Spring sports athletes have been just about everywhere lately. They’re jogging in the halls, putting in the library, throwing in the gym and catching tennis balls in the cafeteria. They’re anywhere the coaches can find room for them.
March in Jefferson County is not an easy time to get the spring sports season rolling. There’s snow on the tennis courts and the track, and there’s no golf course, either. Coaches have to improvise, and that’s exactly what they’re doing. The golf team practices putting in the library while the track and tennis teams share available gym space.
There may be obstacles, but Jefferson High’s spring coaches are finding a way to get the athletes prepared. And, as has been the case in previous years, their expectations remain high with all three sports aspiring to compete at state.
Tennis
The tennis team has spent some time on the tennis courts, but they haven’t been serving. Instead, they’ve been shoveling, which – although it provides a good aerobic exercise – is not exactly what Head Tennis Coach Eliza McLaughlin had in mind. Fortunately, the team can practice indoors, but where exactly isn’t always certain.
So far, the tennis team has practiced in the high school’s north and south gyms, in the hallways, in the Boulder Elementary School gym, in the wrestling room and in the cafeteria. Even when the snow melts, there are no tennis courts to use, as most existing courts aren’t currently safe to use. McLaughlin hopes by the end of the season at least two tennis courts will be ready for use.
There are some advantages to the indoor practices, McLaughlin said, as it has given the team an opportunity to focus on technique.
“A lot of kids come from volleyball so they are used to serving straight on, which isn’t proper technique, so we are working on learning to serve sideways,” McLaughlin said. “We are also working on perfecting the serve toss. It takes a lot of muscle memory to toss it in the same place.”
As far as expectations for the season are concerned, McLaughlin said she hopes to see the team do well in divisionals and hopes to see state qualifiers. Doubles partners Aliza Hays and Rylee Baird – both seniors – made it to state last year, and they hope to return.
“We work really well together,” Hays said. “We really hit it off. We were excited to get as far as we got last year and hope this year we can make it past the first day of state and get into the top five.”
Hays is particularly dedicated, McLaughlin said, and her hard work has so far paid off, as she was recruited to play collegiate tennis for Oklahoma Wesleyan University.
“I never thought I would be a college athlete. I wasn’t good at other sports,” Hays said, “but I love tennis and don’t want to stop playing it after high school.”
McLaughlin said she is proud of Hays and has been encouraged to see her hard work encourage others on the team.
“She always puts in 110%,” McLaughlin said.
McLaughlin said she expects big things out of Hays and Baird this season, as well as fellow senior Morgan Knickerbocker, who made it to state as an alternate last year.
Knickerbocker also made it to state her sophomore year, which – due to the pandemic – was the first year her class had the opportunity to compete in spring sports. Knickerbocker said she is passionate about tennis and is driven to win this year. In order to accomplish her goal of making it to state and putting forth a good showing there she has to get out of her own head and stay focused, she said.
“All [Knickerbocker] needs to expect from herself is to do her best,” McLaughlin added.
There’s a lot to be excited about this season, McLaughlin said, not just regarding the abilities of the team, but its size, as close to 20 girls came out. And, for the first time in Jefferson High history, there is a male tennis player: freshman Izaak Luhrsen.
Luhrsen is new to the sport but willing to give it a try. At this point he’s just taking things one practice at a time.
“I can’t hit the ball as well as the others, but they have more experience,” he said. “I’m just trying to stop dropping my racket.”
McLaughlin said Luhrsen is making strides each week and has shown promise in open gym. She looks forward to seeing him continue to develop and hopes his presence on the team sets a standard and expectation for the tennis program moving forward. In fact, there’s already been interest from eighth graders about playing next year.
The tennis team is expected to start practicing at the tennis courts next week. McLaughlin can’t wait.
“You don’t really know who your standout players are until you get them on the court,” she said. “I’m excited to see how they play.”
The golf team kicks off its season against Three Forks at Manhattan on Saturday, March 25.
Track
The track team is looking to pick up where it left off last year, setting its sights once again on a state championship. Assistant coach Cody Ottman said he has a good feeling about this season,
as seniors Emma McCauley, Jace Oxarart, Mike Emter and Renae Parker all got to experience state last year, and are hungry and driven to get back.
Parker, who is coming off a state championship in cross country, has three events in track: the 800-meter, the 1600-meter and the 3200-meter. Last year she took first in state in the 3200.
As usual, Parker has high expectations, as she hopes to break the Jefferson High records set in 1998 by Sabrina Monroe in the 800, the 1600 and the 3200.
Every day Parker looks at these records as she passes by them in the cafeteria. She has them memorized. The record for the 800 is 2:23, the 1600 is five minutes flat and the 3200 is 10:45. These records are attainable, she said, and she’s confident if she keeps pushing herself she can make it happen. If she breaks these records, she added, her scores should be good enough to win state in each respective category, which is also her goal.
