Mar. 31—MITCHELL — A large and skilled roster returns to the track for the Mitchell High School track and field squad for 2025.
For the fourth-straight year, the program has more than 100 athletes participating, which head coach Deb Thill sees as an overall sign of strength. The Kernels have a three-meet slate of indoor competitions before the outdoor season is scheduled to begin April 11.
The team has been practicing since March 1, adding athletes as the month has gone on from other winter sports as those seasons have ended.
"We've been getting kids at different times, which has been nice," Thill said. "We have some great leaders in this group of girls athletes and a great amount of them come back with experience. On the boys side, we lost a lot of experience, but we have some really good kids coming back that will provide some leadership as the season goes along."
For the Kernel boys, Alexier Padilla returns as a junior and as the team's top sprinter from a year ago. But Padilla said he will be doing more of the 400 and maybe 800 in part to reach his main goal for the season: stay healthy.
"I would like to not get hurt, first of all," Padilla said. "I want to be in the state meet for the 400, and the last state meets, I couldn't run because I was injured. So I want to make sure I'm healthy."
Other MHS returners include Floyd Korzan, who was a top runner in the mid-distances, while Ben Gerlach emerged in the mile and two-mile races. In the throwing events, Bryer Stach emerged last season as a freshman and Kellan Odell returns for his senior season with the school record in the javelin in hand.
Coming off an injury that slowed him down in 2024, Odell said the goal is to get back to throwing at 163 feet, which is the MHS-best javelin mark he set two years ago. Odell is also among the top returners from last season in the long jump and triple jump.
"I think we just need to focus on improving the things that we can in practice and it'll show during the meets," Odell said.
Thill said the boys team is a hard-working group that is developing leaders in its early practices, setting the pace for their teammates.
"We didn't know what to expect as far as leadership, and who's going to take over at practice, and who's going to make sure everybody's doing what they're supposed to be doing, because a lot of times, track is on your own," Thill said. "And so we've been very happy with our group of boys in that effort that they've been putting out."
In the girls events, there's a large group of Kernels who have experience across many events, ranging from throwing and jumping to sprints and relays.
"It's all of those things that we are experienced at," Thill said. "And a lot of these girls are top athletes at other sports as well. To bring that to the track team, now you can specialize even more and bring out what they do well."
In the jumps, Avrie London and Audrey Miller are returners to watch. Macey Linke has the still-young school record in the javelin at 105 feet, 7 inches and returns for her senior season. Senior Sidney Malde and junior Olivia Prunty are the team's top returning hurdlers. Sophomore Londyn Schroeder ranks No. 2 in Kernel history in the 3,200-meter race after a personal-best 11:50 last season, 11 seconds off the school record of 11:39 held by Holly Case from 1992.
Most notably, the team of Carsyn Weich, Kambyl Wede, Londyn Schroeder and Emerson Smith from last season's state meet in the 4x800-meter relay is all back. The relay is No. 2 in school history at 9:50.37, looking to take down the school record from 1990 at 9:42.16. Addie Siemsen and Lainee Forst have been frequent relay ...
