Demons reload sprint relays

Washington lost sprinters Parker Turner, Colin Steele and Jake Redlinger to graduation last spring.

No matter. The Demons will reload their sprint relays this spring and still plan to be the strongest in those events.

Juniors Carl Sivels and Alex Coker return from Washington?s 4x100 relay that finished 19

^th

in Class 3A at the state track meet last spring. Additionally, sophomore Gage Redlinger ran the anchor leg of the 4x100 at the Drake Relay, where the Demons finished 65

^th

.

Sivels, Coker and senior Kyle Roder return from Washington?s 4x200 relay that finished 16

^th

at the state meet and second at the Southeast Conference meet.

?I have three of the four back, but I?m still looking for one person,? said Steve Roth, who is entering his 37

^th

season as Washington?s head boys? track and field coach. ?If I find that one person, we should be very, very tough.?

Roth is looking at two runners ? juniors Tanner Knupp and Garrett Covington ? to fill that one spot in each sprint relay. Knupp missed his sophomore track season with a knee injury, and Covington did not go out for track last spring. But both are back this year and could play key roles.

?I really expect Tanner and Garrett Covington to help me in the sprints,? Roth said. ?Tanner and Covington are vying for 4x200 and 4x100 spots.?

The Demons also return three members of its shuttle hurdle relay that finished 22

^nd

at state and third at the conference meet last spring. Jacob Hennigan, Gage Redlinger and Logan Moeller are back, while the anchor, Steele, graduated.

?We should be very competitive,? Roth said. ?I have three of the four back in that. I?m looking for a fourth in that, too, and I think I might have it. Right now it?s Carl. He was a hurdler when he was in junior high. I worked with him this fall after football and he looked really good.?

Sivels could have a big spring for the Demons. Besides running the 4x100, 4x200 and shuttle hurdle relays, he could be even better in the 100-meter dash than he was last spring when he finished sixth at the conference meet.

?Carl?s been in the weight room all winter, so he?s a lot bigger than he was last year at this time,? Roth said. ?We?ve just got to get that strength pointed in the right direction. He should be stronger in the 100 than he was last year.?

Another athlete who has benefitted from a winter in the weight room is shot putter Tommy Peterson. He finished sixth at the conference meet last year as a freshman with a throw of 41 feet, 10 inches, but he is expected to throw much farther this year.

?Tommy will be scoring a lot for us,? Roth said. ?Coach [Scott] Danielson thinks he will be [throwing] about 50 [feet] by the time the season ends, and that would be outstanding for a sophomore. He?s been in the weight room all winter, and you can tell. He?s bigger.?

Coker, a two-time state qualifier in the long jump, should be one of the area?s best in the event. He finished ninth at the state meet last spring with a jump of 20 feet, 6.75 inches.

?The long jump should be a very strong event as long as he stays healthy,? Roht said of Coker, who struggled with a hip flexor injury last season.

With the graduation of Jake Redlinger, who was one of the state?s top high jumpers, the Demons are looking for some new athletes in the event. The two they have tabbed to jump seem to have it in their blood.

Gage Redlinger, Jake?s younger brother, got a few chances to high jump last season, and he cleared 5-2 at the conference meet to take sixth place. And freshman Michael Ellingson?s older sister Sammy is a three-time Drake Relays qualifier in the high jump. Senior Austin Witt, who is out for track for the first time since his freshman season, could also help out in the event.

Seniors Justin Hoffman, Alan Sanchez and Spencer Woods, along with junior Noah Lebsack, will comprise Washington?s 4x400 and 4x800 relays at the beginning of the season. Roder will also help in the 4x400, while junior Austin Latcham and sophomore Curtis Vest will run halves for the Demons.

With just 40 athletes out for the squad, eight of whom are freshmen, depth is a concern for the Demons.

?The issue we?re going to have is depth, which means our open events will be hurting a little bit,? Roth said.

But the Demons won?t be lacking for talent. Or speed.

?Our outlook is really good. I?m very excited about what we have. My sprint teams are still intact and Coker?s healthy,? Roth said, knocking on the table.