Crestwood girls’ track team has ample experience, good numbers

CRESCO - The 2019 Crestwood girls’ track team will have numbers and strong experience on its side when it hits the track this spring, whenever Mother Nature will allow them to have an outdoor meet.

Crestwood Girls’ Head Coach Jim Obermann is excited to have 31 upperclassmen (juniors and seniors) suiting up, which includes 26 returning letterwinners.

The seniors include: Samantha Balk, Abbie Bergan, Hope Dohlman, Trista Foster, Hallie Frohn, Destiny Hodges, Cassidy Ihns, Noel Lloyd, Sarah Mashek, Annie Mast, Cassie Ollendieck, Kristen Reicks, Emily Reinhart and Katie Saner.

Juniors on the team include: Keelee Andera, Jenna Bolson, Katlin Born, Madison Brace, Emma Cotant, Sydney Erickson, Sharon Goodman, Libby Labosky, Angel Lebherz, Cameron Ollendick, Krista Riley, Mattie Slavin, Rachel Steffen, Kelsey Stortz, Dana Theus, Michaela Walton and Hanna Ward.

If there is one drawback  with the overall numbers, it’s the underclassmen. There will be only 12 total freshmen and sophomores competing this spring.

The sophomores include: Emily Blaess, Ashley Ferrie, Lexi Hoppe, Mikayla Lane, Kaitlin Loder, Rachel Ludeking, Madison Nolan and Mary Turnbull

The freshmen include: Kyleigh Foster, Dalin Kitchen, Dylan Rahlf and Kendel Slavin

To say the least, the 2018 season was a great one for the Cadets. Crestwood qualified for the State Meet in 10 events while taking second at the District Meet. 

Competing at the 2018 State Meet, the Cadets flexed their muscles as they placed in the top six in eight events including four golds and two silvers. As a team, the Cadets tied for second place with Dubuque Wahlert with 64 points.

Ellie Friesen (2018 graduate) took first in the 3000, 1500, 800 and she helped the distance medley team grab gold. Others on the distance medley squad included 2018 graduate Brynn Bodermann, senior Annie Mast and senior Katie Saner. Senior Cassidy Ihns took third in the 3000, and junior Sharon Goodman was third in the discus. Saner took fifth in the 100 and the long jump, and she was sixth in the 200. Kristen Reicks took 15th in the shot put at State last year.

Matching or surpassing the success the team achieved in 2018 will not be easy, but Obermann said this year’s squad will be eager to make their mark.

“We’ll have a lot of juniors and seniors returning,” Obermann said. “Those two classes have always had good numbers for us. Our freshman and sophomore class numbers are not very good, so we will count on our juniors and seniors as leaders.

“We are glad to have a lot of experienced athletes back this spring. Obviously, we graduated some important people (including Ellie Friesen, Emily Friesen and Brynn Bodermann), but we still have some strong athletes returning,” Obermann said.

While about 20 girls were able to compete at the Dickinson Relays indoors at UNI on March 4, Obermann noted that the entire team has not been able to practice outdoors on its own track yet because of the snow and brutally cold temperatures.

“Practice has been a challenge,” Obermann admitted. “That has been more of the norm as opposed to the exception, but we have done a lot of strength and conditioning work indoors. We’ve done some core and flexibility work, and whatever we can do inside. We’ve utilized our fitness room (at Crestwood) and the Cresco Fitness Center quite a bit during practices. We are grateful to the Fitness Center for allowing the girls to use it (for practices).

“Our distance runners have been working out on their own at the Fitness Center to get their cardio work in on the treadmills. We’re glad we can work out inside, but everyone is looking forward to the weather changing for the better soon,” Obermann said.

The coach is hopeful the team can perform strong in several running and field events this spring.

“Our team is coming off of a very strong cross country season last fall,” Obermann said. “All of the girls who ran cross country are coming into this track season with some good success (to build on). 

“We’ll be looking for our distance runners to be successful, but we’ll also have other solid athletes back. Cassidy Ihns was a big part of our success last year (at the 2018 State Track and Cross Country Meets). She will anchor our distance group for us this year.

“Hope Dohlman and Rachel Steffen have been a big part of our relay teams (in recent years). Not only are they solid cross country runners, but they are good distance track runners for us as well.

“We also have some strong sprinters back. Annie Mast is more of a sprinter in track, and she can compete in several events from the 100 to the 400. Katie Saner is back, and she is one of the better sprinters in the state. She medaled in four events at State last year. Sharon Goodman is another returning medalist for us, and we’re hoping she is a strong force in the discus again.

“Other strong distance runners we’ll have back this year include Sarah Mashek, Mattie Slavin and Kendel Slavin. We’re glad to have Mattie back healthy because she’s been recovering from a bad hip. She has worked hard on her own to recover.

“Lexi Hoppe is a sophomore, but she did a lot of good things in the hurdles as a freshman in 2018. Emma Cotant and Rachel Steffen were also strong hurdlers for us last year, and we look for them to compete well this year,” Obermann said.

The coach is ecstatic to have 13 dedicated seniors.

“Senior Kristen Reicks threw well in the shot put last year,” Obermann said. “Kristen and Hallie Frohn have competed in the shot put for many years. Overall, this senior class is probably one of the strongest we’ve had in regards to our numbers and talent combined.

“Our junior class also has good numbers. Some juniors competed well in cross country last year including Libby Labosky. Keelee Andera was one of our top sprinters in 2018, and she has good range.

“We’re glad to have so many strong upperclassmen, and they will do a good job of helping the younger kids during the season.

“Last year was one of the best years in Crestwood girls’ track history, but this year’s team has good energy and good leaders, too. These girls (on the 2019 team) want to make their noise, too, the coach said.