With 62 athletes turning out this spring, the Redmond girls’ track and field team looks to be as strong as ever, led by a talented senior class loaded with state returners and complemented with a crop of young sophomores poised to become the future of the program.
“We’re looking really good,” said head girls’ coach Denis Villeneuve. “We got 60 girls on the team, so it’s a bigger team than what we’ve had in a few years. There’s some good young talent plus our returners.”
LORD LEADS THE WAY
Leading the seniors will be distance runner Sarah Lord, who placed third at state in cross country in the fall. She also won a pair of bronze medals at the 4A state championships last May in the 1,600 and 3,200 meter races.
“She expects to do that well or better this year,” Villeneuve said.
Fellow distance runner Jillian Jaccard, a senior state returner who Villeneuve says is “stronger than she was last year at this time,” will add to the depth of the Stangs on the running side. The Mustangs are also strong in the field events, led by Amy Sturdivant, who cleared 10 feet in the pole vault and placed 10th at state last season.
Do-it-all athlete Ally Mueller may be the most well-rounded of the Mustang senior class, having placed second in Kingco and ninth in state as a javelin thrower, second in the league in the long jump, and fifth in the triple jump.
In total, the Mustangs return no fewer than 10 athletes who placed in the top eight in 4A Kingco last year in their respective events. Add in newcomers Amy Pumputis and Darcy Hardwick, a pair of impressive sophomore sprinter-hurdlers, to the mix and the Mustangs will be hard to beat.
“We’ve got some senior girls that are really solid and some young girls that are looking pretty good,” Villeneuve said.
POSTSEASON PREP
With a team as strong as Redmond’s, Villeneuve looks at the league meets on his squad’s schedule as a way to get ready for what means the most.
“The regular season records don’t matter,” he admitted. “We use those as preparation (for the postseason). We want to try to win Kingco, and then the purpose of districts is to qualify for state, so that’s what we focus on.”
Then again, after qualifying a record number of kids to last May’s Star Track in Pasco, it’s easy to take on the mindset that being competitive at the bi-district and state levels is a given.
“As always, we want to qualify as many kids as we can for state,” Villeneuve said. “Last year we had 24 kids go to state, and that’s a record for us. We’re hoping to be at that level again.”
This year, however, it will be much harder to repeat as Kingco champions, due to the new 4A alignments that bring in Skyline, Newport and Issaquah, all powerhouses at the 3A level.
The Issaquah girls’ track team finished second overall at state last year, closely followed by Skyline (fourth) and Newport (eighth).
“All three of those schools — Skyline, Newport and Issaquah — are very strong in track and field,” Villeneuve noted. “If you win a league title this year it will mean a lot more, because they’re really, really good. It’s fun just trying, you do the best you can and see what happens.”
REDMOND TRACK AND FIELD AT A GLANCE
REDMOND MUSTANGS
• Head coach: Denis Villeneuve, 20th season
• Last season: 8-2, 2nd place in 4A Kingco
• 2009 turnout: 62.
Key returners
• Sr. Sarah Lord: Cross-country star looks to better her third-place finishes in the 1,600 and 3,200 at state last year. One of the best distance runners in school history has high expectations for her senior campaign and the talent to back them up.
• Sr. Jillian Jaccard: Started the season in excellent shape, placed 11th in the 1,600 last year at state.
• Sr. Ally Mueller: Her versatility is a huge boon to the team, can compete at a high level in the javelin, long jump and triple jump.
• Sr. Amy Sturdivant: Talented pole vaulter cleared 10 feet last year. Her goal is to medal at state this year after placing 10th as a junior.
TOP NEWCOMERS
• So. Amy Pumputis: Very athletic sprinter-hurdler caught coach’s attention at tryouts. Coach says “She’ll make a big difference.”
• So. Darcy Hardwick: Another young sprinter-hurdler, one of many talented sophomores that represent the future of the program.
DID YOU KNOW?
Villeneuve, a National Board Certified teacher who has been at Redmond since 1984, currently teaches Advanced Placement U.S. History and Psychology.
AT THE NEXT LEVEL
Jenny Light, Redmond class of 2008, is now running track at Div. I Santa Clara University.
COACH’S QUOTE
“We’ll definitely have to work hard and catch some breaks I think to come out on top.”
— Coach Denis Villeneuve on competing with league additions Skyline, Issaquah and Newport this year
BEAR CREEK GRIZZLIES
• Head coach: Scott Wright, third season
• Last season: Finished fifth at Sea-Tac B League meet
• 2009 turnout: 18
Key returners
• Sr. Brittanie Vander Weide: Talented sprinter ran on last year’s state 400 relay team.
• Sr. Beth Graham: Versatile sprinter was also part of state 400 relay team last year. “She will do any relay I ask her to do,” Wright said.
• Jr. Megan Cheever: Thrower is one of the best in the league in the shot put and discus.
TOP NEWCOMERS
• Freshmen Morgan Rial and Danielle Isabel: Talented youngsters will be a big boost in the sprinting department and relays.
DID YOU KNOW?
Vander Weide, a four-year letter winner, went to Star Track as a sophomore in the 800 and then ran on last year’s state 400 relay team.
COACH’S QUOTE
“We are hoping to get all three relays to state. We are real deep and heavy on sprinters. We are excited to see what they can do.”
– Coach Scott Wright on this season’s expectations
