Northern Lehigh’s Jill Olewine and Marian’s Tina Capparell, who both captured PIAA State medals a year ago, highlight this year’s girls track returnees in the Times News coverage area.

NORTHERN LEHIGH

ENCORE?

... Northern Lehigh returns last year’s Times News Female Track and Field Athlete of the Year in Jill Olewine. As a junior, Olewine was eighth in the Class 2A long jump at the PIAA Championships with a mark of 17-03.00. Olewine also won the District 11 Class 2A long jump, setting a school record in the process by winning the event with a leap of 18-2. Olewine captured her second district title, winning the Class 2A triple jump with a leap of 36-03.00. Olewine was the Colonial League champion in both events. “Jill Olewine returns for her senior year in the jumps after qualifying for the state championship the past two seasons, and earning a medal last season,” said Northern Lehigh head coach Mike Lehtonen.

KEY LOSSES

... While Olewine returns, Northern Lehigh will have to replace Darby Pender, Karlyna Kemery and Andrea Snyder. Pender (47.94) placed second in the 300 hurdles at the Colonial League meet, and also set a school record in the event last season. A second-place finish in the Class 2A 300 hurdles at districts helped Pender punch her ticket to states. The senior finished with a time of 47.90. Snyder was the eighth seed in the discus at the league meet, with a previous best of 92-4. But her performance helped her edge Southern Lehigh’s Julia LaPorta (99-0) for the title.

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FAMILIAR FACE

... While Pender won’t be competing on the track for the Bulldogs this season, she will be helping as an assistant coach.

GOING THE DISTANCE

... Sophomore Reagan Pender enjoyed a stellar fall, qualifying for the state cross country meet. Lehtonen is hoping that success carries over into the spring. “Reagan Pender returns after having a breakout fall cross country season, earning a spot at the state championship cross country meet. Along with Pender, training partners, Katie Guelcher (junior), and Ali Lorah (junior) give distance coach Dave Oertner a trio with experience to be competitive in the distance events,” said Lehtonen.

OPENING EYES

... Lehtonen, entering his 11th season as head coach, is hoping several athletes, such as senior Daniell Hoffman (throws), who have impressed early in the season, will continue to do so as the year goes on and they gain more experience. “Franki Dibilio hopes to continue her momentum in the throws. Kristen Guelcher is opening some eyes early in the season with the hurdles and sprints, as only a freshman. She will have to adjust to the high competition at the varsity level,” he said.

LOOKING AHEAD

... After posting a 5-6 mark a year ago, Lehtonen is optimistic the team will continue making strides this season. The coaching staff is pleased with the turnout and work ethic of this year’s team. With many young and new athletes, the team is working hard to find events that match strengths of individuals and fit the team’s needs to stay competitive,” he said.

MARIAN

A LOT OF EXPERIENCE

… First-year Marian Catholic head coach Justin Huegel will be joined by Francis Lally, Jim Wheeler, Patrick John, Bryan Rogers, and Cy Shickora. “As a staff, our favorite thing about this group is that they keep surprising us with their work ethic, commitment, and desire to win,” said Huegel. “They are competitive, encouraging, tight knit, and want their teammates to succeed just as much as they want to.”

SHOES TO FILL

… The Fillies graduated 12 seniors and finished 2017 with a 5-1 record. However, they’ll bring back a ton of competitors that include PIAA State medalist Tina Capparell (distance), Nicole Capparell (distance) Julia Hoben (sprints/jumps) Zoryana Duda (sprints) Maggie Joseph (jumps), Grace Mussoline (sprints) Ariel Stanalonis (hurdles/jumps), Julia Kreisl (middle distance) Kaitlin Lowery (hurdles), Emma McClafferty (throws), Carolyn Mahallo (distance), and Andraya Pikitus (sprints).

NEWCOMERS

… Joining the team as first-year competitors will be Anika Hahn (jumps/hurdles), Jamison Wheeler (sprints), Tiffany Ustynoski (jumps), Jacalyn Possessky (middle distance/distance), Emily Simmons (jumps), and Sophia Bauer (jumps).

SAME OBJECTIVE

… Huegel has a strong vision for his team this year. “The goals are to compete for a Schuylkill League Division 2 championship,” said the Marian Catholic coach. “We also want our athletes to excel at the league, district, and state level. Finally, we want to show people that Marian track and field will continue its winning tradition moving forward.”

