By De Equitibus Staff

With only a month to go before the state championships, the Tempe Prep track and field teams are picking up the pace at practice and at every meet. While smaller than in past years, both the men’s and women’s teams figure to have competitive showings in May.

It will be difficult for the Knights to replicate the successes of past years. The women’s team gained second place at the state championships last year, but suffered the loss of star sprinter and long jumper Claire Horvath, who scored the most points at state her sophomore and junior years. The men’s team is only two years removed from a state championship, but it will be difficult for the small squad to make headway against the top schools in Division IV.

One bright spot for the both the men’s and women’s sides is the field events. The Knights should have strong performances in several events. Seniors Levi Hartzler and Eddy Lebeau are near the top of Division IV in the shot put. The women’s side looks even stronger, with sophomore Catherine Bryant owning the top mark in the division in the triple jump and ranking second in the long jump. All-state basketball player Camille Zimmerman is also in the top five in the long and triple, allowing the Knights to once again have some of the best jumpers in the state. Marie Bryant strengthens the team with her excellent performances in the discus.

Of course the runners have been working very hard too. Senior Caleb Peckham has broken school records in the 1600m and 3200m and is near the top of the division in these races and the 800m. He is aided by the arrival of underclassmen Gabe Lebeau and also Joel and Eric Simoneau, who can all be competitive in the mid-distance and distance events. While the sprinters on the men’s side aren’t yet in a position to score points, they too are improving every meet.

The women’s team has several runners poised for success. Speedy freshman Sarah Casto arrived quickly on the scene this year and is pushing star quarter-miler Marie Bryant in multiple events. Marie looks to improve on her third-place 400m finish at state last May and also to raise the level of her 200m dash, while sister Catherine has emerged as a force in the 300m hurdles. On the distance side sophomore Rachel Matsumoto is quickly becoming a star in Division IV. She is already in the top 10 in the three distance events, and she has the potential to score many points for the Lady Knights.

Every year the Knights are entered in large Division I meets in order to expose the athletes to a higher level of competition. This strategy is once again working to perfection, with many personal records being set at the Chandler Rotary, Scottsdale Distance Classic, and Sun Angel Invitational. Coaches Melissa Brittain, Sam Bryant and Tom Hickernell are once again heading the efforts and pushing a new generation of TPA track athletes to add to the tradition of excellence found in Tempe Prep track and field.