BOYS The Perryville boys track and field team has a good mix of talented veterans and promising newcomers. Travon Morgan, an integral part of the Panther program in recent years, has assumed even more responsibilities with departure of longtime coach Jake Moore. He relishes the challenge. "Actually, I'm glad we have a young team," Morgan said. "We're going to see what we can do to help this young team improve. Everybody thinks we're going to fall off the map but that's not the case. It's a chance to show our mettle as coaches."
The Panthers have a strong nucleus which enjoyed some success at last spring's state meet. Ben Douty (4 x 800 relay) and Ben Kuhn (discus) each had a fourth place finish. Cage Jones was seventh in the pole vault and then won a state title indoors last month. Zach Buckson was part of two eighth place relay teams. Caleb Robinson helped the 4 x 100 relay team finish eighth. Matt Salvatore was eighth in both the 1600 and 3200 and Jacobo Negron finished sixth in the 3200. Buckson and Robinson are the top returning sprinters. Alex Hernandez is coming off a good indoor season. Newcomer Alonso Magana will also contribute. Morgan expects even bigger things from Douty in the 800. "He came on strong at the end of last year and he should place high in the open 800 at the state meet. Negron, Buckson, and Ben Buckless each will help in the 800. Buckless was a sprinter last season. "The speed work he had last year should help him," Morgan said. Salvatore, Jacobo Negron, Eric Phillips, Douty, and Joseph Negron will compete in the 1600 and 3200. Sophomore Dayvon Montz and freshmen Tanner DiMauro and Cooper Wilcox will be counted on in the hurdles events. Freshmen Adam Hazel and Michael Ness will take part in the pole vault along with Jones. Hernandez had a successful indoor season in the high jump. Perryville will rely on Robinson, Billy Boyer, Montz, Hernandez, and Sean McDonald in the long jump and triple jump. Kuhn leads the group of throwers. Joe Rinehart was second in the shot put at the indoor meet. Tyler Sewell will chip in and newcomer David Lloyd, a transfer from Hagerstown, could contribute in the discus. Freshman Casey Brogan could participate in the discus and middle distances. Morgan is giddy about the future. "I think next year and the year after people are going to have to watch out for a state title from these guys," he said. "We're missing one or two pieces, but they're starting to grow together." GIRLS The present and future are both bright for the Perryville girls. After finishing second in the team standings at the state meet two years ago and third last year, the Panthers are prepared to make another run. Sierra Montz, a two-time state champ in the 300 hurdles who scored 26 points in the state meet last spring, is now at Salisbury, but Perryville returns a ton of talent. Brooke Doane, Alysa Conway, and Autumn Estep will pace the Panthers. They teamed up with the returning Katelyn Broughman to win state gold in the 4 x 400 relay last season. Estep and Conway each have three relay gold medals. Last spring, Doane was second in the triple jump, fifth in the long jump, and eighth in the 800. Conway placed third in the 400 and sixth in the 200. Estep was fifth in the 400 and seventh in the 800. Doane and Estep are trying the hurdles events this spring. Perryville returns three of its top four pole vaulters. Paiton Kelly was fourth last year with Erica Scheppelmann sixth. Natalie Owens missed the end of last season because of an injury. Returners Jarah Cevis (third) and Jill Miller (eighth) are back in the shot put. Aleah Losoya leads the list of distance runners. She was eighth in the state last spring at 3200 meters. Christen Dodson, who won a relay gold medal two years ago, will contribute in the sprints and sprint relays. Freshman Ellie Kuhn will help out in the sprints and pole vault. Newcomers Erin Murphy, McKayla Reeves, and Kailee McCutchen show promise in the sprints. Reeves is slated to participate in hurdles events. Rosemarie Berger will run in middle distance races. Losoya and Hannah Henson will score points in the 1600 and 3200. Emani Bell, Taylor Edwards, and Maddy Wilkinson will help Cevis and Miller in the throws. Broughmann will also compete in the high jump. With 43 athletes on the roster, Perryville will be able to enter the maximum of three competitors in each event. "We still have depth," coach Raissa Moore said. "I certainly think we're in store for good surprises." Moore doesn't make predictions, but she is optimistic. "I think they'll take it as far and they want to," she said of her squad. "It's up to them. If that's their goal they can accomplish what they set out to accomplish. We're going to help them every step of the way." Comments are closed.
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