Ronan track ready to make impact
The Ronan High School boys track and field team hopes to duplicate its success after capturing the Class B state Divisional title last year.
Gone are some of the some of the significant contributors to the team that placed first last year, but the current Chiefs’ track team still boasts of several key returners including James Normandeua (800, 1,600, 3,200 and 4X400 relay), Nate Dennis and Kiry Detwiler.
“We will have some really strong distance running,” Chiefs’ track coach Brian Labbe said of his team’s prospects.
Labbe is also excited about what the future holds with a strong crop of freshman that might make an immediate impact on the team and possibly be a strong contender in the team’s future.
“We also have a good group of freshman and a lot of good talent,” Labbe said. “We have a lot of good young sprinters and mid-distance kids. The thing about freshman is that you put them in several events and see where they do well.”
The track team will also have a bunch of jumpers from the class that consists of 22 freshman that will be on the track team this year.
“We will have six seniors and five juniors out this year,’ Labbe said. “Our roster is filled with underclassmen and the majority of our jumpers will be very young athletes.
Ronan, who will now compete in Class A after moving from Class B because of the reclassification of late 2016, will have a “chip on their shoulder,” as one of the smaller schools in Class A. Labbe said he felt his team will have “something to prove” as they head into the 2018 season as one of the smallest Class A schools.
“We have kind of a little chip on their shoulder being one of the smaller schools,” Labbe said. “We are trying to get our kids to realize that you can’t just go out there and compete in the relays as individuals. That is one of the events that is a team concept, especially in that 4X100 relay. Our kids need to ‘buy in’ to being successful in that event and our kids really have to work hard in order to bridge that gap.”
Labbe knows with a younger team that you have to modify expectations in order not to put too much pressure on a player as they get acclimated to the varsity level of competition.
“With over half of our roster being underclassmen, you have to embed that team concept and make them understand they have to put in the work in the off season,” Labbe said. “We have to do what we have to do in order to stay competitive with some of the bigger schools.”
Maidens have different look headed into 2018
Last year, the Ronan Maidens track team was loaded with upperclassmen that were top-tier all-around athletes in Montana including Micalann McCrea and Lee Camel.
The Maidens, who boast of one of the top-tier cross country teams, will have plenty of competitors that will be strong in distance events.
Gone is the college-bound talent like Ashley McCready, who signed to run cross country at the Montana State University at Havre, but the Maidens still have stockpiled plenty of other distance runners that should have competitive seasons.
One member of the track team Labbe praised is distance runner Penni Wyant.
“She is one of those girls that will do whatever you ask and she is preparing to have a great senior year,” Labbe said. “We will have to see what she does in the 400, throw her into some distance events, see where she will be successful and try some different events this year.”
Labbe admits his team is going to be really young, but with youth comes enthusiasm about the future of the program holds.
“We are going to be a really young team,” Labbe said. “We should have a lot of underclassmen that are going to be stepping up this year and we will see what we can accomplish headed into the season.”