Haines High School’s track and field teams are off to Juneau this weekend for their season-opening meet at Thunder Mountain High School.
The Glacier Bears, under the direction of head coach Jim Stanford, have endured a jam-packed spring since practices started in late March.
“It’s been a very difficult year to deal with all the different activities and schedules for these activities,” Stanford said. “This year has been insane in that way.”
Despite conflicts with classes, music programs, other sports and a few injuries, Stanford said Haines has “a core group of as good of athletes as we’ve ever had.”
“I think, especially, the boys’ team and some individual girls are going to do very well,” he said.
About 30 Glacier Bears are out for track this year, with boys making up around two-thirds of the participants. Following the Thunder Mountain meet, the season schedule includes a home meet in Haines, the Region V championship in Juneau, and the Alaska state championship meet in Anchorage the next three weekends.
Haines boasted 17 state qualifiers in 2013, with the girls placing seventh as a team among small schools (Class 1A, 2A and 3A) and the boys, 13th. The throwing events generated much of the firepower for the Haines girls, led by graduate Alisha Young, who placed second in the discus and sixth in the shot put. Classmate Karlie Spud finished third in the discus.
Among the top graduates for the Glacier Bear boys were Chris Olsen, fourth in the triple jump; and Patrick Henderson, fourth in the high jump.
Top returnees include senior Serena Badgley, second in the girls’ triple jump and seventh in the 100-meter dash; senior Chevy Fowler, seventh in the boys’ long jump; and senior Kai Sato-Franks, who was part of the fourth-place boys’ 4 by 400-meter relay team.
Senior Devin Light, who won the 100-meter dash and placed third in the long jump as a Haines sophomore before a move to Anchorage, is back on the squad this year. Stanford said Light and fellow senior sprinter Isaac Wing “are really fast” and should be state favorites.
Stanford also noted Haines has a strong crop of young throwers who figure to be state contenders, including sophomore boys Casey Bradford, Matthew Green and Kai Hays; sophomore girls Autumn Gross and Bailey Stuart; and freshman Dylan Palmieri. “They are just going to be fantastic.”
He said freshman Mori Hays’ versatility has been another early-season highlight, as well as the leadership of German exchange student Marvin Steinmeister, who “knew nothing about track” when he started.
“This kid is absolutely wonderful,” Stanford said. “He’s been a real lesson for all these kids; his attitude and heart is just unbelievable.”
Stanford, helped this season by several assistants, has coached in Haines for three decades and stepped in as head coach this season for Lexie DeWitt, who led the program last year.
“I do it because I absolutely love it,” Stanford said. “I’m so committed to the Haines track program. Haines has a phenomenal track reputation, and I don’t want to see it drop by the wayside.”