NTL TRACK & FIELD: NEB HAS HIGH EXPECTATIONS THIS SEASON (2023-03-26)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
Last year was a coming out season for the Northeast Bradford girls’ track and field team. Gracelyn Laudermilch went home with her long awaited state medal, and the team took third overall at the NTL Championships, their highest finish since they went to the one invitational format. 

“I’m really hoping that, maybe, we can secure an NTL title,” said coach Sandy Morris. “We don’t have a lot of numbers, but I think we have good numbers.”

They return all but two of their scorers from last year’s team while adding several new faces that should help them in areas where they didn’t get any points.

It’s a goal for the athletes, too.

“That would be really nice,” Gracelyn Laudermilch said about bringing home a league title. “I think that’s in the back of everyone’s mind. We’re just going to do our best and see how it goes.”

They also want to bring home some district titles, and get more state hardware this year. Leading the charge is Laudermilch, who took sixth in the 3000 at the indoor state meet this year.

“It gave me an opportunity to get some confidence and just get the legs going before the season started,” said Laudermilch. “I’m excited to see what I can do outdoors, and what the team can do.”

She was eighth in the 3200 at states last May, winning a district title in that even the week before. She also made states in the 1600, but finished 16th at states.

“The mile, I’m really excited for,” Laudermilch remarked. “It’s an event that I haven’t fully mastered yet, so I’m excited to see what I can do. I had fun with it in indoor a few times, so I’m definitely looking at doing more miles and 800s this year.”

Another even they’re eyeing is the 4x800, which they just missed states last year by six seconds. 

“That is the big goal,” said Laudermilch. “Everyone is talking about it.”

They set the school record last year and all four come back this season - Anaiah Kolesar, Lilah Hughes, and Melanie Shumway along with Laudermilch

“Hopefully the girls are all healthy through the whole season, and we can get them to really lay down some times this year,” said Morris. “I know they’re going to put in the work.”

Kolesar came close to states in the 3200 a year ago along with Emma Neuber in the shot put.

“She’s pretty excited, we’re pretty excited,” Morris said about Neuber. “She had the taste of a district medal last year, and we took her to states to watch Gracelyn, and I think it got her a little bit more hungry to want to get there. Really, at the end of last season, the discus started to click for her, too, she had fallen off a little bit during the season on it, but then towards the end we got her footwork right, and her distances started going back up. I’m really hoping that, maybe, we can get her qualify in two events.”

On the boys’ side NEB’s biggest returnees are in the distance, particularly Creed Dewing. Dewing brought home a seventh place medal in the mile from districts, and just missed it in the 3200.

“I’m not even going to try to limit him to what we can do,” said Morris.

Dewing’s coming off a strong cross-country season in the fall, and now has a full season of track under his belt.

“I’ve been looking forward to it,” he said. “Just the training and being able to go head to head with some of the competition from last year, and from cross-country, as well. I definitely got the feel for it, it was my first year last year. It went well - I didn’t quite make states in the mile so that’s one of my goals this year.”

He’s been focusing on getting his speed up, and also enjoy his time out there.

“I just really want to have fun with the relays, and with the guys,” said Dewing. 

Aydin Finch, Brayden Miller, and Westen Perkins are others to watch this season.

“His times really started to drop last year,” Morris said about Finch. “The 4x800 team, if we get the right four guys in there, I think they can really be pretty competitive. Brayden Miller, if he works like he could, he could be pretty close in the 800. On the throwing side we have a lot of newer throwers, but I think Westen Perkins in the shot put. He had stop partway through the season last year, but he’s a pretty strong kid.”

Aiden Kapr is another one Morris has her eye on.

“Pretty much any event we put him in,” Morris said. “We put him in javelin this year, and he played in the NTL after one practice last year. With some practice this year and getting his technique right, I really think he can make a state run.”

ROSTER

GIRLS

Sophia Allis

Abigail Chobot

Ireland Coats

Jayden Comstra

Lex Cragle

Jordyn Evans

Cora Franklin

Kayah Frasier 

Leah Fries

Lilah Hughes

Amelia Kapr

Anaiah Kolesar

Stephanie Lambert

Gracelyn Laudermilch

Lillie Maynard

Mallorie Maynard

Emma Neuber

Melanie Shumway

BOYS

Brendon Allen

Brayden Miller

Kolton Keir

Noah Marino

Lucas Lambert

Brody Allen

Daniel Barrett

Brody Bennett

Ryan Jones

Aidan Kapr

Myles Bennett

Ed Eastman

Ayden Finch

Carsen Perkins

Westen Perkins

Malachi Taylor

Ayden Wilson

Tyler Russell

SCHEDULE

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

April 2 at Canton with Williamson, 4 p.m.

April 5 at Canton Invitational, 4 p.m.

April 9 at Sayre, 4 p.m.

April 13 at Don Wilhour Selinsgrove Classic, 9 a.m.

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

April 19 at Bald Eagle Invitational, 2 p.m.

April 23 at Towanda with NPM, Wyalusing, 4 p.m.

April 26 at Lasagna Invitational, 3 p.m.

April 30 at Troy with Canton, Sayre, 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