MORGANTOWN — It’s difficult to imagine a tougher scenario for a track and field coach than heading into a season without your top performers on both the boys’ and girls’ side.
University High faces just such a situation this spring.
The Hawks will head to the track this season without seniors TaShala Turner, who is recovering from a cross-country injury, and Philip White, who began training early for his collegiate career.
It’s a blow to a team that was low on numbers to begin with, but Ed Frohnapfel, the head boys’ coach and distance coach at UHS, plans to take the losses in stride.
“Hopefully, we’ll be able to compete in the events we have kids in,” he said. “We’re going to have several categories where we won’t have a whole lot of UHS kids participating in.”
With the tough losses and lack of depth, Frohnapfel isn’t expecting a miracle; he calls his squad’s odds at a team state title on either side a long shot at best. However, he still expects his squad to compete at the upper echelon in the events where it will field athletes. Nothing else will be up to his standards.
“The team title is not in our plans, because we don’t have enough people in every event,” he said. “But hopefully, the individuals will progress well.”
As the distance side takes a hit, the Hawks look to make up ground in the sprints. Led on the boys’ side by returnee Tommy Sherlock and senior football stud Robert Sanders, who returns after a year away from track, UHS girls’ and sprints coach Jason White expects the short sprints to prosper for UHS.
“This my third year at UHS, and this is the best sprinting group I’ve had,” White said. “We have Robert Sanders back; we look for him to be a big factor. He’ll help us get that senior leadership back we’ve been lacking.”
Sherlock is honored that he and his fellow sprinters have the opportunity to shine in the spotlight for his school, and hopes to live up to the track legacy that years of competitive distance running laid at UHS.
“That means a lot, to be compared to the long distance,” he said. “They have always been really good. It gives us that extra motivation to work harder and be the best that we can be.”
Add in freshman Drew Kemper, who made noise across Monongalia County as a middle-school athlete last spring, and Sherlock expects big things should rise from his team.
“There’s definitely a lot more potential than we had last year. I’m hoping a lot more of the relay teams and a lot more of the sprinters can make state,” he said. “That’s a big goal of ours, so if we can do that, that would be great.”
The sprints and mid-distances look to be solid on the girls’ side as well, with seniors Chloe Mollohan and Sydney Antonik leading the charge. The dynamic duo led the 4×200 and 4×400 meter relays at the 2017 Class AAA state meet, while Mollohan earned a pair of top-10 finishes in the open 200 and 400 and Antonik qualified in the open 400.
“They’ve had a good run with us, and they’re looking to finish strong. They should be factors in the 200 and 400, as well as in those relays,” White said.
The girls will be rounded out by sophomore Kendall Ours, who earned seventh at the 2017 state championships in the 800 run and qualified on the 4×200, 4×400 and 4×800 meter relays. Joining Ours will be senior Peyton Kukura and sophomore Zoey Shetty, who each earned top-10 finishes at the state cross-country meet in the fall.