JIM THORPE

MIXOLOGY

... In his 12th season as head coach of the Olympians, Frank Miller is going to need to be a chemist of sorts. The veteran will attempt to find the right mix of experienced returnees with a wealth of underclassmen. “This year’s girls team has a nice balance of experienced returnees who were highly competitive the last few seasons to help bring along the youth that has joined the program,” Miller said.

STILL KICKING

... Nine female student-athletes return that consistently performed in past seasons. The list includes seniors Monae Bullock (sprints/jumps), Emma Dunbar (sprints/jumps), Devon Lignore (throws), Alexandria McGinley (long sprints), and Mackenzie Rosenberger (hurdles); juniors Debbie Loyd (jumps) and Marnea Wise (sprints/jumps); and sophomores in Kylee Dulski (hurdles) and Anna Shigo (jumps).

NEW TO THE CREW

... There are 25 total sophomores and freshmen on the roster, many of whom could be key contributors. Among that group, sophomores Taylor Craigie (throws), Kayla McCoy (throws), and Holly Skrimcovsky (throws); along with freshmen Tessa Bevilacqua (distance), Giavanna Cellini (sprints), Abigail McGinley (long sprints), Brandy Montemuro (sprints/jumps), Autumn Snyder (hurdles/jumps), and Lydia Wallace (long sprints), should make an immediate impact.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

... Miller is excited for the season to get underway and thinks his squad could make some noise in the Schuylkill League Division 1. “The experienced returners have been absolutely fantastic in setting the daily expectations of practice and competition,” he said. “From an event standpoint, the girls should be very competitive in the power-based events on the track and in the field throughout the season. In the distance events, we may struggle to score some points because the girls competing in those events lack experience and will need time to develop.”

LEHIGHTON

REPEAT?

... The Lehighton girls stormed to a Schuylkill League Division 1 title, capping an undefeated regular season with a victory over Pottsville in the finale to finish 6-0. Several of the key contributors from that championship-winning team have departed, such as Jada Whiteman (sprints), Rajah Quinones (sprints), Grace Shanton (hurdles), Alexis Barndt (hurdles) and Cera Gaston (distance).

SO, WHO’S BACK?

... The cupboard certainly isn’t bare for Indians head coach Jim Blakeslee, whose team will once again be competing at the Class 3A level once the postseason rolls around. Kaia Slaw (jumps), Karissa Hough (sprints/hurdles), Isabella Meckes (throws), Riley Sherwood (throws), Grace Leinhart (throws), Emily Miller (throws), Madison Cressley (distance), Amanda Mathisen (distance) and Alyssa Williams (distance) return to help Lehighton remain at the top of the league. Blakeslee is counting on Meckes and Sherwood to pick up points in the throwing events, with Slaw expected to take another step forward in the jumps.

KEEP AN EYE ON

... The Indians will also be counting on Kelsey Gaston, Paige Shellhammer and Kendal Mease in distance events to offset some of the losses from last year and keep the team performing at a high level. “We’ve lost a lot of good athletes last year. This will be a rebuilding year for a lot of the events. Our success entirely depends on our younger people coming through in various areas,” said Blakeslee, who noted the team has over 100 participants between the boys and girls.

LOOKING AHEAD

... “I believe will be quite competitive in the Schulykill League. We have a lot of good athletes coming in from our middle school team last year. I’m hoping they can fill any weaknesses,” Blakeslee said.

NORTHWESTERN

LOADED

... Northwestern returns a wealth of talent from last year’s team that went 9-2 in the Colonial League. Abby Chisdak (senior, javelin), Hannah Herzon (senior, distance), Jordan Lowthert (senior, high jump/triple jump), Molly Tarvin (senior, distance), Sage Christopher (junior, throws), Maddie Consuelos (junior, distance), Kayla Leibensperger (junior, throws), Sarah Supplee (junior, hurdles/distance), Alyssa Zack (junior, distance) and Ali Costa (sophomore, distance) are back to give the Tigers a solid core heading into the season. “Our mid and long distance group of athletes, coached again by Amy Kelly and Matt Fritz, and led by Molly Tarvin, Hannah Herzon, Maddie Consuelos, Alyssa Zack, and Sarah Supplee, will be the strength of this team. We’re also looking to continue to get points out of our throwing group led by Colonial League Championship medalists Sage Christopher and Kayla Leibensperger. One area of weakness will be in our sprinting group, where we have many untested underclassmen vying for competition positions,” said head coach Chuck Groller.

