Girls' Track Preview: Depth Needed to Supplement Stars

When West Deptford girls' track coach Mark Drummond takes a look at his roster, he sees plenty of talent at the top. What he is unsure of, as the season is about to get underway, is who is ready to step up and supplement the leaders with quality depth.

“I expect some standout performances from people, and it’s just a wait-and-see thing right now to see who steps up behind them,” said Drummond, in his second season as head coach. “In big meets and team meets we may struggle a little more than we are used to, but individually, we should have some good performances.”

The list of talented individuals starts with junior Megan Kirschling, who Drummond expects to contribute in both the track and field portions. Kirschling is a returning state qualifier in the high jump and high hurdles. Another returning state qualifier is sophomore Megan Knoblock, who excels in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters. Knoblock will be joined in the distance events by sophomore Millie Kipp, who qualified for states during the winter season in both the 1,600 and 3,200.

The middle distances will be handled by junior Samantha Budd and sophomore Shannon Neary, while sophomore Kipp figures to be the top field athlete in the javelin, discus and shot put.

While Drummond still has question marks in his roster, he believes the team can finish with close to the same 7-4 record last year produced. Getting to that win total may not be easy with Haddonfield, Haddon Heights and Woodbury each primed for a strong season, but Drummond is hopeful.

“We’ve got some really talented girls on this team, and we will see where they take us,” he said.

Here is a look at the 2011 girls track team.

Coach: Mark Drummond

Last season: 7-4

Returning letter winners: Megan Kirschling (jr.), Megan Knoblock (so.), Shannon Nearly (so), Samantha Budd (jr.), Kayah Owens (sr.), Millie Kipp (so.)

Promising newcomers: N/A

Team to beat: Haddon Heights/Haddonfield

Three storyline to follow this season:

- The impact of Kirschling. Drummond lavished praised on Kirschling, saying she could provide the team with points in at least six events. However, it's unlikely that Kirschling will be able to compete in that many events each meet, so choosing which events to use the standout athlete in will be critical. Kirschling will almost certainly compete in her top two events–the high jump and high hurdles–but where else she contributes could change depending on the competition.

- The continued growth of the West Deptford Relays. The West Deptford Relays are a girls-only event, and the field could expand to as many as 45 teams this year. Drummond said a few schools from as far north as Toms River have been added, and that he expects the relays to be better than ever. This will be the 19th year of the annual event, which takes place on Saturday, April 9.

- Which athletes will make a name for themselves. While Drummond has all the confidence in the world in his experienced athletes, he admitted to being unsure where the depth would come from. Undoubtedly, a few new faces will emerge as key contributors in the coming months. The West Deptford track community should get a better feel of which girls will rise above the pack when the Eagles open the regular season on Tuesday, April 5 at Colonial Conference foe Audubon.