Chris Reynolds has 17 returning letterwinners on his Wilmington High School girls track and field team this season.
So make that 17 athletes who remember a narrow runnerup finish in the league standings last year and their collective desire to end a 22-year drought.
“The girls haven’t won a league championship in 22 years,” said Reynolds. “They came within six points last year and have a chip on their shoulder with a determination to win it all this year.”
Reynolds said Western Brown is the favorite in the SBAAC American Division this year.
In his second year as girls head coach, Reynolds will be assisted by Eileen Grosse, Karen Heslop, JT Lykins, Tyler Parks, Savannah Coyle, Henry Dawkins and Ben Baylor.
Top returning athletes are Sydney McCord, Taylor Noszka, Alice Clair, Ava Hester, Keasia Robinson, Chloe Sutton, Destyne Turner, Taliah Billingsley, Madilyn Brausch, Kennedy Moore, Madison Schuster, Hannah Scott, Makenna Tolliver, Taija Walker, Aidynne Tippett, Bryn Tippett.
Noszka is the leader of the team, Reynolds said, with a proven work ethic and trust of her teammates.
Reynolds said newcomers Caroline Diels, Atlantis Wiles, Alexa Rich, Izabella Myburgh, Mia Hollingsworth, Samaria Crawford, Corinne Thery, Ally Oeder, Sairee St John and Lexi Burke have the chance to make an impact this season.
However, the team lost Bryann Bryant and Sophie Huffman, who have decided not to come back this season. Those athletes who graduated in 2022 are Emily Bates, Liz Guard, Kaitlynn Hickey, Lexi McKee-Cole, Banesa Morales, Courtney Parker, Makiya Sherman and Mackenzie Voges-Pertuset.
Noszka earned runner of the year honors in 2022 and was joined on the first team by teammates Billingsley, Bryantt, Hickey and Huffman.
SCHEDULE
March 25^Wilm Field Relay^H^10a
March 28^Miami Trace^A^430p
April 4^Little Miami Inv^A^4p
April 14^Xenia^A^4p
April 17^Western Brown^A^4p
April 21^Hillsboro Inv^A^4p
April 24^Monroe JV Inv^A^4p
April 25^Wightman Inv^EC^4p
April 27^Little Miami Inv^A^4p
May 3^Lebanon^A^4p
May 8, 10^SBAAC Championship^Wbg^4p