KEEP AN EYE ON

... Groller is also expecting Leila Toth (senior, pole vault), Sydney Derr (junior, pole vault), Emma Fogal (junior, hurdles), Allyson Hinks (junior, hurdles), Cayden Rex (junior, sprints), Jessica Wertman (junior, high jump) and Carly Fogal (sophomore, jumps) to have larger roles on the team this season.

LOSSES

... While the Tigers have a wealth of talent returning, they will have to replace several key members from last year’s team, such as Stacy Everett (hurdles/jumps), Hannah Gough (throws), Courtney Page (sprints/long jump) and Emily Renner (sprints).

OUTLOOK

... “We are still putting the pieces of the puzzle together, but our girls should be competitive and strong in every meet. We have experience and talent, good attitudes, and a good work ethic at practice. In order to be successful, though, we will need to have the mental toughness and focus when competing in every event in every meet. Our first meet next week will tell us just how strong we are as we will be going up against two top quality teams in Southern Lehigh and Saucon Valley,” Groller said.

PALMERTON

BACK AT IT

… Seniors Brianna Brennan (distance), Hanna Nesfeder (distance) and Destiny Mokshefski (sprints/jumps) are back to make some noise in their final season. Along for the ride are juniors Sayler Burke (sprints), Madison Martinez (sprints/hurdles) and sophomores Maddison Beahm (jumps), Abigail Everett (throws) and Chloe Oldt (jumps/hurdles).

SPORTING THE RIGHT ATTITUDE

… Palmerton second-year coach Mike Gombert hopes that desire and motivation will help turn around last season’s 3-8 record. “The girls have a great attitude and are excited for the season to begin. We have some athletes who worked extremely hard in the offseason and are ready to have the best season of their high school careers. These athletes have to perform at a high level in every meet, and our freshmen and other newcomers must develop quickly for the team to enjoy success.”

SOME HOME RENOVATIONS

… The Blue Bombers are excited to test out the addition of a new all-weather track within the confines of Palmerton Area School District Stadium. “The kids are obviously excited about the new track. We will be hosting five home meets this year rather than only having one like we did last season, which itself is very exciting. But, it’s also exciting for the parents and fans, who can come here and enjoy a meet while catching up with some old classmates and friends.”

NUMBERS ON THE RISE

… Numbers have been an issue for a few seasons, and this year is no different, with only 25 girls out for the team. Gombert is remaining optimistic, however. “The numbers aren’t where we need them to be yet, but they are slowly increasing. It’s a work in progress. And, I know they will continue to grow.”

PANTHER VALLEY

STRENGTHS

... Interim head coach Fenton Black wants to see an increase in numbers for the track team, but he’s excited to see what his current crop of players can do. Black expects to see some success in the sprints and jumps, and likes the group he has training for the distance events. “I would like to see more students come out for track, but we have some experience coming back that could help us score points and be competitive. There’s above-average interest in the sprints and jumps, so we’ll see if we can find any speed out of that group. In distance, there’s a group of runners that are pushing themselves to get better,” said Black.

RETURNING

... Among the returnees expected to make an impact for the Panthers are Hailey Henninger in the 100M, 200M, and some relays, Alexa Ruzicka in the 100M, hurdles events, and both the long jump and triple jump, and Tia Ketchledge in the long jump, triple jump, and relays.

WATCH OUT

... The Panthers also have some newcomers to watch this season in Ava Kosciolek (mid-distance), Mercedes Weaver (spints/hurdles), and Jacqueline Kokinda (javelin).

SACRIFICE

... Because of numbers, some of the Panthers’ athletes will need to step up in events they may not be used to competing in for the betterment of the team. “We want to see all our athletes improve throughout the season and gain confidence along the way. We are going to ask some of our athletes to get out of their comfort zone for the good of the team, and hopefully there will be some surprises along the way,” said Black.

