PCS girls’ track team young, numbers good

    Seventeen girls have reported for this year’s Perkins County track team.
While that number remains steady from last year, the team will only have one senior and one junior competing , however.
Senior three-year letterwinner Kylie Tucker will lead the way for the Plainsmen.
Junior two-year letterwinner Meredith Gloy also returns.
Joining the pair will be six sophomores and nine freshmen.
PCS Head Coach Shayne Hite said coaches will rely on the team’s six letterwinners for leadership and points.
Hite said he’s hopeful the Plainsmen’s newcomers will step up and help contribute to the team.
“We probably don’t have the numbers to win meets but will definitely score more points this season,” Hite added.
Sophomore Kailee Potts is the only returning state qualifier. Potts ran both the 100-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles in Omaha last spring.
“We will look to her for points in the hurdles this season,” Hite added.
Cait Dolezal, Maggie Fisher and Selah Richter-Martinez also return as letterwinners.
With so many newcomers this year, Hite said experience will be an obvious weakness, along with a lack of depth.
“We should be able to put at least 1 or 2 girls in all but a couple events this season,” Hite added.
Potts and Richter-Martinez were members of last year’s 1,600-meter relay team that was third at SPVA and second at districts.
Track season begins Thursday when Perkins County hosts its pre-season meet. Also attending will be Chase County and Potter-Dix.
PCS will also have home field advantage at its second meet the E. Lee Todd Invite April 1.
The Plainsmen will also host the SPVA meet April 29.
Two trips to Dundy County Stratton are on the schedule, as are two trips to Sutherland.
Districts will be held in Mitchell this year. Other schools attending will be Bayard, Bridgeport, Chase County, Gordon-Rushville, Hemingford, Kimball, Mitchell and Morrill.
This year’s state track meet will be a four-day event like last year’s was, but changes have been made.
Like last year, Class C will compete on the final two days of the meet, May 20-21.
But, rather than competing simultaneously with Class B schools as it has in the past, Class C will be paired with Class D over the two days.