Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
Jason Schober returns for his 11th year as the head coach of the Lake track program, and the Flyers return several experienced and talented performers on both sides.
Lake’s boys finished third in the NBC last year, part of a quality two-year stretch for the team, Schober said.
Brady Hayward, Micah Balsmeyer, and Luke Steep all qualified for regionals before graduating. Jon Specht, Ethan Bradfield, and Ronnie Longoria are also departed after earning Second Team All-NBC recognition.
“Obviously, they were really good, and they're going to be hard to replace, but we do have a lot of sprinters coming back that have done well in the past,” Schober said. “Kam McDaniel is part of our 4x4 school record. Him, Josiah Thompson, and Xavier Scott have really scored some points and helped out. So, the cupboard’s not bare with the sprinters.”
Scott is someone that Schober is high on. He competes in high jump and long jump.
“If our guys can stay healthy, we've had two really good years with them at invites in league, and I think they can continue that,” Schober said. “I'm excited about the guys as a team. I think our sprinters are good, and I like our field events. If our distance can do anything near what they did last year, (it will be a successful year).”
Schober also has some key talent back with throwers Matt Nietz and Isaac Romero. Both went to the state indoor meet this year, finishing third and 11th, respectively, in shot put. Nietz broke both school records in the shot and discus last year while competing at the outdoor state in shot.
“I feel pretty good about our throwers,” Schober said.
The Flyers also return both of their pole vaulters on the boys side in seniors Dillan Sheppard and Andrew Solomon.
“Our distance is the big one that we're going to need the younger guys to step up,” Schober said. “My distance coach is the head cross-country coach, so he has some experience with them from the fall, and they were part of the 4x8 relay team. Micah Balsmeyer had a great senior year, but he came back for the last two or three meets from an injury in wrestling, so a lot of those kids got experience throughout the year last year. I'm hoping what those guys left in experience that we can reload and not start over.”
Nietz really highlighted last year, though, and Schober has high hopes for the junior.
“He's one of those kids that has the same expression on his face — the highs and the lows,” Schober said. “When he was a freshman, we had a pretty good shot put thrower in Gerit Kistler and a pretty good disc thrower in Joah Herman, and the thoughts were they would kind of be the two for both and that would be our varsity squad. Matt came in as a freshman, and he ended up being the second for both shot and disc.
“He worked his butt off, and he scored us some points, but last year at indoor, him and Isaac both really worked hard, and then Matt just took off. He’s one of those kids that has the same face, no matter what, the same expressions, same emotions. But going to outdoor (state) with him last year, being able to spend some time down in Columbus, having a nice meal the night before, and then watching him throw on that stage down there as a sophomore was very enjoyable, and this year he's working just as hard.
“We went to indoor state, and he threw over 53 on six of his seven throws. He was seeded eighth going in and finished third. He is a great kid, works his butt off. He would do anything we asked him to do. It was very fulfilling to see.”
The girls, meanwhile, finished sixth in the NBC and graduated First Team All-NBC long jumper Lauren Parsons, who also made Honorable Mention All-NBC in the 4x100 relay.
“Lauren was a big loss, but we've got a lot back,” Schober said.
Sprinters Savannah Little, who was an all-conference performer in four events and a regional qualifier in the 100m and 400m, and Kallie Ferrara, who made all-conference in the 4x1 relay, are both back.
“Savannah went to state her freshman year in the 400 and in the 4x2 relay,” Schober said. “She’s going into her junior year, and she's like a vet. She's got the school record in 4x1, 4x2, and 4x4 relays, and then the 400 record. Kallie has the pole vault record, and she's only a sophomore.”
Those two will join the team’s best distance runner in senior Tabitha Balsmeyer.
“I’m hoping for some good things out of her,” Schober said. “And then we have a lot of freshmen. I’m looking forward to see what they can do.”
Schober said both the boys and girls have some talented freshmen who did well in eighth grade.
“What they've done so far in three and a half weeks of practice, working out, getting ready for the season, I'm excited to see what they can do,” he said. “They've been working hard. I'm excited.”
While there haven’t been many time trials yet, Schober said the girls have some potential with athletes such as Kara Wasserman, Sagan Schroyer, and Belle Tippey.
“There’s a lot of freshmen from watching them as eighth graders last year, and seeing their indoor times and good numbers, it's going to be exciting to see what they can do once we get to meets and get some time trials going,” Schober said.
Schober said his distance runners and sprinters on the girls side will be pretty good. The throwers and jumpers will be very young and inexperienced, and he’s excited to see the sprinters.
“If (the sprinters) can get back to going to state and doing the things that they’ve done (that would be nice),” he said. “We've had a relay or a hurdler in state five of the last six years for the girls, but we didn't last year for the first time.
“Last year's the first time we took a guy down to state with Matt Nietz. I'm hoping the girls can kind of bounce back a little bit. They're working hard.”
The tough part for the girls will be low numbers, Schober said.
“I think we're at 30 girls right now, and then the guys are at like 54,” he said. “I’m hopeful and excited to see them take the next step and continue doing what we've been doing as a team. Obviously, track is a lot of individual success, but I'm always trying to make it a team thing. And even with the individual events, have everybody root each other on. When it comes to relays and finishing well as a team in dual meets, tri meets, or invites, especially, come home with some hardware and cheer each other on.”
