Coaches Corner with Girl’s Track, John Barthels
Half & Half on returners for the 4×400 Relay this year. Skylar Hurst & Sophia Thorpe are the returners.
The ReSporter: What has been the turnout so far for the Track & Field athletes?
Coach Barthels: “Currently, we have 46 girls that have attended practice in one facet or another as either a runner or thrower. So to answer your question, the turn out is good, but I will be happy when that number is 60.”
The ReSporter: How are you going to craft this team as this year has the potential to pass last year’s team?
Coach Barthels: “Great question, we have 4 girls that are returning that have had experience running on a varsity team.”
GO HAWKS!!
The ReSporter: Do you anticipate some cross-over girls coming from other sports (Softball/Soccer/etc.) and how do you work with these ladies when they are involved with other teams?
Coach Barthels: “31 of these girls were participating in other sports when we started track a few weeks ago. Commitment to the program as a whole is what it takes to be successful so we make it work. Practicing for the team sports is vital as plays learned and being in the right place is important. Track is a team sport based on individual times so the girls that play basketball and Soccer on Tuesdays and Fridays are at track practice Monday and Thursday mornings unless soccer practices Thursday mornings in which case they come Thursday afternoons, and basketball does the same except for the bye week when basketball can practice with us like normal. Then softball started so those girls left us to go to tryouts, now they come to track practice for the first 40 minutes on Mondays and Wednesdays before they run back inside to change to get back to the softball field for the rest of the evening to do their thing on the diamond. Its quite simple, you see… Come run when you are not running to practice the other sports you participate in. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Multi-sport athletes are what has led to the success of the track program. (the Bailey Drums and Emma Grays of the world)”
The ReSporter: What do you know about this year’s district as we know that Fredericksburg is always tough in this sport?
Country Comfort Supports Girls Track & Field
Coach Barthels: “I know that Fredericksburg and Bandera will have distance runners and field event point scorers. We will have to get points in field events to give ourselves a chance. We will get points in the relays, hurdles, and sprints. Distance will have a couple of girls that can get us some potential points, but it is still an area that we are working on.”
The ReSporter: How do you assess the Meets in what you are expecting from the students? In other words, you are not wanting them performing at their best yet, but you also would like to see if their first run or throw that might have a faster or further jump/throw in the future.
Coach Barthels: “I feel as though we have continued to do a great job here of getting our kids to work hard to improve each and every week. We get a starting point in our first meet and then we get busy getting where we need to be. We have goals, if we beat those goals week one, we set new goals. If we are no where near our goals, then we get better.”
The ReSporter: What have you seen from the Freshman crew as this early stage?
Coach Barthels: “I have seen that they are a group that needs to continue to work together and push each other. They are competitive and they like to work. They have fun when they are working. I look forward to all of our young runners doing good things this year as we only have 4 seniors running. With Dana Buhr and Carley Dubois being the only ones that has run on the varsity before and with Dana that was as a sophomore.”
Hair by Stephanie is Hawk Proud
The ReSporter: Give us your Grade starting this season on which part of the team is the strongest:
Field Events? “I think as a whole we are going to be okay. We have some young throwers that may come on by district.”
Running Events? Dash vs. Long Distance? “We have some strong runners that can move. Putting them in the correct events will be key to scoring points this year. Distance will be Kaitlyn Yuill and Bethany Thibodeaux seeing what they can do for us.”
Jumping Events? “Too early to tell right now what we will be able to do.”
Relays? “Average right now because we have not even thought about running around with a baton in our hand, but come district, I see some pretty competitive times coming from these girls.”
The ReSporter: Thanks Coach and good luck this weekend at the Hawk Relays!!
