Girls track: Liberty seniors set example

Four years ago, the Liberty girls track team could have been more appropriately defined as a small gathering of friends.

“I remember my freshman and sophomore years, we would come to the track meets, and it was literally almost just the five of us,” said senior Shawn Hennessey, who will triple and long jump, as well as run the lead legs on both the 400 and 800 relay teams this season.

“There were a few others, but it was always the five of us together. Now to be joined by a whole group, it makes everything a lot more fun.”

Joined by fellow seniors Andrea Collins, Cami Bullock, Christina Dahm, and Laura Davis, Hennessey has seen a team go from just seven members her freshman year to the largest team in Liberty history.

“We’re at 33 on the track team this year, which is the most they’ve ever had turn out from what I’ve heard,” said first-year head coach Heath Voise. “Many of them are first-time kids who’ve never been to track meets before until this year.”

It’s the five seniors, though, who take the youngsters through the paces of track season.

“They kind of take the young kids under their wings and just lead them along,” Voise said. “I hope the younger kids will learn from them how hard they work, and I’m hoping from watching the older kids they’ll realize this is how the way things should be done if we want to be successful like these girls have been for their four years of high school.”

Despite not having enough numbers in previous years for a competitive team, the Lancer seniors have accomplished quite a bit individually. Bullock finished fifth in state in the triple jump last season and also will throw the discus and run 200-meter relay team this year.

“Our girls team is pretty good,” said Bullock, who also joined Collins, Hennessey and Davis on the State B qualifying basketball team last March.

“We’ve won all the small meets by a lot,” Bullock said. “The small meets are who we’re going to be going against in districts and Bi-County (League). Hopefully, we’ll be pretty good.”

Collins, who was the lone member of the Lancer cross country team in the fall, is running the 1,600 and 3,200 this spring. She’s found the adjustment from basketball shape to running track to take a bit longer than expected.

“So far, I haven’t been doing as well as I would hope, but I’m at the point where I’m trying to incorporate more speed now that I have my distance phase down,” Collins said. “I’m working on that currently.

“It hasn’t been my favorite so far,” she said with a laugh, “but it’s good. It’s back to getting my legs toned again and back to getting into a totally different kind of shape.

“It’s completely different. It’s been really hard, but it’s running. I love it.”

Davis, who will run the 110 high hurdles and will anchor the 400 relay, and run the second leg on the 800 relay, is hoping to help the Lancer relay teams to the state finals this year. Last year, the 800 team missed out by just .01 of a second.

“We want to make it to finals in both relays just because we were so close last year,” Davis said. “We’re just working really hard, because we know it’s possible.”

Dahm will high jump and run the 200 as well as the second leg on the 400 relay and the anchor leg on the 800 relay.

“I really to hope to take a championship in one of my events,” Dahm said. “I really love high jump. It’s my favorite event.

“I’ve been going to high jump (at state) since my sophomore year. My sophomore year, I got second at state.

“My junior year, my goal was to beat the state champion from the year before. I ended up getting sixth place, but I still beat her because she finished seventh.

“I’m striving to take a first, second or third in the high jump this year. For the 200, I’d like to at least make finals. The same in the relays.”

No matter what they accomplish individually in their final year at Liberty on the track, the legacy of the five Lancer seniors will be felt for years to come.

“When they’re done, I think this will be a group that will be remembered out here for quite a while, for sticking together for all the years they have,” Voise said. “They’re going to leave behind a good legacy for what they’ve done and the work they’ve accomplished in their years.”