Eastwood boys track and field coach Gary White isn't into making predictions, but he will say that the 10-time defending Suburban Lakes League champion Eagles don't plan to surrender their league crown this season.

“We're looking forward to defending our SLL title,” White said. "We plan to go undefeated in our dual-meet season."

And what about winning a third straight Division II state championship?

“We don't even talk about that,” White said. “That's not fair to these kids.”

Eastwood track coach Gary White receiving his first state champion- ship medal. (Press file photo by John Pollock/www.pollock.smug mug.com)

Last season, White predicted that Dayton Dunbar was far and away the best D-II team in the state. However, the Eagles ended up scoring 38 points in Columbus to beat Peninsula Woodridge by six points. Dunbar finished third with 30.

In 2009, Eastwood scored 47 points to claim the D-II state championship by nine points over runner-up Cortland Lakeview.

Eastwood's two biggest scorers – thrower Justin Welch and sprinter Cody Seifert - from last year's state meet have graduated. That means if the Eagles plan to defend their state title, someone else will have to fill the gaps.

“We don't have that outstanding individual talent this year,” White said. “It's going to be a different approach. We hope to get some relays down there and get some individual points. We're going to go down there and compete and if we can be in the top five in the state again this year, I think that will be a fantastic accomplishment for our school and these kids.”

Welch, who is now throwing at Georgia, was a three-time state discus champion who also set the state meet record in the shot put last season (62-11.75). Seifert, who is now at Kent State, took second in the 100 dash (11.06) and third in the 200 (22.25) at last year's state meet.

The Eagles' lone returning scorer from last year's meet is senior Nick Twining, who placed fifth (1:55.03) in the 800. Twining is also running the 400 and the 4x400 and 4x800 relays this season.

“He wants to improve on that 800 (state) finish for sure,” White said. “He's got some nice goals. He's already run a 50.1 in the open 400, which is nice for this point in the season.”

The Eagles are off to a good start to the 2011 season. They opened with a win over Tiffin Columbian and Clay, then won the eight-team Liberty-Benton Relays last Friday. They beat Otsego in a dual meet on Tuesday.

Eastwood's top performer in the throwing events so far has been senior Jeff Rutherford.

“He's throwing around 47 (in the shot) and around 130 (in the discus) right now,” White said. “Nothing like Justin, but that's OK. He's doing really well.”

Taking over for Seifert in the sprints are senior Nate Wagner and sophomore Isiah Conkle.

“Conkle is doing really well,” White said. “He's coming along nice for us. Nate is a hard worker; no one knew about him last year, but he burst onto the scene in indoor track and that gave him the confidence to be really good.”

White said he also has two top-notch pole vaulters in juniors Kyle Dierker and Kyle Schlumbohm.

“They've already cleared 14 feet this year,” the coach said. “They're the real deal. The strength of our team will be the relays, the two pole vaulters and Nick Twining.”

The 4x400 relay team, featuring senior Taylor DePew, ran 3:28 indoors. Schlumbohm, Isiah Conkle and junior Zach Conkle are also strong relay competitors, according to White.

“Taylor has just been really solid for us in that 4x400,” White said. “Our 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400 are really good. It took us to the regional meet last year to run the times they've already run in the 4x100 and the 4x200. We ran 43.6 (in the 4x100) at Liberty-Benton and we never broke that until the district or regional meet last year.”

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