PLEASANT VALLEY

STRONG CORE

... Pleasant Valley returns a solid group of experienced athletes that had great success a year ago. In Class 3A competition at last year’s District 11 meet, senior Jalurah Moore finished third in the 100 finals with a time of 12.48, just under the state-qualifying standard of 12.50 - but good enough to advance to the state meet. Moore was second in the 100 finals (12.52) and third in the 200 finals (26.01) at the EPC meet. Senior Mary Michael (9-0) tied for third in the pole vault. Michael (10-0) tied for second in the District 11 Class 3A pole vault to advance to sates. Junior Armani Dunkley (12.84) also qualified for the District 11 Class 3A 100 finals. “We look well-rounded this year. With the addition of some young athletes, we should be able to compete against anyone in the EPC,” said fifth-year Bears head coach Michelle Piontkowski.

STEPPING UP

... Piontkowski will also be looking for Nicole Brooks-MIller (senior, hurdles), Julia Butchkoski (junior, sprints), Morgan Covart (senior, distance), Trisha Dominick (junior, distance), Sophia Johnson (junior, throws), Sarah Larkin (senior, distance), Kelly Lesnik (junior, hurdles), Rebecca Makrides (sophomore, throws), Luci Mesce (sophomore, hurdles), Alana Porter (sophomore, sprints) and Sam Segeda (junior, distance) to be leaders for this year’s squad.

STEPPING IN

... The Bears, who had a solid turnout with 48 girls on the roster, are also going to be counting on newcomers Meara Hanyon (junior, jumps/throws), Jade Kautzsch (sophomore, sprints/jumps), Grace Mingora (freshman, distance), Lily Mingora (freshman, distance), Shemeka Moore (freshman, jumps) and Larissa Mulligan (freshman, distance) to fill several key spots in the lineup created by the loss of Tierney Belanger (distance), Maddy Brandt (jumps), Darby Reiss (pole vault) and Natalia Salmon (jumps/throws).

LOOKING AHEAD

... If everything comes together for Pleasant Valley, expect the Bears to roar again in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference. “We expect to be competitive in the EPC this year and need contributions from key athletes. We will need to continue to work hard and improve throughout the season to be a factor in the EPC,” said Piontkowski.

TAMAQUA

BIG SHOES TO FIL

L ... While she didn’t get her fourth straight District 11 title in the 800, Monika Shimko enjoyed yet another stellar season last spring for the Blue Raiders. Shimko (2:17.56) placed second in the District 11 Class 2A 800 to qualify for states. A four-time state qualifier, Shimko, who is now at Army-West Point, ended her high school career with a fourth-place finish in the Class 2A 800 with a time of 2:16.43. Shimko also won her third career league title in 800 with a season’s best time of 2:18.58 last season.

AIMING HIGH

... Senior Alyssa Campomizzi placed second in the Class 2A javelin last year to advance to states. Expectations will only be higher this season.

TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK

... The team of Nicole Wasserleben, Olivia Stanek, Sarah Maue, Shimko finished third in Class 2A 3200 relay (9:55.54) at districts last season. Maue also placed third in the 3200. While Wasserleben was lost to graduation, Stanek, a senior, and Maue, a junior, return, as does senior Shanna Brinkworth, a state qualifier and Schuylkill League champion in the pole vault, who is also an asset in the jumps and sprints.

KEYS TO SUCCESS

... The Blue Raiders will be counting on the experience of April Gerber (junior, 400), Kailee Carroll (senior, 1600, 3200), Kayla Sherry (junior, sprints), Maddie Mace (senior, high Jump), Emily Titus (sophomore, throws, javelin, shot put) and Lottie Mateyak (sophomore, 400/800).

HOLES TO FILL

... While Tamaqua has an experienced group returning, the Blue Raiders will have to replace several talented athletes in addition to Shimko and Wasserleben. Kayla Holland, Alexa Hromyak, Deidra Ressler and Lauren Baddick have all departed.

FILLING IN

... Tamaqua head coach Tom Kanger, entering his 12th season, will also be counting on Frances Kabana (freshman, middle distance/hurdles, Sophia Boyle (freshman, pole vault/sprints), Angela Ceci (senior, throws), Brianna Dumond (sophomore, distance), Logan Hartney (sophomore, distance), Caitlin Smith (freshman, sprints) and Tressa Barron (freshman, sprints/hurdles) to fill key roles on this year’s team to contend in Division 1 of the Schuylkill League.

OUTLOOK

... “Although we lost a few top athletes, we return some strong individuals and a solid distance team from cross country. If we can develop our depth, we should compete strongly with the top teams in the division,” said Kanger.

Justin Carlucci, Andy Steinmetz, TJ Engle and Brad Hurley also contributed to this story.