Numbers high for first year of varsity

Updated: April 7, 2011 4:04PM

Track and field is a different animal for a first-year program like the Metea Valley coach Aaron Lewis knows as head coach of the boys track team.

With a typically high number of athletes and a typically low number of coaches, the rules are the same from school to school, whether it's a 20-year powerhouse or a new school like Metea.

"Track and field is a different sport in that it's a team sport, but it's competed by individuals, not only the competition but the practicing," Lewis said. "We have to rely on the kids to take ownership of their own practice regimen, that they're doing the workouts they need to be doing. We hope that they push themselves and test their own limits and abilities in order to improve themselves."

Lewis has been pleased so far through the indoor season and the switch to outdoor practices has increased the numbers through interest and the addition of athletes from other sports.

"I've seen an overwhelming response by the kids to track and field," Lewis said. "The kids have shown a lot of dedication. We have almost 80 athletes on the team with only three classes of students. So pretty good numbers for a first-year program."

Now the challenge is to compete with just three classes and no senior leadership. However, the Mustangs did finish third in the Upstate Eight last year at the freshman

sophomore level, and with that comes no losses to replace.

Junior twins Joe and Matt Stewart and junior Mike Henessey should be a solid trio in the distance events, and juniors Alan Williams and lightning-quick Tresean Mackey will nail down the sprints.

"They're coming off a strong cross country season and looking to bring that success to track and field," Lewis said about his distance group.

Mackey, who played running back on the football team and was the team's best player in addition to playing basketball, provides many intangibles to a young team.

"He is a multi-purpose athlete and has had success in every sport he's done," Lewis said. "He will be a standout leader for us and be a big part of our 1600 relay team, 800 relay team, run the 400 and we'll even look to see how he does in the 800 as well."

Several others like sophomores Jake Murawski and Jake Pajakowski have a chance to add points in field events as Metea looks to push around the big boys of the conference: defending 3A state champion Lake Park, third-place state finisher Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley.

"We're just kind of overall getting our athletes up to speed on what it takes to be successful in this sport," Lewis said. "We want to help them having individual success but also team success as this season goes along. We'd like to be in the top of the conference. We definitely won't win, but we'd like to have a strong showing going into next year with a four-year class and then we can compete for a championship."

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