This is the second installment of a six-part series of columns that will look ahead to the upcoming high school sports year for our six area schools. The Southern Coffey County Titans were featured in Wednesday’s Register. Up next is Yates Center.
The Yates Center boys’ and girls’ athletic teams were in different stages of development last year, but heading into the 2017-18 school year, they each have a plethora of talented returning players across sports.
TRACK/CROSS COUNTRY
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The Wildcat boys’ track and cross country teams were the most successful teams in the area last year and return nearly all of their top contributors for 2017-18.
Hadley Splechter is the most decorated of the returnees and will be back to lead both teams after finishing second at the State Cross-Country Championships last season and winning three gold medals at the State Track and Field Championships last month.
Splechter will be a junior this season, and if his laundry list of accomplishments as an underclassman is any indication, the next two years will be a fun ride.
Seniors Jordan Smith and Colin Bedell are also back after each finished in the top seven at the State Cross Country Championships. They also joined Splechter on their 4×800-meter relay state championship team.
The cross country team will be further bolstered by the addition of the fourth member of that 4×800 team, senior Kobe Forsyth.
Forsyth didn’t go out for cross country last season, but after training with his three accomplished teammates for the track season, he is prepared to train with them this summer and join the Wildcat squad that appears to be a favorite for a team title.
The track team will lose top sprinter Levi Cooper, but return the rest of its squad including state qualifiers Thayne Smith, Quin Lowder and Austin Crabtree.
The girls’ team will continue to battle a numbers game, but the return of sophomore Jaylee Catron is a promising sign.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Catron and fellow-sophomore Maddie Collins provide a lot of the hopes for the Wildcat basketball team.
The backcourt duo had terrific freshman seasons last year and with their entire starting five returning with them, the Wildcats should take a major step forward this season.
While Catron and Collins anchor the backcourt, junior Allie Pringle, senior Katelyn Jones and sophomore Taylor Jacobs lead a talented frontcourt.
