After a dominant cross country season in the fall, many eyes are turning towards the track and field team to continue the Hawklets’ running-related streak of success. However, while sharing many of the same athletes, the track and field team has not managed to bring home a state title since 1976.
The Rockhurst cross country team won first place at state this year, then qualified for regionals and nationals. Seven of the top nine runners on cross country also compete in track. These athletes have had significant success on the harder running surface.
Seniors Henry Acorn and Andrew Davis both individually won state last spring in their respective events, Acorn the 1600 meter race and Davis the 800. They both set new school and Class 5 state records along the way. The two joined with fellow senior Bill Hayes and junior Jake Bond in the 4×800 meter relay to bring home a second gold for each of them, setting a new school record in the process. Beyond these two events, Acorn also placed 13th in the 3200 meter race and Davis contributed to a fourth place finish in the 4×400 meter relay.
“Honestly, this season I’m just hoping to continue the success,” Acorn said. “We had a really good season last year and a really great cross country season this year, so I think we’re in a pretty good place for this season.
“The 3200 was definitely a let down, but I think we have room for improvement. I’d really like to break into some national rankings.”
Beyond Acorn and Davis’s performances, Hayes placed eighth in the 800 meter race. Former senior Leo Faulkner won state in the 400 meters, setting a new school record, while also contributing to a fourth place finish for the 4×400 relay, along with Davis, Hayes and senior Wyatt Hemphill.
With just these six runners qualifying for state, along with ninth-place finisher in discus Luke Lewellen, the track and field team was able to finish fourth place overall last spring, one point behind third and three points behind second.
While the returning members of the team look to build off that success, there are many new factors that will affect the upcoming season. Losing Faulkner means the 4×400 team is in need of a strong replacement.
“I’ve been training a lot in the offseason, so I’m hoping I can have a lot of improvement this season,” senior Brody Finigan said. “I think I’ve got a really good chance at earning a spot on the 4×400 team, but there’s always a lot of competition in that event.”
Beyond the loss of Faulkner, Hemphill and Davis have been battling injuries, and the future of their seasons is unknown as of now.
Arguably the biggest factor determining overall team success this season will be how much freshmen contribute. Jack McGovern and Jack Morrison both found success on the varsity cross country team, and they have begun training to compete in the longer distance races for track. Along with these two, there are dozens of other freshmen trying their hand at the sport, and coaches will be watching for hidden gems.
The team is also hoping to have more success in the field events than they have in years prior. Throwers, for one, are eager to compete.
“We have always kind of struggled in the throwing department,” senior thrower Loc Pham said. “But I mean everyday we’re getting out there and putting in work just trying to get better so we can help out the team.”
Beyond the throwers, the jumpers have also been training and hope to have a shot at state this year.
The track season officially begins with the Darwin Rold Invitational on March 28 at Lee’s Summit West. The team will conduct two intrasquad competitions to sharpen their skills ahead of this meet.
