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Paden City Track Teams Shaping Up

By Staff | Mar 25, 2015

Lady Wildcat track

The 2015 track and field season is shaping up very well for the Lady Wildcats of Paden City, who will be putting veteran athletes together with rookies to form a competitive team that is sure to make some noise come state tournament time.

“Overall, we expect to have the best season we’ve had in years,” said Wildcat Head Coach, Jay Salva.

The team will be led by seniors Kayla Hizer, Tori Anderson, Kayla Barker, Jennifer Dahms, Mariah Lasure and Hannah Stanley, the majority of whom have more than a years experience on the tracks of the Ohio Valley.

Hizer’s senior year is expected to be a big one, as she will compete in the 300 low hurdles, 100 high hurdles and shuttle relays for the Lady ‘Cats. Earning a third-place finish at the Mason Dixon Championships last year in the 100 high hurdles, this year she will continue that prowess and will anchor the shuttle hurdle relay team which has qualified for state competitions for the past three years.

“We’re expecting her to have an outstanding final season of high school track,” the coach said. Anderson will participate in mid-distance events while Barker and Dahms will hold down sprinter positions both individually and as part of relays.

Stanley will continue to shine at both distance and mid-distance events; and Lasure will be the senior entrant at the shot put and discuss pits. Juniors Cydney Blatt, Chelsea Dennis, Aubrey Ritchie and Darien Ritchie are all throwers with Dennis also running distance for the Green and White.

Blatt earned a fifth place in the state shot put event last year, which was her first year participating in track, and was the Mason Dixon Conference champion in the event. “She is currently in the weight room getting stronger and we are working on better foot work,” Salva said. “We expect her to be the best shot put thrower in West Virginia Class-A.”

The sophomore class offers five fine athletes in Paula Inndorf, sprints and mid-distance; Chelsea Baker, hurdles and long jump; Shelby Gatian, distance; Abby Still, hurdles and sprints; and Kallie Arnett, hurdles, sprints, high jump and long jump.

Freshmen new to the team this season will be Kacie Hartwig, thrower; and Jenna Arnett, hurdles, long jump, high jump, sprints and mid-distance. Salva will be assisted this season by Chad West, assistant coach and student manager Nathan Barker this season.

Wildcat boys track

Paden City’s Boys’ Varsity Track Team is not only returning everybody on the roster from last year, but also has added a few new faces to add edge to its competition this season. Four seniors, seven juniors, six sophomores and four freshmen will make up the 2015 Wildcat team, which is looking to be at the head of the pack at season’s end.

Four seniors return to the team with experience: Dean Frye, Brandon Cross, Spencer Billings and Denton Thomas. “Brandon Cross and Spencer Billings both made it to state in the shot put last year,” said Wildcat Head Coach Kim Huffman. “And they both are returning to the team, along with an abundance of other shot and discuss participants, including Thomas.”

Frye will likely return as a distance and mid-distance specialist as well as running a few relays this season. Juniors Kris Byers, Logan Carroll, Dakota Gatian, Tyler Kiger, Devin Price and Travis Leonard return, joined by Michael Wilcox.

Kiger returns as a tried-and-true relay and mid-distance athlete while Price will be back at the sprint and hurdle positions, both individually and as part of a relay team. Byers, Gatain, Leonard and Wilcox will all likely contribute from the shot put and discuss pits.

A nice sophomore class with some cross country history in its background returns, with a year of track and field behind them, as well. Cade Myers, Wesley Smith, Jake Pierce, Daulton Schultheis and Evan Shreve along with Hunter Titus will contribute as needed, but fans of the team will likely look for several of these guys to shine at the distance races.

Freshmen Seth Bohrer, Drew Carpenter, Marcus Allen and Landon Smith will fit in the mix individually in the sprints and mid-distance competitions and will more than likely hold down a leg of one of the relays for the Wildcats.

“This season will see the return of the shuttle team that made it to state last year and placed fourth,” said Huffman. “In fact, we should be strong in all hurdle events this year. I hope to be stronger in mid-distance and distance this year with all my cross country athletes from the fall are out for track this year.”

At this point in the early part of the season, slots for relays have not yet been filled. “It is still early and I hope to try the new freshman and others in a few different positions at the local meets to get an idea where we may be at conference and Regional time.”

Paden City’s track teams will open its season at the Wetzel Tyler Track League meet on March 31 at Tyler Consolidated High School and will compete at the Tyler Invitational on April 2.