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Seniors — Front from left: Shelby Leckington, Thais Rodrigues, Kalee Owens, Julie Chen. Back from left: Chase Crawford, Andrew Skaff, Kennedy Weaver. Not pictured: DeMarco King, Hugo Florestedt.

Track team builds on success
By Chris Strunk
Last Updated: March 31, 2016

The Valley Center High School track teams are coming off a successful season.

This year, the Hornets return six individual state qualifiers and most of one relay team.

Madison Runnion tops the list.

Runnion finished second in the high jump at last year's Class 5A state meet and is focused on gold in her junior year.

"It'll be challenging," Runnion said.

Runnion's jump of 5-foot-4 was just behind Andover's Jaylyn Agnew's 5-6. Agnew graduated, opening the door for Runnion.

"Agnew was a good jumper," Runnion said. "It will definitely be different without her. … It'll be a new year, for sure."

Runnion knows, however, that she can't be content with 5-4. She said there are other jumpers in 5A who will pose a challenge.

Also returning to the Hornet girls' team is junior Taylor Latimer.

At state last season, Latimer placed sixth in the discus and eighth in the javelin.

Senior Julie Chen returns to the field events for the Hornets after placing 11th in the pole vault at state last year.

For the runners, sophomore Karli Elsner and senior Kalee Owens will anchor a group of distance specialists with a chance to return to the state meet.

As a freshman, Elsner placed 10th in the 1,600-meter run at state last year, while Owens was eighth in the 800.

Owens and Elsner were part of the sixth-place 4x800-meter relay team, which included soccer players Jadyn Eddy and Sydney Martens, as well. Eddy and Martens are focusing on soccer this season and will not run track.

Coach Caleb Smith said Emily Kluesner should make some waves in the throwing events, and coaches say Camille Claussen has a good chance of qualifying for state in the hurdles. She came close last season.

For the boys, DeMarco King returns for his final season in sprints. King placed fifth in the 100-meter dash at state last year and 13th in the 200.

King is working his way back from an ankle injury he suffered last fall.

"We hope to have him hit full speed by May," Smith said.

Junior Keyon Saunders and freshman Larry Russell should help King in the sprints.

Wyatt Lange and Chase Crawford are expected to do well in the hurdle events.

Also returning with state experience is sophomore Tyler Brown. He was 16th in the pole vault last season.

Assistant coaches are Jayson Artaz, Terry Orr, Amber Russell and Kaitlyn Woellhof.

The Hornets will open at the Andale Relays April 1 before hosting their own invitational April 8. The regional meet will be May 20, with state May 27 and 28.






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