WHS track team kicks into gear, returns 35 athletes

The Weiser High School track season has started yet again with the team aiming towards another successful season. 

 The 2024 season started with a March 15 meet in Melba.

 The track season last year was very successful, with the girls claiming the 2023 3A State Championship title. 

 The team, looking to capture similar success this year, returns 10 state qualifiers, including Jackson Laird, Kailee Lerew, Kamryn Doty, Madi Wilkins, Claire Matthews, Bethany Walker, Toren Walker, Josh Kelley, Judah Parsons, and Jayden Walker.

 The WHS track team consists of 85 athletes this year, 35 of them returning from the previous season, including 16 seniors.

 Despite the strong roster, they will nonetheless face stiff competition from league opponents Fruitland, Homedale, Parma, Payette, and McCall, all of which are sure to put up a good fight for the Weiser track team.

 Another thing that will help the Wolverines have a great season this year is head coach, Dave Shirts. He has coached for 43 years and has served as head coach for 11 of those years. Shirts is very confident in his team and feels his athletes show many great strengths in a variety of events.

 “We will be good in sprints up to 400,” he said. “We also have a solid distance group. We have strength as well in the high jump, triple, long, and pole vault.  Our throwers will be solid also.  We have a good group of hurdlers working hard as well.”

 The team also has strengths in most other areas making the whole team quite well-rounded.

 “We look to be strong in a lot of areas,” Shirts added. “We have a lot of athletes willing to put in the work and time. We have a good group of leaders.”

 The team also has lots of good core values such as aiming to be better and better with each passing day. The team is always aiming for improvement, but there are other core values they stress.

 “We always emphasize hard work, being responsible, being respectful to each other, and being positive,” Shirts noted.

 The team is ready to give it their all and to achieve the same accomplishments they did last season, and more.