The Niceville girls were 10th in at the 3A state track and field championships in 2016. The Eagles cross country team won the 3A Cross Country Finals and have a very talented distance group. Coach Todd Brigman and Jamie LaFollette share the head coaching duties and gave us an in-depth preview on this year's squad.
How did your team finish last year at state?
The girls team placed 10th.
Who are your top returners?
Our top returners are Maddy Kish (7th pole vault), Hannah Schneidewind (6th 1600), Alexis Sherwin (2nd 800), Ally Woodard (11th 3200), and Skyler Joneson (throws).
Do you lose any key athletes from last year?
Amber and Autumn Saffore.
Any impact freshman coming in or transfer to the program?
Freshman - Ny-zha Anthony, Jayden Horne
Transfers - Abbie Harrelson
New to track - Ashley Frank
What has the preseason training been like and what are you focusing on?
Pre-season training has gone very well. Our sprinters, jumpers and throwers worked very hard this off-season with a major emphasis in the weight room, and team-building. Our distance runners took two weeks off after the Nike Cross Southeast Regional meet and then started their base mileage phase.
What meets are you keying in on this year?
Bob Hayes, FSU Relays, and the Mobile Challenge of Champions.
What are the goals for 2017?
Win district, region, qualifying more athletes for state than last year, and place higher in the state finals than last year.
How would you describe this year's team?
This year's team looks to be one of the most complete teams in terms of filling all of the events with competitive athletes. We have a ton of young talent who we are excited to see go through our program. Most importantly, our kids understand that the work they completed/will complete in the off-season, pre-season and first half of the season are preparing them for success on the back end of the regular season.