NTL TRACK & FIELD: CANTON EXPECTS TO HAVE A STRONG GIRLS SQUAD (2024-03-26)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
Last year was history in the making for Canton track and field as several school records fell. Several of those athletes who set those records will be back this spring - all on the girls’ side.

“We have some quality returning on the female side that has tons of experience at a district level, which is nice to work with again,” said coach Casey Aylesworth 

Daveian Crowley was part of three school records a year ago: 200, 4x100, and 4x400, while coming close in the 100 and the 400.

Aylesworth hopes she’ll not only get those records this year, but ride that wave all the way to states.

Kendall Kitchen and Alexis McRoberts also return. Both were part of those relays, while Kitchen nearly made states in the pole vault.

“To have those guys as veteran leadership, kind of leading the girls is nice,” Aylesworth said. “But we’ve got some missing links here to look for over the next couple of weeks.”

Kitchen is especially excited to get back to pole vault after just missing the state standard last May.

“It really just motivates me to know that I was so close my sophomore year,” she said. “I just have a little more hope that I can reach that. I just need to focus on getting more upside down, and improving my run down the runway. If I do those things, hopefully I’ll reach the state mark.”

The 4x400 was close, too, though they’ll have to find a fourth.

“It’s going to be a rebuilding year because we have to replace Camille McRoberts, who was a big asset last year. If we find that fourth leg it’ll make it better.”

The girls are a young squad and Aylesworth has his eye on some talent to fill that final spot.

“We’ve got a couple freshman girls that are going to be kind of near each other - Danah Wesneski, Stella Rockwell, and Cailyn VanNoy,” said Aylesworth. “I’m sure I’m missing some, but they’re going to be filling 4x1 spots, 4x4 spots, and they’re relatively new and young, so they don’t know 100-percent what events they’re going to do.”

They have quite a bit of youth on the boys’ side, particularly in the throws, which is what they’re known for.

“We graduated a lot of talent on that side, and we got a freshman and some young guys that might approach but we’re young on the throws,” Aylesworth said. 

Their best chance at a state qualifier is Lawrence Halbfoerster, who made states in cross-country this past fall.

“He’s going to be leading the distance squad in the mile and 2-mile,” remarked Aylesworth. “The sprinters, we’re fairly young, as well. We have a couple kids that might kind of surprise some people, but we’re just going to kind of work with them through their times throughout the year.”

Halbfoerster really started to show what he could do last track season at districts, so he’s hoping to have another big drop to get under 10:20 in the 3200, and get under 4:50 in the mile.

“I just have to keep working hard and staying consistent with it,” he said. 

ROSTER (Grade)

BOYS

Hunter Huffman (12)

Wyatt Karpinski (12)

Raiden Lyon (12)

Brayden Vroman (12)

Max Wicker (12)

Isaiah Wolcott (12)

Drake Bedford (11)

Tyler Engel (11)

Thomas Guindon (11)

Lakota Frisbie (11)

Josh Hess (11)

Quincy Wesneski (11)

Simon Wile (11)

Talin Williams (11)

Ethan Brasington (10)

Isaiah Colton (10)

Patrick Fitzsimmons (10)

Lawrence Halbfoerster (10)

Sawyer Vroman (10)

Elton Weingartner (10)

Max Ault (9)

Alex Brown (9)

Wyatt Hilton (9)

Kruse Kellar (9)

Landon Lake (9)

Colton Olson (9)

Chase Petrowski (9)

Aiden Petrowski (9)

Monte Whitehead (9)

Jacob Smith (9)

GIRLS

Natalie Kapichok (12)

Kendall Kitchen (11)

Adrianna Yellenic (11)

Daveian Crowley (10)

Alexis McRoberts (10)

Kat Thrush (10)

Vayda Bryan (9)

Layla Frisbie (9)

Olivia Kelley (9)

Stella Rockwell (9)

Ashley Valera (9)

Cailyn VanNoy (9)

Danah Wesneski (9)

SCHEDULE

Mar. 26 at Wyalusing with NEB, 4 p.m.

April 2 vs Towanda, Williamson, NEB, 4 p.m.

April 5 hosts Invitational, 3 p.m.

April 9 vs NPM, Meadowbrook, 4 p.m.

April 12 at Northwest Invitational

April 16 at Athens with Williamson, 4 p.m.

April 19 at Bald Eagle Invitational

April 23 vs Wellsboro, Athens, 4 p.m.

April 26 at Lasagna Invitational, 3 p.m.

April 30 at Troy with Sayre, NEB, 4 p.m.

May 3 at Coudersport Invitational, 4 p.m.

May 10 at NTL Championships (Athens), 1:30 p.m.

May 16 at District IV Championships, 5 p.m.

May 18 at District IV Championships, 9 a.m.

May 24 at PIAA Championships

May 25 at PIAA Championships