Track and Field
Taking off for TAAF
Runners finish off summer at state meet in San Antonio
By Greg Ford
Sports Editor
gford@wylienews.com
In less than two weeks preseason training begins for a number of fall sports.
However, for Plano East-based 11 athletes there is one more summer competition remaining.
That is the TAAF state track meet, which begins today and runs through Sunday in San Antonio.
The 11 competitors will be representing the Texas Stars track team. They are Gabe Colbert (110- and 300-meter hurdles), Anthony Rene (400 and 800 meters, and the 1,600-meter relay), Troy Miller (800 and 1,600 relays), Ryan Jones (1,600 relay), Jake Fessler (400 and 1,600 relays), Kendall Wheatley (alternate for the 1,600 relay), Reese Joubert (alternate for the 1,600 relay), Rebecca Smith (1,600 and 3,200 meters), Kasey Cannella (100- and 300-meter hurdles), Kara Cannella (800 meters) and Jordan Wilson (800 meters).
A year ago, a number of them ran as the Eastside Striders, a PESH-based team. They all qualified for state competition at a recent regional meet.
“It’s been a good (season),” said coach Keith Wagner. “Anytime you get kids out, especially the ones that return, and they’re doing better than last year, that’s the name of the game. They come out and they get better.”
He added, “My only thing is that I thought we could get more kids out. I think if we can get more participation by the the elementary — get the word out — I don’t think it’s getting to them like it needs to.”
It’s the fifth- through eighth-grade athletes who need to run in the summer.
“Those are the crucial years,” Wagner said. “If they come out, and they experience success, then they’re going to be there later. If they don’t, then it’s going to be tough.”
Wagner believes some of the upper class high school members have a chance to succeed at state, such as Rene, a recent East graduate.
“He’ll be walking on at UTA next year to try and make the team,” Wagner said. “We’ve got a bunch of guys who are going to be running for us next spring at PESH, and (this program) is going to help a lot.”
Wagner, who also coaches East’s boys’ cross country team, anticipates seeing a few current team members with him this fall.
“Ryan Jones, Troy Miller and Jake (Fessler) are going to be in quarter-mile training with me,” the coach said. “They’ll be in cross country with me, but they’ll be running more quarter-mile-type training.”
Wagner added that those who trained this summer will benefit during the 2008-’09 school year. He noted it helped to practice at an excellent facility: Kimbrough Stadium.
Also, the coach noted, the kids run in more meets in the summer than during the school year.
“These are the kids who come out the most consistently and work hard,” Wagner said. “It shows. You come out here and work hard, you’re going to be successful.”
He added, “We’re appreciative of the fact that the administration let us use the track, because the one at PESH is so hard … They let us have this one, and we’re using it and we really enjoy it.”
