The Newsome girls finished 12th last year at state, but inherit arguably the best distance runner in the state in Bailey Hertenstein who transferred in for her senior season. Coach Orlando Greene gives us the Scouting Report on the 2017 Wolves.
How did your team fare last season and what did you take away from 2016?
We had a good season, but had two injuries and some illness in our top five which negatively impacted our performances throughout the season. We were district champs, 4th in a tough regional, and finished 12th at the state meet. Because of the injuries, we realize that we must remain healthy to stay competitive with the top teams.
How is the team looking this year? What are your tentative top five and top seven?
We are training well and looking forward to a competitive season. The varsity group will most likely be Bailey Hertenstein, Keleigh Scallon, Emma Solis, Isabelle Guevara, Juliana Tragakis, Adriana Kanarek, Abby Sutton and Hannah Hoffman.
What are the strengths of this team?
The team will be strong in the 1 - 3 position and we have a solid core group at the backend. We are hoping for some improvement there to make us a formidable team. We have four seniors in that group so hopefully the senior leadership will have a positive impact with the team.
What has the training been like? Have you gone to any camps?
Training is going well and everyone is getting into shape. We didn't overload on the miles during the summer, but we had a decent base nevertheless. Some team members went to individual camps across the U.S. and others were all over the globe on various vacation trips with family, but we persisted with our summer conditioning program and it provided everyone with a great opportunity to get to know the dynamics of the team, while preparing for what promises to be an exciting season.
Any new additions who may contribute? Any surprise non-returners?
Bailey Hertenstein is here for her senior year and Keleigh Scallon is an incoming freshman. We lost the Somrah sisters (Maria and Juliana and Kathryn Forsyth.
What are the team goals and meets you're keying for this year?
Our goal is to advance through the state series, make it to the state meet, be very competitive with everyone giving their best, and have a strong finish on the day. We are going to Mt. Dew for the first time and will attend the FLRunners.com Invitational.
Anything else you'd like to add?
We are looking forward to getting the season started, staying healthy with everyone improving from week to week. We will still focus on the championship season to have our best races. Go Wolves!