Just 13 girls turned out for the track & field team at Kentwood High seven years ago.<\/p>\n
How things have changed.<\/p>\n
Numbers and talent have gone up considerably since 2002, when current coach Steve Roche was an assistant. And if the Conquerors haven\u2019t officially turned the corner yet, rest assured, they will this spring.<\/p>\n
Potentially more than in any previous season in the school\u2019s 28-year history, Kentwood is oozing with talent this season \u2014 maybe even enough to knock off perennial South Puget Sound League North Division power Tahoma.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re the ones to beat,\u201d Roche said of Tahoma. \u201cThey have an incredible team, one that everyone tries to measure up against. We\u2019re definitely shooting for them.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Tahoma team of which Roche speaks entered this spring having won the last three South Puget Sound League North Division crowns, all with unbeaten records. But if any team in the North is going to give the Bears a run for their money, it\u2019s the Conquerors.<\/p>\n
While the numbers have increased at Kentwood \u2013 from 13 in 2002 to 70 this spring \u2013 so has the talent. That explains why Roche is brimming with confidence these days.<\/p>\n
Pick an event, any event, and Kentwood has a girl capable of challenging for the top spot on virtually any given day.<\/p>\n
Leading the way is basketball standout Lindsey Moore, who is a four-time state participant in the high jump and javelin. Moore, a senior who will play basketball at the University of Nebraska next season, took fifth at Star Track last year in the high jump (5 feet, 6 inches) and 14th in the javelin (115-8).<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s just a cornerstone-type kid,\u201d Roche said. \u201cShe absolutely could place twice at state \u2014 there\u2019s no reason to think she can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
But the Conquerors are much more than just Moore, which helps explain why they\u2019re considered strong challengers to Tahoma this spring. Behind Moore are state veterans Dana Wareham, Holly DeHart, Kyra Gaines and Jamie Larsen.<\/p>\n
Wareham, a junior, took 10th at state last year in the 400 and also was part of Kentwood\u2019s 800 relay team that qualified for state.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe came to us having not done track in middle school and was primarily a soccer girl who decided to give track a try,\u201d Roche said. \u201cShe came out and was immediately pushing our top girls as a freshman.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, DeHart, still just a sophomore, is part of that 800 relay team but also is among the North Division\u2019s elite in the long jump and 200 meters. Gaines, a senior, possesses plenty of speed to burn in the 100 and 200, and anchors the 800 relay team that should challenge for a medal at Star Track in May.<\/p>\n
Then there\u2019s Larsen, a senior who is possibly the most gifted athlete of the bunch.<\/p>\n
An elite gymnast who competed at state during the winter, Larsen didn\u2019t turn out for the track team until last year. Despite her relative lack of experience, Larsen quickly turned her tumbling, twirling gymnastics routine into track stardom as a junior, taking 14th at state in the pole vault, uncorking a flight of 8-6 at Pasco\u2019s Edgar Brown Stadium.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you look at the top pole vaulters, especially females, they\u2019re invariably gymnasts,\u201d Roche said. \u201cIt is the most complex event you can do. For her to reach the state level in her very first year is impressive. That gymnastics skill is just invaluable.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a perfect transition.\u201d<\/p>\n
Unfortunately for the rest of the SPSL North, however, the Conquerors go even deeper. In fact, Roche expects freshmen Alyx Toeiana (throws), Tishayla Williams (sprints), Megan McNally (sprints) and Savannah Luther (middle distance) to make an instant impact.<\/p>\n
And if that happens, the Conquerors could be sitting on a bit of history.<\/p>\n
\u201c(Track) is the only sport at Kentwood that does not have a league title,\u201d Roche noted. \u201cWe\u2019re not going to be handed anything. Tahoma is going to supply one heck of a challenge. Our team has grown in talent and depth and they have a shot to do some things that have never been done before.\u201d<\/p>\n
Things have changed, indeed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Just 13 girls turned out for the track & field team at Kentwood High seven years ago. How things have changed. Numbers and talent have gone up considerably since 2002, when current coach Steve Roche was an assistant. And if the Conquerors haven\u2019t officially turned the corner yet, rest assured, they will this spring. Potentially […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":106,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[],"class_list":["post-18605","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18605"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/106"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18605"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18605\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18605"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18605"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18605"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=18605"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}