In his first season as head coach last spring, Kenny Miller was looking at the Park Rapids boys track and field team to be one of the top teams in the Mid-State Conference and Subsection 8-29A and contend for spots in the state meet.
Entering his second season as head coach, Miller has the same goals for the Panthers this spring.
"I'm looking for us to have a similar season to last year," said Miller. "I'm hoping we can qualify more kids for the section meet and see if we can qualify some kids for state."
A year ago the Panthers took second in both the Mid-State Conference and Subsection 8-29A meets before placing 11th at the section meet with 27 points. Park Rapids just missed advancing someone to state as Ellis Peterson (in the 3,200-meter run), Kyle Craig (in the 110 hurdles) and Kyle Christianson (in the discus) all placed third.
The Panthers graduated five of their top point producers from a year ago in Peterson, Craig, Billy Ryan, Kevin Bower and David Schik. However, the Panthers return a solid nucleus of athletes who have the potential to produce another successful season.
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Heading that list are Christian-son and fellow seniors Justin Blanford, Chris Hirsch, Justin MacPherson, Jared McBrady, Mac McDowell, Alex Ehler and Jerry Warmbold; juniors Nathan Mack, Ben Sperle, Will Tiffany and Johnathon Weller; sophomores Derek Anderson, Caleb Brown, Josh Davis, Lars Ellefson, Andrew Larson and Cole Randall; and freshmen Bryce Klasen, Trevor Matheny, Kyle McBrady, Mike McDowell and Colton Vanderhey-den.
Of that group, eight competed at last year's section meet.
Christianson returns as the Panthers' top thrower after winning the discus and placing second in the shot put at the subsection meet and placing third in the discus at the section meet. Christianson was also the conference runner-up in both events and finished the season with 137 points in the weights.
Mac McDowell placed sixth in the long jump and ran on the Panthers' 4 x 400 relay team that took fourth at the subsection meet. McDowell also filled in at the section meet in the 4 x 800 relay as the Panthers placed sixth in that race. McDowell also scored points in the 200, 800, 4 x 100 relay, triple jump, long jump and 4 x 200 relay last season.
MacPherson compiled 76 points last season in the high jump, triple jump, 4 x 200 relay and 4 x 400 relay. MacPherson placed sixth in the high jump and fifth in the triple jump at the subsection meet.
Hirsch followed with 66 points in the 4 x 200 and 4 x 400 relays. Hirsch ran on the Panthers' fourth-place 4 x 400 relay team at the subsection meet.
Both MacPherson and Hirsch ran on the conference champion 4 x 200 relay team that also took third at the subsection meet and fifth at the section meet.
Blanford compiled 48 points in the 100, 400, 4 x 200 relay, 4 x 400 relay and long jump. Blanford placed fifth in the 400 and seventh in the long jump at the subsection meet and also ran on the 4 x 400 relay.
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Warmbold scored 34 points in the 110 hurdles, 300 hurdles, triple jump and 4 x 800 relay last year. Warmbold placed fourth in both hurdles races and eighth in the triple jump at the subsection meet.
Brown advanced to the section meet by placing fourth in the pole vault at the subsection meet. Brown scored 26 points last season in the pole vault and 4 x 400 relay.
Tiffany was a member of the Panthers' 4 x 800 relay team that placed third at the subsection meet and sixth at the section meet. Tiffany compiled 16 points in that relay last season.
Mack placed sixth in the pole vault and seventh in the 400 at the subsection meet. Mack also scored points in the 4 x 200 relay and 4 x 400 relay last spring.
Sperle placed in the 4 x 800 relay in one meet and returns in the distance events.
Jared McBrady returns in the sprints and hurdles, Randall returns in the sprints and Anderson returns in the middle distance events.
Providing depth this spring will be Ehler in the sprints, high jump and long jump; Weller in the shot put and sprints; Larson in the sprints and jumping events; Ellefson, Klasen and Vanderheyden in the middle distances; Matheny in the shot put and discus; Kyle McBrady in the sprints and hurdles; and Mike McDowell in the high jump, long jump and middle distances.
Last season, Staples-Motley won the conference title, Pequot Lakes claimed the subsection title and East Grand Forks was the top team in the section. Miller is looking for the Panthers to contend for the conference and subsection titles and send at least one athlete to the state meet.
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"We're going to be a solid team," said Miller. "We're going to score points and be competitive and hopefully improve as the season goes on. I'm excited about the season."
