Inexperience shouldn't thwart Chambersburg success on track
Despite having an inexperienced squad, the Chambersburg track & field team still has its sights set on another successful year in the postseason.
The boys team is littered with new talent, with more than half of its members entering their first year of track & field, and is burdened with replacing top talent from last year.
"I have 60 some guys on the roster and only six seniors. Of that 60 plus on the roster, 28 did track last year," boys coach Bob Walker said. "We lost our top four sprinters, lost our top four long jumpers, lost our top two distance runners, lost our best pole vaulter, best high jumper and best triple jumper. We have a lot of work to do."
The girls team, however, is in the opposite boat with a stacked roster of returners and looks to contend for a Mid Penn Commonwealth Division championship.
"This is the smallest team I've had since I started coaching, but the quality is really really good," Chambersburg girls coach Chris Monheim said. "We have a lot of kids returning, and a bunch of ninth graders, and I think this could be one of the better teams we have had."
More: Season preview: Returning talent highlights F-F track & field
The Lady Trojans return three runners who recently competed in the indoor track & field state meet - Reagan Winebrenner (throws) and distance runners Abby Yourkavitch and Kaylee Mowery.
"With Yourkavitch and Mowery, and Cadie (Kiser) and Livvy (Sommers) and Sydney (Parson), we have a great distance crew," Monheim said. "We will be really strong from 800 up, and I think a lot of our new kids are going to be good on the track. We really don't have any weak areas."
The girls team returns Ariana Appenzeller (sprints), Camryn Greenlee (sprints), Caroline Hance (hurdles), Sydnie Gilbert (hurdles), Jocelyn Kibbe and Kaelynn Walker (pole vault).
The boys do boast a talented group of throwers, which Walker said might be the best group they've ever had.
"We have guys that probably would be the best thrower on some teams and they can’t even crack the top three or four here," Walker said. "We are deep, especially in the shot put."
The throwers are highlighted by Princeton commit Kelton Chastulik, and Myles Braxton, Derek Moore and Kendrick Diehl. Junior Nate Reed is the team's utility player, who Walker expects to be a standout in jumps, and also throwing the javelin and competing in the boys 4x100 relay.
"We have a nice duo of returning hurdlers in Trayton Barnette and Thomas Langdon," Walker said. "Sprints are a little thin but we have an outstanding freshman in Tyeshawn Worrell. He almost qualified for indoor states in the 60 as a ninth-grader, and we haven’t had a ninth-grader like that in quite some time."
Trojan boys at a glance
Coach: Bob Walker, 13th year, 67-17 (.797)
Last year: 3-4 (3-4 Mid Penn Commonwealth Division).
Returning athletes: Kelton Chastulik (sr., throws), Kory Harris (sr., sprints), Quinn Mangan (sr., distance), Myles Braxton (sr., throws), Andrew Feldman (sr., distance), Caleb Thompson (sr., sprints), Matt Hoover (jr., distance), Nate Reed (jr., jumps, javelin, sprints),
Other top athletes: Tyeshawn Worrell (fr., sprints), Trayton Barnette (so., hurdles), Thomas Langdon (so., hurdles).
Season opener: Today at the Tim Cook Invitational, 10
Trojan girls at a glance
Coach: Chris Monheim, 15th year, 79-22 (.782)
Last year: 4-3 (4-3 Mid Penn Commonwealth Division)
Returning athletes: Abby Yourkavitch (jr., distance), Reagan Winebrenner (jr., throws), Kaylee Mowery (jr., distance), Cadie Kiser (sr., distance), Katie Carbaugh (sr., throws), Brynn Vandegriff (jr., throws), Maya Washington (jr., jumps, hurdles), Livvy Sommers (sr., distance), Caroline Hance (so., hurdles), Arianna Appenzellar (so., sprints), Camryn Greenlee (sr., sprints).
Other top athletes: Sydnie Gilbert (so., hurdles), Jocelyn Kibbe (sr., pole vault), Jaelynn Walker (sr., pole vault).
Season opener: Today at the Tim Cook Invitational, 10 a.m.