Waukon boys track team returning State Meet experience, senior leadership in its nine letterwinning veterans for 2018 campaign


2018 Waukon boys track team ... Left to right - Front row: Avery Rocksvold, Caleb Opfer, Abe Schwartz, Ethan Krueger, Isaiah Welch, Evan Armstead, Jared Campbell, Peyton Bieber. Second row: Brady Behrend, Ethan O’Neill, Brady Sullivan, Miles Hansmeier, Michael Headington, Micah Treptau, Thomas Byrnes, Michael Sweeney, Emilio Rathbun, John Ronan, Logan Houg, Pryce Hesse. Third row: Lance Egan, Zach Thornton, Carter Benzing, Zach Davison, Luke Pladsen, Dawson Baures, Alyx Ede, Justin Strub, Brixen Hanson, Christian Hernandez, Brock Hatlan, Fourth row: Kannon Boeckenheuer, John O’Neill, Walker Hermeier, Daniel Cowell, Joe Hennessy, Konnor Krambeer, Joe Schwartz, Asher Fahey, Reed Kelly, Tyler Block. Back row: Bradley Kasemeier, Charlie Waters, Sawyer Krueger, Sean Cooper, Brennan Sweeney, Matt Ronan, Jason Troester, Christian Viveros, Conner Schwartzhoff, Creed Welch, Ryan Lubahn. Not pictured: Tanner Peterson, Mitchell Snitker, Andrew Mellick, Tanner Mitchell.

2018 Waukon boys track returning letterwinners ... Left to right - Front row: Abe Schwartz, Ethan Krueger, Isaiah Welch, Evan Armstead. Back row: Brady Sullivan, Dawson Baures, Jared Campbell. Not pictured: Tanner Peterson, Mitchell Snitker.

The 2018 Waukon boys track team will benefit from the experience of nine varsity letterwinners returning from last season, with nearly half of those returning with the ultimate experience every high school track and field athlete would like to have from qualifying for the State Meet. Those nine veterans include seven seniors, one junior and one sophomore who will all be looked to for leadership of this season’s squad made up of 56 total members.

“As always, we expect our letterwinners to lead our practices and meets, especially early in the year,” Waukon boys track coach Ted Snitker said. “The young guys and new guys need that leadership as they start to get their feet wet. As the season progresses, and those new ones become more comfortable, we still expect our letterwinners to lead, but more by what they are trying to accomplish themselves and how they compete. Whether that be the best finish they can achieve in the Conference Meet, our Indian Relays, or be it a chance to run down at the State Meet.”

The Indians were scheduled to get their first experience with the strength of this season’s NEIC make-up at the annual Northeast Iowa Conference Indoor Meet set for Tuesday, March 20 at Wartburg College in Waverly. The track Tribe then plans to get its outdoor competition season underway Tuesday, March 27 at the Frostbite Invitational at Sumner-Fredericksburg before hosting its own Early Bird Invitational Thursday, March 29.

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