Track and field season begins Friday

The Mountain Home Tigers open their track season this Friday at Middleton.

Mountain Home Tiger head track coach Rich Urquidi says they have good numbers out for track this Spring.

"We're sitting at about 80 kids, and that's about where we usually are -- sometimes we start out higher, but it seems like we always end up at about 80. It's pretty even with the boys and girls each way, so we're pleased with the turnout."

Coach Urquidi says they have a good bunch of girls returning from last year's squad.

"Our girls have the most experience back. We have about five or six girls returning that went to state, and a couple of them that placed at state, so they have some experience.

"Tracey Gordon, she's coming back with some experience. Jhorie Kelly has some experience in the hurdles and she did well last year. We also have Selena Foster coming back in our pole vault, high jump and hurdles, and Mattie Bennett, she won district in the triple jump and she has some experience, and Whitney Sandberg's been running really good, so we're looking pretty good in the girls."

The Mountain Home coach expects the season to be a rebuilding year for the boys track squad.

"We're kind of reloading in the boys, but they've been working really hard. Michael Daniels is probably our only returner with any experience from state, so we're looking forward to the potential there that we see in the boys."

Coach Urquidi expects his team to be competitive in the conference this season.

"I think our girls should be in the upper division of the conference -- top three I should think, somewhere in there. We're always shooting for a district championship, and if things fall right and some other people knock some other people around, we always have a shot at that.

"I think our boys, we can't do anything but move up, and I think we'll be in the middle of the pack this year. I really haven't looked at what other people have, because I'm not real worried about it until district when I start seeing things, but we have our shots."

The Tigers will be at Middleton Friday to open their season against the Vikings and Nampa.

"We're looking forward to that, just to kind of get going," said coach Urquidi. "Then that next week, we'll be home before spring break, so this week is just to get everybody ready to go. The first meet is a low-key thing, we'll not be worried about times, just where people are sitting, and still getting in shape, and our goal is to peak at district, because if you don't do well at district, you don't go to state, and that's always our goal. That's the philosophy our coaches have, so we get everybody ready to peak there, and move people around where we need them."

Friday's meet at Middleton gets under way at 4:30 p.m.