Deep roster gives Newton girls track plenty of options

Newton’s girls’ track and field team will be large in numbers this spring. But co-head coach Rachel Tomas said most of the 50 female athletes who are out for track have little to no experience after the 2020 season was wiped out due to COVID-19.

The Cardinals do bring back 14 returners from the 2019 season and they will have six seniors and 16 juniors in all at the top of the roster.

“Even though we are a young team, the girls have been working hard and showing us their potential,” Tomas said. “Typically we have had an indoor meet to see the girls in a competition setting to have an idea coming into the outdoor season. We are relying solely on practice performance right now.”

Most of the indoor competitions around the state were canceled this spring. For the Newton girls, the first time Tomas and co-head coach Rachelle Tipton will get to see the team in competition will be at the outdoor season opener in Boone on April 1.

The six seniors on this year’s roster are Kynnedei Terpstra, Ashay Malow, Willow Oswalt, Sydni Followill, Kenleigh Jack and Chassidy Henwood.

Terpstra brings back the top returning 100-meter time (13.21 seconds) from 2019 and the top 200 time (27.53).

Malow ran anything from a 400 to the 3,000 as a sophomore two years ago. Her best 400 time was clocked at 1 minute, 4.6 seconds, she had a 2:32.68 in the 800 and ran the 1,500 in 5:52.14. Her best 3K time was clocked at 12:41.10.

Terpstra also was part of the Cardinals’ top 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams, while Malow ran on the best 4x400 and 4x800 squads. They both were on the top sprint medley and distance medley relay teams.

The distance medley relay that featured Terpstra and Malow placed 10th at the state meet in 2019.

Oswalt will be one of the Cardinals’ distance runners this spring. She ran the 1,500 in 5:51.91 two years ago and turned in a best time of 12:21.69 in the 3,000.

The rest of the leaders in the distance events include juniors Grace Benson, Morgan Stalzer, Kelsey Church and Alyssa Shannon, sophomore Kate Muckler and freshman Desirae Gifford.

Benson ran a 1:11.33 in the 400 two years ago while also posting times of 2:43.34 and 5:49.94 in the 800 and 1,500, respectively. She also joins Malow as one of the runners on the Cardinals’ top returning 4x800 relay team.

Stalzer ran a 5:38.7 in the 1,500 and had a 12:45.16 in the 3K.

“We have had many girls indicate interest in the 400 and 800 distance so we are looking forward to the options we have for lineups,” Tomas said.

Besides Terpstra, the sprinter group will be led by Henwood, junior Kya Butler, sophomores Addy Terpstra, Libby Shores and Jessie Hutchinson and freshmen Taylor Schilling, Chloe Rorabaugh and Gracie Clayton.

“We have seen a lot of improvement in practice thus far,” Tomas said. “These girls have stood out to us in practice, but we anticipate many changes as girls continue to get in shape and more consistently on the track for practice.”

Newton won’t have a lot of varsity experience in the hurdle events but Tomas said a lot of girls are competing for track time.

That group includes Shores, Clayton, Rorabaugh, Addy Terpstra, junior Casse Adams, sophomores Annie Main, Olivia Felten and JaQuay Priest and freshmen Alyssa Beerends, Savanna Johnston, Claire Breuer, Jacy Linahon and Brianna Aebischer.

“The hurdle events are going to be competitive for getting spots this season,” Tomas said. “We have a great group of young hurdlers so competition will help solidify our varsity roster spots. We return no hurdlers from the 2019 season.”

The top returner in field events is junior Kealey Manning. She got off to a great start last year with a throw of 35 feet in the only indoor meet last spring.

She also has the top returning throw of 91 feet, 4 inches in the discus from two seasons ago.

Newton throwing coach Jeff Richardson says others competing for varsity spots in the shot put include junior Maggie Williams and sophomores Lydia Biondi, Tierney Adams and Jayden Lukefahr. In contention for varsity discus besides Manning are Lukefahr and sophomore Marissa Cunningham.

Tomas said Church and Rorabaugh will be the team’s high jumpers, while Shores, Felton and junior Mackenzie Faircloth will be the long jumpers.

“We have the numbers this year to fill a lineup and beyond,” Tomas said. “We will be working through lineup options and relay combinations that work the best for us in the postseason. As coaches, we will look for the consistency in performances and improvements to determine our varsity positions.

“The talent and potential is there. Our job will be continuing that talent and determining the best team lineup.”

Newton 2021

Varsity Girls Track Schedule

April 1 — Boone, 4:30 p.m.

April 6 — South Tama County, 4:30 p.m.

April 8 — Indianola, 4:30 p.m.

April 13 — Ottumwa, 4:30 p.m.

April 15 — East Marshall, 4:30 p.m.

April 23 — Cardinal Invitational, 4:30 p.m.

April 26 — Dowling Catholic (Valley Stadium), 4:30 p.m.

April 27 — Grinnell, 4:15 p.m.

April 29 — Pella, 4:45 p.m.

May 4 — LHC meet at Norwalk, 4:30 p.m.

May 6 — Cardinal Relays, 4:30 p.m.

May 10 — Pella, 4:45 p.m.

May 13 — State Qualifying meet, 4 p.m., TBA

Home matches in bold