The Brown County High School track and field team is missing a few athletes from last year, but new and returning athletes are gearing up for a successful season.

“We have a pretty solid group of freshmen that came in,” Head Coach Rob Abraham said. “I think that they’re going to end up doing pretty well for us.“

Many of the newest track athletes were on the junior high team that won two Western Indiana Conference Championships, Abraham said.

He said the disc squad is also looking promising.

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Finish strong

Seniors Baylee Mosier and Tessa Dean have been used to being in a small group of discus and shot put throwers since they were freshmen.“One of the things we’re trying to emphasize right now is leaving the team better than what you joined,” Mosier said. “When I joined the track team, we had three throwers. As a freshman, I was competing with the seniors.”

Mosier said he reached out to fellow athletes — such as members of the football team — and encouraged them to go out for track.

“A lot of them I asked — I begged — to come out and just be with them,” Mosier said.

Last year, the team had three throwers; this year there are six boys and three girls.

It also helps to have a dedicated coach for throwing, Dean and Mosier agreed. It was not since their freshman year that they had a coach who was focused solely on them.

Both Mosier and Dean are expecting to go out in style for their senior year.

Dean expects to beat her personal best, and she thinks she can place in the top three at the WIC Championship.

“I feel like my freshman year I should have done a little bit more, I should have tried harder,” Dean said. “But progress is the main thing.”

Mosier is coming off a shoulder injury to his throwing arm that ended his wrestling season early.

“But I’m throwing just about where I was last year, which is pretty exciting,” Mosier said.

Neither of the athletes have immediate college plans; Mosier is entering an apprenticeship with Local 440 and Dean is going to be an Army combat paramedic. So, this is the final season for both of them.

“It’s kind of sad, to be honest,” Mosier said. “I’ve competed in 11 seasons, and this is the last one you’re eligible for, so I think I’ll take this one to heart a little bit more,” Mosier said.

Shoot for state

The throwers are not the only ones anticipating a good season.With new and returning athletes filling out the 400- and 800-meter relay teams for the girls, Abraham said he sees promise in their performance so far.

Senior Elly Wertz is excited about the times she and her relay teammates have been getting but she also has solo goals.

In practice, she is already besting her record-setting long jump from last season by almost 10 inches, she said. “Personally, I just really hope to improve on everything.”

Though her mind isn’t made up, Wertz may compete in long jump at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis next season.

“I love long jumping,” Wertz said. “I like that it’s very challenging for me, that it pushes me in different ways.”

Wertz described coming back on a second or third try after a scratched jump, the thrill of turning defeat into victory.

“The reward of it — it’s hard, but it’s really fun,” she said.

Senior Job Lawson said he wants to not only see his 3200-meter relay team make it to state again this year, but to place better as well.

“I won’t expect anything less this year,” he said. “I want to go back to state, but I want to get above 11th, hopefully ninth. I want to get to where seniors should be.”

But it’s not just about the relays, or upperclassmen, for Lawson.

“This year we have a lot of freshmen, a lot of good potential,” he said. “I’m pretty hopeful to see it progress throughout the year.”

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BOYS TRACK AND FIELD

Seniors: Blake Hudson, Nathan Kilburn, Job Lawson, Baylee Mosier, Jordon Oswald, Jordan Samples, Mike Southerland, Dawson Williams

Juniors: Sam Blacklidge, Justin Burns, Matt Chaiyasit, Matthew Duncan, Brennan Hobbs, Luke Getts, Isaiah Keefauver, Zacc Sheppard, Wyatt Wyman

Sophomores: Bryce Denton, Evan Fleischman, Cameron King, Jackson McPheeters, Layton Mosier

Freshmen: Brandon Fleischman, Timothy Kilburn, Aaron McCann, Will Normile, Javan Oliphant, Caleb Yager

GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD

Seniors: Haley Abraham, Tessa Dean, Madison Fields, Elly Wertz

Juniors: Vivien Crimmins, Olivia Lee, Kathleen McCann

Sophomores: Evey Crimmins, Skylar Fleischman, Coralynne Robinson, Maddy Westcott

Freshmen: Haley Davidson, Trinity Keefauver, Chloe Lee, Gracie Matlock, Marley Nickels, Isabel Rygiel, Gabriel Wright, Maris Wyman

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