CL Ladies Track will be in Action This Saturday at Hawk Relays

Alyssa Strickland held serve in 100 meter hurdles in District Meet 2 years ago.        (photo by Karen Holmes)

Canyon Lake Lady Tracksters will be ready to host the Hawk Relays this coming Saturday and The ReSporter had a chance to get with Head Girls Track Coach John Barthels for an update.

    Go Fast Hawks!!

“I am excited about the incoming freshman that we have coming this year,” Head Coach Barthels started. “They are hard workers and I think some of them will be helping the varsity within the next couple of weeks.”

During the Spring Sports time of the year, there are a multitude of sports and add that Soccer and Basketball has not finished adds to the number of students that have not had a chance to prepare for one or more of those track events.

“This year we have not been able to compile all of our athletes into a meet just yet as softball had to re-schedule due to the weather and basketball is still playing in the playoffs,” Coach Barthels interjected. “I will take the next couple of weeks to evaluate the tricksters and see where we stand to years past.”

Track will have 17 to 18 events which can give any student a chance to see if one or more might be to their liking.

“Our strengths this year will be in the relays and hurdles,” Barthels continued. “We have several girls returning and with the push of the freshmen they all will have to work to be on any of the relays this year.”

That will be a good problem to have for like any sport, having other athletes pushing and working to be one of those 3 students to represent CL on the cinders for any of those particular events to garner some Hawk points in the meets.

        Let’s Go Hawks & Stay Cool!!

“Alyssa Strickland had a good first run through the hurdles, with this being her first full run of the year, she did well,” Coach Barthels commented on one of those, ‘got to see’, athletes for this year. “We have a couple of freshmen that had a good outing as well in the 100 hurdles….Hannah Cortez has joined back up and brings some depth to Alyssa in the 300 hurdles as well.”

Strickland had already topped all the previous ladies for the 100 meter hurdles with a sparkling, 15.06 last year. That mark is almost a half second better than what Jessica Cunningham ran (15.48) when she was that, ‘got to see’, athlete 10 years ago.

Strickland has started excelling in the more grueling hurdle race, 300 meter hurdles, and has the 4th best in that event going into this campaign.

                              TOP 10: 300 METER HURDLES

                           1) Jessica Cunningham      46.90     2010
                           2) Bailey Drum             47.98     2016
                           3) Lainee Moses            48.09     2017
                           4) Alyssa Strickland       48.43     2018
                           5) Kaitlyn Johannessen     49.94     2019
                           6) Katie Marple            49.97     2011
                           7) Sydney Reibschlaeger    51.08     2016
                           8) Hannah Young            51.96     2017
                           9) Abby Freund             52.07     2014
                          10) Madison Blackburn       52.54     2017

That top ten could have 3 Hawk’s ready to add some points for the CL team on any given day on the track.

           Let’s Go Fast Hawks

On who would be some of those potential athletes to watch when the Hawk Nation comes out on Saturday for the Canyon Lake Track Meet?

Coach Barthels was quick with some answers, “Alyssa Strickland in both hurdle events, Madison Churbe in all the events that she does. Hannah Gallagher in the long jump had a great outing this past week and things are looking up for her.”

“Eylssa Holman scratched, but is the next in line for the triple jump threat that has eluded us the past few years, she is a freshman. Madison Johnson (Freshman) is a great athlete and had a good outing in the long jump, triple jump and 200 (meter dash). Megan Vorhis is coming along well this year and hopefully will surprise a few people in any event that she does.”

Coach Barthels continued, “Caitlin Mott has made an appearance this year as a Junior and is having a blast, we just need to get her into her stride and she can do great things, and Riley Shear may be one of the most powerful sprinters I have ever coached. She did great on the relays the other night. I had to keep checking my watch to make sure I had timed her correctly on her splits. We have a long way to go, but I am excited for this track season.”

Thanks Coach we can tell….The year will start in earnest this Saturday as there will be a lot of schools on the track as the year heats up for what can hopefully see some more incredible athletes ready to compete for the Hawk Nation.

The Hawk Relays will start early with qualifying and field events at 830am this Saturday.

Go Go Go Fast Hawks!!