2015 COVINGTON BUCCS BOYS TRACK TEAM...
Last season was a historic year on the track for the Buccs with Lane White bring home two state medals - one a state championship and the other a state runner-up - Ben Miller placing in two events at state and a relay team qualifying for state.
Lost to graduation was one of the best classes to come through Covington in a long time, a class that included White, A.J. Ouellette and Dalton Bordelon, all state participants who are now competing at the collegiate level - White in track and Ouellette and Bordelon in football.
But with the losses comes opportunities for a 2015 team that has the potential to establish their own legacies and add to what they've already accomplished.
Ben Miller's legacy is secure as he is the only Covington athlete to place at state in entirely two different sports - track and wrestling. Miller took seventh at state in the 110 meter hurdles and eighth in the 300 meter hurdles and is primed to improve on those marks in 2015 as he is bigger, stronger and faster.
Also out there for Miller is the school record in the school record in the 110 meter hurdles held by Troy Cron - a mark Miller came up just short of a year ago at state.
Three more seniors hoping to get to state are Nathan Dunn, Alex Schilling and Matt Carder. Dunn qualified for state this past fall in cross country and is primed for a run at state in the distance events, while Schilling came up just short of state last year as a member of the 4x400 relay team and has worked his tail off to capitalize on the upcoming opportunities in his senior season.
The final senior who hopes to make it to Columbus is pole vaulter Matt Carder, who after an off season working in the weight room with the football team has improved his explosion and upper body strength.
Junior Brandon Magee has been blessed to be a part of state qualifying relay teams as a freshman and a sophomore and looks for another crack in 2015. However, shoes will need to be filled without the likes of White, Ouellette and Bordelon, but the potential is there with teammates Shane Straw (junior), Deron White (sophomore) and Ben Miller.
Plus, a strong freshman group comes in that has shattered several school records in junior high and placed at the junior high state meet a year ago.
Twenty-four competitors field the track team so Covington coach Kyle Moore has options to find the best mix of athletes for defending a Cross County Conference championship and hopefully making some noise in the post season meets. |