Following up on a state championship is no easy task. But that’s the job the Milford High School boys’ track team has in front of it, a year after they took the Division II title after a brilliant 11-1 season.
“The way the state divides up its track teams, we’re still in Division II, no matter where the rest of the teams go,” Head Coach Czar Bloom said. “So we’re going to have the chance to defend that title. We’re looking forward to it. May’s a long time away — anything can happen. But we’ve got the opportunity to work hard, and we’re going to take it.
The girls were no slouch either, at 9-3 and fourth in the state.
Both hope to get off to a quick start, since many of the athletes have already shaken off any rust they had with an indoor track season that saw the Bucs claim the Henlopen Conference title for the second straight year.
“We’re still working, and the kids who ran over the winter are in good shape,” Bloom said. “We were among the top indoor teams, and we’ve got a lot of veterans back from last year’s squads, so as long as we stay healthy, we’ve got a good shot.”
As always, the Bucs have a big team, with more than 80 student athletes on the boys’ and girls’ squads combined. They’ve also managed to hold on to most of last year’s underclassmen.
“This is one of our most veteran groups,” Bloom said. “Even the younger guys are seasoned. Many of the sophomores were there and contributed when we won the state championship, and they’re working on improving this year.”
Seniors like Ryan Pettyjohn, Patrick Helmick, Jason Harper and Shayla Dukes will help lead the way, but not officially — the track teams don’t name senior captains. And the boys’ team might not be able to rely on Harper’s All-State jumping skills at first. He injured himself at the indoor state championships and still hasn’t completely recovered.
“He’s already up and working out, but we’ve had to alter his training until he’s at 100 percent,” Bloom said. “We’re hoping we’ll have him around for the start of the season.”
While both teams have veteran talent, they’ve also h teams have an influx of first-year runners who could help decide meets.
“We have a good group of freshmen, especially on the girls’ team,” Bloom said. “They’ve got some athletes who are going to add to the quality of that team immediately, and will be some of our future talent.”
