelsea Bebermeyer come into the season with high expectations, as the only two returners who earned individual medals at the state meet last season.
Kaufman finished fourth in the triple jump, and Bebermeyer was sixth in the discus.
Tiffany Rooker is the lone returner from the 4x400-meter relay team that was second at state last year.
2007 4x400m alternates Abi Humber and Shelby Koons will more than likely join Rooker on the team this year.
Two individual state medalists from a year ago also will look to lead the boys' squad.
Jacob Yoder, who took fourth in the long jump, and Cody McMillen, who was fifth in the 3200m run, should rack up points all season for the Trojans.
The Trojan boys also return at least one runner from three relay teams that earned state medals: Yoder, Michael Tisdale, and Ishmael Morris from the 4x100 team, Brown, Yoder, and Morris from the 4x400m, and Brown, McMillen, and Nathan Vogel from the 4x800m team.
The Trojans will have their work cut out for them to try and repeat the success of a year ago, but Boldt knows with hard work, anything is possible.
"Even though every athlete has a level of talent, each individual must combine the talent with hard work, training, discipline, and commitment," he said. "Track and field will give back what you put into it."
