Bluebirds return 5 qualifiers

The Goessel track team will be led by these letter-winners and seniors: front row (from left), Aleena Cook, Alisha Nolte, Page Hiebert, Erin Brubaker, Chase Flaming; back row, Heath Goertzen, Aaron Woelk, Ben Wiens, Brian Hiebert, Zach Wiens, Mark Schmidt.The Goessel track and field team returns five state qualifiers that will create a solid core this season for seventh-year coach Curtis Guhr.

The Bluebird boys, who finished fifth in the Wheat State League last season, return two state qualifiers in seniors Ben Wiens and Heath Goertzen.

Wiens was part of the 4×800 team that finished 15th in Class 1A with a time of 8 minutes, 56.84 seconds.

Goertzen, meanwhile, placed 14th in the triple jump with a distance of 39 feet, 2.25 inches.

In addition to the returning state qualifiers, Goessel welcomes five additional letter-winners: seniors Brian Hiebert and Mark Schmidt, junior Aaron Woelk, and sophomores Chase Flaming and Zach Wiens.

?We are also looking to some younger guys to step up and fill the voids from graduation from last year?s team,? Guhr said.

A strength of the boys? team this season will be the distance races.

?With several returning letter-winners, we will be looking for these guys to step up and lead the team this year,? Guhr said. ?Having some good numbers will help to create some good competing in practice, which will carry over to the meets. There are also several others that we are looking to have a strong year.?

The Goessel girls, meanwhile, finished third in the WSL last year and return three state qualifiers: sophomores Page Hiebert and Aleena Cook and junior Erin Brubaker.

Hiebert qualified for state in three events: the 400, 4×100 and 4×400. Cook was a member of the 4×100 and Brubaker, the 4×400. Neither relay team advanced past the preliminaries.

Sophomore Alisha Nolte is an additional returning letter-winner.

?We are also looking for some good things out of several other younger girls,? Guhr said.

The individual events will be a strength for the girls? team this season.

?With bigger numbers this year, we will also be looking to put several relays together that should compete well,? Guhr said. ?With three returning state qualifiers, we are looking for the girls to have another good year.?

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