Speaking of track...

[WadeWubben]

Who has some insight on who the top track teams will be? I know you can do a lot of damage at the state level with just a few great kids.
What are people's numbers like? I think at MNW we have 15 girls out....should be more- but I bet every school has kids that they think should be out.

Is Hull Western Christian's track team as good as volleyball and basketball?
I don't know much about it- who are the athletes and teams to watch this year?

 

[VanderHoops]

Western won the girls state track title last year, but a repeat will be doubtful for a couple of reasons.
1. Brooke Wolterstorff, who placed/won multiple events for 4 years is gone.
2. Kim Kroeze, 400 m hurdler & in a few relays is also graduated.

They'll return depth at all distances, but lack of an anchor that can carry the relays & extreme weakness if the field events will sink them.

 

[cancer stick]

I think the state making it 10 points for individual events has kind of brought down the idea of winning a title as a team. Most often its the "team" that has one or two stud individuals to win it all. Id put Hudson up there as a top team with how talented Bell is to go with Ellie and Eagle Grove has a stud that should put up points in Christensen.
Wish the state could move a sport out of the spring season such as golf or soccer as a lot of schools are dealing with 5 sports being played during that time frame (softball starts right in the middle of it all), Ive noticed number shrink across the state in this sport every year and thats to bad its definitely enjoyable and you can be as good as you want to be with hard work.

 

[WadeWubben]

I agree with how crowded the spring is....track numbers have been down in many schools. Throw in kids who start AAU basketball this week who decide not to play and there's another reason. I forgot about Christiensen at Eagle Grove- she is really tough.

 

[ORSKY1]

I've always thought you should have girls soccer to the Fall to offset the track issue. I don't think most girls out for Cross Country or Volleyball wound be in conflict with Soccer. I'm sure there would be a few, but since Golf, Tennis and Track are all in the Spring, moving Soccer to the Fall would balance the conflicts out a little. I would also recommend that Swimming move to the Winter along with Basketball and Bowling.

 

[Moby72]

I would also throw golf for the small schools into the summer. It is hard trying to have girls learn a lifetime sport when the union makes them play during the worst part of the year for weather and course conditions ( little or no grass). Also it would not interfere with softball since they could play their meets in the morning when most golf courses are not busy instead of the afternoon during the school year when the club members want to play after work.

 

[WadeWubben]

I like that idea Moby...I know mornings are weightroom and open gyms but you are only talking a meet or so a week- you could easily fit those in. And you are right- hard to enjoy a sport when the wind is 40 plus mph everyday and you never play in short sleeves it seems. Might help numbers some as well- and it is a lifetime activity- would like to see more kids take it up.
Weather is why I think it would be hard to move softball to spring...I know some would like to see it then.

 

[cancer stick]

I cant think of too many people that are happy about spring being over flooded like it is right now, it is often when most schools have a school play as well its just a nightmare for any activity and the small schools just dont have the amount of kids to deal with it. It makes you wonder if most of the sports were put into place with mostly large schools in mind. Golf is a no brainer to put in fall, being that they practice all summer anyway for it.

 

[trackfan56]

Cedar Rapids Jefferson won four relays at the MVC indoor tonight and will be extremely quick in the short races this spring.

Manson-Northwest Webster is sure to score points with the return of Herzberg. I'm assuming the elbow injury hasn't hampered her fitness. But if they're up to 2A, is she still a threat to triple again?

 

[WadeWubben]

I would think Herzberg would be in the running regardless of being in 2A- her time last year in the 400, I believe, would have won 2A.

 

[AN96]

Who are the 1A favorites? Griswold? North Linn? Clayton Ridge?

 

[cancer stick]

I cant seem to find cutoff times from last year anywhere, anyone know of a place I can find them? The Iowa Girls site stops at 2010 and then of course it was a different system for a couple of years but figured they would start re-posting cutoffs again.

 

[coach'd]

Originally posted by AN96:
Who are the 1A favorites? Griswold? North Linn? Clayton Ridge?

A week or so ago I saw the Marion early bird and North Linn looked real good, especially Nicole Miller, I would have to think they are setting up for good results at the state meet. Springville looks to have a nice team also on the sprints, I thought they were surprisingly good after hearing they don't even have a track. Probably will have a better idea once things warm up and the meets stop getting cancelled due to weather.