Tracking Success Experience, Strong Turnout Has Lakeside Hoping For High Finish In League Play

Lakeside High, which has accomplished just about everything one high school could this year in sports, hopes success will carry over into track and field.

“We’re young but we want to go after a league title,” said coach Jim Pettet of his boys team.

Lakeside’s girls coach Dennis Overbay added, “We have a strong team and are hoping to finish high in league.”

The Eagles are the most experienced of two North Side Northeast A League schools.

Deer Park enticed successful former wrestling coach Dean Largent to become track coach at the school.

Eagles have events covered

With a turnout of more than 70, Lakeside will have little trouble filling 17 boys and girls events.

Junior 400 runner Mark Smith and sophomore high jumper Jay McMahon are returning state veterans.

So, too, are a quartet of girls athletes - sophomore sprinter Cory Nightingale, junior hurdler Katie Nuechterlein, senior distance runner Lindsey McElroy and relay runner Nova Gattman.

In addition, the boys fields distance runners from the state qualifying cross country team, including Mike Witt, Tevor Smith and Perry Welch.

Girls competitors are freshman Lisa Erickson, and sophomores Kerry Cutler and Shandra Jackson.

Junior sprinters include Ian Moody and Robert Smeltzer for the boys, and freshmen Michelle Bell and Candace Staat for the girls.

Newcomers to the hurdles are sophomore Brady Murray and junior David Guyette, a district placing javelin thrower. For the girls, sophomores Lauren Otterbien and Renee Chicoine join junior Linsey Heebink.

In the field, Moody covers the jumps and sophomore Jason Cummings the throws. Girls throwers are Heebink, freshman Eleanor Cook, junior Brandi Neagle, and sophomores Mary Cravens, Ginny Lindholm and Kelly Henry.

Jumpers are sophomore Kari Minor and senior Lucia Vojtech.

Deer Park improves turnout

After scoring just four points combined in last year’s district meet, Deer Park is taking steps to change things by improving the Stag turnout from 20 to nearly 70 track participants.

“What helped this year is before we had one person in building coaching,” said Largent. “Now we have three and that makes a huge difference.

Borrowing from Mead, Largent brought on board a number of volunteers with experience to join him and last year’s coach Cheryl Yoke. Included are former head coaches Estel Harvey and Dan Birdsell.

Among the newcomers are junior sprinter Lisa Pansy, who won district as a freshmen but didn’t turn out last year, and cross country star Jaime Stone, who switched to track from softball.

“She already planned to give track a try,” said Largent. “I think she wants to run in college.”

Also in the distances are junior returnee Lisa Rooney and sophomore Monica Bryant, plus new soph Morgan Phillips and seniors Kristin Coles and Shannon Player.

Senior Tera Rooney returns in the hurdles and Leah Henry in the throwing events. New throwers are junior Rayna Scott, freshmen Dana Henry and Jessica Fielder.

Other sprinters and hurdlers are freshman Brianna Hill, Amanda Oswalt, Becki Allen, Gina Berdovisky and sophomore Amber Hiler.

They are in the jumps along with freshman Rebecca Helm and sophomores Cheryl Johnson and Maria Fixmer.

Boys returnees include junior sprinters Josh Day, who also pole vaults, and Harold Murphy, and senior Don Moran. Sophomore Erik Eide returns in the javelin and discus.

New sprinter-jumpers include seniors Greg Deakins, Nik Welliver, Reggie Akins, juniors Eldon House, Josh Kelly, also a javelin thrower, freshman Willie Soelter, senior high jumper Gene Webb and junior triple jumper Matt Vensel.

Distance runners are sophomores Mike Wiley, Tony Nazzal, who also pole vaults, and freshmen Kris Nazzal, Alan Moulton, Casey Jennings and Chad Welch.

Hurdlers are junior J.R. Finborg, who pole vaults, sophomores Shaun Greasley, Nick Terry and freshman Steve Barclay, a jumper.

Other throwers are freshman Roger Henry, senior Chuck Freeland, sophomores Dave Soelter, Pat Wise, Jake Stillman and junior Caleb Christianson.

“We’re still kind of finding events, since 90 percent of them are new,” said Largent.

, DataTimes