Sedona Red Rock High School’s 44 track and field athletes seek to win more of the numbers games beginning at Wickenburg High School in their opening meet Wednesday, March 4.
Bolstered by 10 seniors and 12 boys and girls who trained throughout the winter, head coach Harry Schneider opens his 47th season as a track and field coach optimistic his Scorpions will be in the mix for a state team title Saturday, May 9, in Mesa.
Senior Kevin Alvarez is ready to finish higher in the 800 meters than his team did overall at State last season — eighth.
“He’s one of the top 800[-meter] kids in the state,” Schneider said. “He’s been training well, he looks confident — as our better kids are.”
Better kids like seniors Andre Davis and Chai Voccola — two of the state’s best hurdlers, according to Schneider.
“Andre’s a better intermediate hurdler,” Schneider said. “Chai was third in the state in the triple jump and had one winning long jump that was just an inch foul. He’s going to surprise some people.”
Jose Rivas returns to contend for State in the discus and shot put in his final Scorpions season after taking his junior year off to focus on football.
“I have seven boy throwers,” Schneider said. “Last year, for the first time in my career, I had none.”
Fellow senior Brian Nguyen rounds out Schneider’s three state-worthy boys sprinters.
“Our problem is, in all our relays, we’re three deep,” Schneider said. “We’re looking for a fourth: Kevin would be in there; Jakob had no experience but finished ninth with the 4x800s last year.”
Senior Jakob Carter will be focusing on the pole vault, in which he trained all winter after finishing 13th at State last season. Those five leaders, plus brothers Dawson and Wyatt Stevenson — in the jump events and mile runs, respectively — project to be Schneider’s top State contenders this spring.
If the core of a nine-girl freshman class stays to support seniors Natalie Cox and Tia Myers, the Scorpions girls team should match, if not improve, last year’s fifth-place Division III finish.
For the full story and season schedule, please see the Wednesday, March 4, issue of the Sedona Red Rock News.
