The Westfield High School girl's track team will be abundant in athleticism this spring.
Coach Jen Buccino's team is deep in the field events, sprints, relays and hurdles. The team should be in good position to improve on last year's 3-4 dual meet record and move up significantly in championship meet standings. The Blue Devils, who have a scrimmage with Piscataway Saturday, open the dual meet season April 7 at Plainfield.
"We'd like to get an unbeaten season and place high in the county and conference,'' said Buccino, in her fourth year as head coach.
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The Blue Devils should be in good position to do it. They were ninth a year ago in the Union County Championships, but appear to have balance and depth to make significant progress.
Senior pole vaulter Clair Stevens-Haas has cleared 10 feet; junior Ashley Edwards holds the program record at 58.2. She was second in the county championships, won the final Watchung Conference meet and was seventh in the North 2 Group IV meet last year. Senior captain and miler Lisa Nehring who has a personal best of 5:'17. Junior Alyssa Hatch has gone as fast as 5:33.
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The 4x400 team of Edwards, senior co-captain Kelly Irving, sophomore Sophia DeVita and junior Sirena Van Epp are hoping to improve on the school record 4:01. The 4x4 team won the Union County championship, breaking Plainfield's 26-year-old meet record. The Blue Devils also won 4x4 in 4:06.48 in the final Watchung Conference meet and were fifth in the North 2 Group IV meet in 4:03.74.
"We're hoping to go under four minutes this year,'' Buccino said.
Stevens-Haas, Van Epp and Irving will be busy in the triple jump and long jump. Junior Alex Hawkins has cleared 5-feet in the high jump. The throws will also be deep with senior Kyla Grodzka (shot), junior Naimah Turner (discus) and senior co-captain Grace Mustard (discus) and senior Liz Penczak (javelin).
Sophomores Amanda Marcatullio and Eileen Cook are among the hurdlers. Soccer standouts –juniors Hannah Kronick and Katie Ponce – have joined the track team and will compete in the sprints and jumps.
"They're promising,'' Buccino said. Buccino said that 124 youngsters came out for the team – 50 of whom are freshman.
"We're juggling,'' she said. Buccino added: "We have work to do in the distance and in the throws. We have some speed.''
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