CUSTER - The numbers aren't great but they are better than last year. Coach Matt Millspaugh has 16 girls out for track and field this spring at Mason County Eastern.
"That's better than last year. We had 12 last year," says Millspaugh.
"I still would like to have 20."
If there isn't quantity, there is quality.
"We have about six or seven girls that are returnees," says Millspaugh, whose roster is as follows:
SENIORS: Mel Stickney, Chelsea Lehrbass, Erica Knizacky and Courtney Engalbrecht.
JUNIORS: Jessica Bruesch, Jackie Eriksen, Michelle O'Neal, Chelsea Orcutt and Crisha Barrett.
SOPHOMORES: Jen Spinner, Megan Wheeler, Nikki Kolean, Jessica Vandeven and Stephanie Eichmeier
FRESHMEN: Kada Knizacky and Amy VanSledright.
Lehrbass, Knizacky and Wheeler were the top three scorers for the Cardinals last year when they finished a strong second in the West Michigan D League behind the Onekama/Bear Lake cooperative team.
"We have quite a few kids that will be able to score double-figure points. That's huge," adds Millspaugh.
Knizacky is the lone distance runner on the team but she is also the best in the Western Michigan D League.
It's in 400-meter dash on down that the Cardinals figure to be the strongest.
"We may not have a lot of distance people, but we have a lot of speed," says Millspaugh.
His sprint crew includes Bruesch, Kada Knizacky, Barrett and Orcutt. In the middle distance, there is Erica Knizacky, Stickney, Spinner and Kada Knizacky.
In Lehrbass and Wheeler, Eastern has the top two hurdlers in the conference back from last year. Kolean was also a strong hurdler.
"We'll take points in those two events," Millspaugh says of the 100 intermediates and 300 lows.
In the field events, Eastern finished first, second and third in the shot put last year in the league and two out of three, O'Neal and Eriksen, are back along with Engelbrecht.
Spinner and Eriksen will also pole vault and Lehrbass is a 15-foot long jumper.
The high jump is the only event that Millspaugh isn't sure of at this point.
"I don't really know what we will do there yet. We have to do some experimenting," he says.
Three of four relays figure to be strong, too.
"The mile will be really good and the 800 and 400 should be really good," says Millspaugh. "The two-mile relay will be a struggle."
The tussle for the Western Michigan D League title figures to be a two-team battle again.
"It will probably be three teams again, two of which are working together," says Millspaugh, on the cooperative venture between Bear Lake and Onekama. "Last year, we scored over 350 points between us. There's not a whole lot left after that."
Reprinted with permission from The Ludington Daily News.