Parker said this hasn’t been an easy year, as she’s suffered some injuries, but she’s feeling good this year and is optimistic she can accomplish her goals.
“I feel strong,” she said. “I’m just working on getting my speed up, which takes a while.”
Oxarart also has high hopes this season. He wants to return to state and get another chance to run the 100-meter dash.
“I’m just trying to stay healthy and stay mentally prepared,” he said, “and, with the 100, I’ve got to work on not false-starting this year. I false-started last year in the finals, and that was a big blow, so that’s the goal this year. As for javelin, I’ve put on a little bit of strength since last year so hopefully I’ll be able to work on my form and compete for a top spot.”
Oxarart won state in both the 4×100 and 4×400 relays. Fellow senior Mike Emter is part of both relay teams, and he said he expects to win state in both again.
“I think we can definitely do it,” he said, “and it’s our last year, so we’ve got to go all out.”
Emter said it’s been fun competing in the relay with Oxarart and Dylan Root as they all played football together
“It’s not too much different,” he said. “There’s just no ball included.”
Emter also runs the 200-meter dash and this year plans to run the 400-meter dash as well, and hopes to compete in both at state.
As for McCauley, she hopes to see the girls work hard and get a trophy, at least in divisionals. Individually, McCauley said she hopes to reach the top-three in her events, which are long-jump, triple-jump and 100-meter hurdles. Last year she got third place in triple and long jump, and sixth in 100-meter hurdles. This year she hopes to get at least third in each.
For McCauley, triple jump is the hardest category, and right now she’s working hard on keeping consistency with her jumps. This requires constant reps, she said, and not getting discouraged.
It sounds difficult, but McCauley said she also really enjoys the challenge, as well as the camaraderie with her teammates.
“We all push each other and cheer each other on,” McCauley said. “The distance runners cheer on the jumpers, the sprinters cheer on the throwers. There’s a lot of support and friendly competition. I love it.”
The track season kicks off Saturday, March 25 at the Corvallis Invitational.
Golf
No golf course in town? No problem, as Head Golf Coach Anna DeMars has found a way to improve the athletes short game early in the season.
Confined to the high school library, Jefferson High’s golfers have been utilizing a variety of putting and chipping mats, just waiting for the snow to thaw.
When the weather improves and they can shoot outside, the team can use new technology to monitor drives to track the speed and accuracy of each drive.
It’s always challenging to start the season indoors, but DeMars said she is optimistic about this season. After making history last year as the first Jefferson High Boys’ team to win state, this year’s golfers are aiming for a repeat. And it’s possible too, considering four of last year’s top six have returned.
“We’d like to go back-to-back,” said sophomore Ben Werner. “We want to return to state bigger and better.”
Junior Collin Field said he believes another state championship is attainable, especially since the team is putting in the hard work it takes to defend a championship.
“We’ve just got to keep motivated and keep our game up,” Field said. “Golf is all about mentality. We’ve got to stay sharp.”
“We’ve just got to keep swinging and stay out of our heads,” added Werner. “We’ve got to take it one shot at a time.”
DeMars said she is impressed with the amount of dedication she is seeing from her athletes, as they are putting in extra time outside of practice.
“The four who are returning really played a lot this summer,” she said. “This inspires a lot of the younger kids to work harder too.”
Now in her fourth year coaching, DeMars said she’s really pleased with where the team is at and is very encouraged for the future, since the program’s success is coupled with growth.
“We’ve pretty much doubled in size since I started here, going from three girls and eight boys to seven girls and 15 boys,” DeMars said.
DeMars said she also has high hopes for the girls team, which also tasted success last year, taking fifth at state. DeMars said she expects the girls team to place at state this year.
“We have four of our five girls returning from last year, and they continue to get better,” DeMars said.
This includes senior Celi Chapman, who won the individual golf state championship last year and strives to win it again. For Chapman, golf is more than a sport,it’s a passion. Chapman plans to continue pursuing this passion at the college level as a member of Carroll College’s team.
Chapman’s success is contagious, inspiring others on the girl’s team, such as Jessie Harris, who is also a senior. Harris said it’s not just Chapman’s work ethic that inspires her teammates – but her joy for the game.
“Golf has really become my happy place,” Chapman said, “You don’t have to think about anything else and you can just focus on the game.”
For herself and her teammates, Chapman said she wants golf to be fun. The last thing she wants to do, she said, is to make anything harder for her teammates.
“Golf is already a mentally challenging sport, so the more serious you take it with your teammates, the more stressful it can get,” she said. “I just want us to go out there and have fun.”
Harris said this mentality has rubbed off on her, and has helped her loosen up. She added Chapman has also helped give some helpful tips that have already improved her game. Right now Harris, Chapman and the rest of the girls team are just taking things one practice at a time and hope their indoor practices translates to outdoor success.
“It’s always rough getting onto grass when you’ve been hitting on turf, but it will be good,” Chapman said.
The first competition for the golf team is scheduled for March 27 at Green Meadow Country Club in Helena.
