BY CHRIS MANNINGNorthern Tier Sports Report
Northeast Bradford track and field is flush with boys on the team, and return several talented girls, including state medalist Gracelyn Laudermilch.
“We have a lot of talent in that room right now, so I’m hoping that maybe, even though we’re not officially Small School-Large School yet, that we can take the top spot Small School spot for the NTL.”
Leading the way for the boys is Creed Dewing, a returning state qualifier in the mile, and a 4-time state medalist in cross-country.
“I’m excited,” Dewing said. “I definitely haven’t been super focused on track for the past couple of months, but I’m really ready to give it a good last season, train hard this season, and have some fun with it.”
He comes into the season loose, and hopes that’ll help with taking some pressure off this season.
“It’s definitely given me breathing room,” said Dewing. “I think it’s just going to open things up, and let me see what I can do, and see what I can do on a not super hard training schedule.”
Dewing made states out of a tough District IV group last spring, which gives him confidence as he shoots to run a 4:15.
“It definitely gives me a point at which I know where I can get,” He explained. “It gives me a point at which I can exceed, so that’s really the goal, is to exceed the expectations of myself, and to really push for the boundaries.”
They also just missed sending their 4x800 relay to states, so that’s another goal they have this year.
“That’s a really lofty goal, but I really think it’s an opportunity,” Dewing remarked.
Morris will be leaning on her distance group of Creed, Ryan Jones, Brody Bennett, and Brayden Miller to score a lot of the team’s points.
“That core four there, they’re going to take a lot of the distance events, and some relays,” she said. “On the throws side Lex Cragle has been training all summer, and all winter, and his discus throw looks pretty good, and I’ve done a lot of discus, so he looks pretty sweet this year. We have a couple new sprinters, so I’m really excited to see what they can do. And Dan Barrettl’s coming back, he kind of held his own as a freshman last year, so this year I think he can make some waves in the 400, 800 area.”
As for the 4x800, Morris believes they need to find the right mix of training, and tapering come mid-May.
“I think that the talent is there for them to do it,” she said. “Part of the key is going to be to make sure that they go into districts healthy, and not over taxed on their other events. Kind of go in fresh legs when they run the 4x800, and I think they really could secure a spot there.”
On the girls’ side Laudermilch medaled in the 1600 last year, while also qualifying in the 2-mile.
“Gracelyn should certainly hold her own again this year,” Morris said.
Morris is also looking for big things from Lillie Maynard.
“She’s always pretty amazing,” said Morris.
Maynard started track last year, so she has a year of experience running the 400 and 800 events going into this season.
“All the nerves are still there,” said Maynard. “I haven’t really settle in. Last year it was pretty new, and it’s still pretty new this year.”
She’s hoping to have a breakout season running the quarter-mile.
“I feel like I can train harder, even harder than I did last year, to improve my time even more,” Maynard said. “Now that I can hit that mark, I’m pretty much know more of what I need to do so I can prepare for that better.”
She’s also expecting their 4x800 relay to be pretty good this year, too, considering the NTL has a strong contingent of teams already with Towanda, and Athens.
“We should keep improving, and we have some new girls that are going to step up, and hopefully have better times,” said Maynard. “Maybe we can try to make it to states this year.”
No matter what event, Maynard is hoping to finish her career at Shippensburg.
“It would be pretty awesome,” she said.
Morris is high on the 4x800 relay, too.
“We’re really hoping that, if things work right, we can get them there, and maybe eke out a podium finish,” she said. “As long as everybody goes in healthy, they’re strong enough. We just have to make them be healthy when they get there.”
Morris also has a few other female athletes to watch.
“Our throws team looks pretty good,” she said. “Cora (Franklin), and Abby (O’Connor) look pretty strong this year. Anaiah (Kolesar) is always there.”
ROSTER
Amanda Allabaugh
Daniel Barrett
Brody Bennett
Myles Bennett
Sophie Bennett
Jayden Comstra
Lex Cragle
Creed Dewing
Charlie Eastman
Ben Ellis
Ed Eastman
Jordyn Evans
Anyely Reyes-Farjardo
Cora Franklin
Kayah Frasier
Lily Gernert
Maggie Gray
Sarah Gray
Tucker Hughes
Ryan Jones
Tanner Judson
Amelia Kapr
Aurelia Kolesar
Anaiah Kolesar
Tyler Kuhn
Stephanie Lambert
Riley Lamson
Gracelyn Laudermilch
Noah Marino
Jackson Martin
Lillie Maynard
Mallorie Maynard
Brayden Miller
Abby O’Connor
Anthony Pousen
Gavin Puza
Jaedon Puza
Maddex Rooker
Miles Sanders
Hayden Smith
Malachi Taylor
Emma Warren
Ayden Wilson
SCHEDULE
Mar 25 at Towanda w/Canton, 4 p.m.
April 1 at Troy w/Sayre, 4 p.m.
April 4 at Kirby Classics
April 12 at Johnson City Invitational, 10 a.m.
April 15 at Canton, 4 p.m.
April 17 at Mt. Carmel Invitational
April 22 at Wellsboro, 4 p.m.
April 25 at Lasagna Invitational
April 29 at Williamson, 4 p.m.
May 5 vs Wyalusing, 4 p.m.
May 9 at NTL Championships, 3 p.m.
May 15 at District IV Championships
May 17 at District IV Championships
