Demon girls set to open up spring

The temperature outside won?t seem to climb, but that isn?t stopping the spring sports from getting ready to kick off in the next couple of days.

The Washington girls? track team will open up the spring sports season on Thursday afternoon in an Indoor Invitational at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, and they are excited to get going.

?I?m anxious to get the season started,? Washington girls? track head coach Stefanie Tschantz said. ?We were pretty solid (last year), but some of our distance runners have put in a little more training in the offseason, so they look stronger. Our sprints are definitely our strength right now, but our throwers are looking good and our hurdlers are looking good.?

Last year, the Demons had a pair of girls compete individually at the state meet, led by Macy Marek, who competed in the 100- and 200-meter dash.

Marek placed 12th at state in the 100 and 23rd in the 200, but has her sights set on other things this season.

?She?s looking really strong right now,? Tschantz said. ?She?s a senior, she?s already made it to state, but she just missed qualifying in the open 100 at Drake last year.  She?s very determined and I can?t wait to get her out on the track.?

The other individual competitor at the last year?s state meet was junior Morgan Kimball, who placed 16th in the 400-meter dash.

That experience is something she is hoping to bring into this season.

?It will help her mentally,? Tschantz said. ?She knows what it?s like up there and knows what our expectations are. She?s capable of doing it, so she just has to keep working hard and bring up some of the underclassmen and push them along as well.?

In the relays, the Demons bring back members of three state-qualifying relays, including all four members of the shuttle hurdle relay, which took 22nd.

However, just because some of last year?s relays had success, spots won?t be handed out simply on a returning basis this season.

?Everything is wide open for us,? Tschantz said. ?Whatever happened last year was last year, and I want to see who my top runners are at each event this year and they have to prove themselves. Just because you made it to state last year doesn?t mean you are guaranteed that position.?

After just missing the state meet last year, senior Dylann Schluetter is looking to get over that hump in her final season.

?Dylann just missed state last year in the discus,? Tschantz said. ?Being a senior and realizing how close she was last year, I think she?s determined to get there this year.?

The Demons are looking at a pair of shotputters this season in McKayla Miller and Emma Stout, and Tschantz said the team is looking for members to separate themselves in the long jump and high jump competitions.

Tschantz also said there is a crop of newcomers who could make an impact this season for the Demons.

?There are several,? Tschantz said. ?We haven?t had too many practices yet to see what everyone is capable of, but you?ll hear of some freshmen names thrown in the mix throughout the season.?

After Thursday?s meet, the team won?t be competing for over two weeks, so Tschantz said she is looking at Thursday as more of a practice than a meet.

?We aren?t looking at it as a meet,? Tschantz said. ?I?m not expecting strong times, and I?m just looking at it as a practice. We get to run in a nice facility and see where we are at. We?ll have some fun running indoors.?

The meet will begin at 3 p.m. on Thursday at Cornell College.