The Wooster High boys track team doesnt have a House to build around this season, but its foundation is solid.
The General thinclads will certainly miss DMetre House, who earned All-Ohio honors in the 100- and 200-meter dashes and dominated the Ohio Cardinal Conference sprints last season. House, who is currently a member of the Youngstown State track team, left Wooster with school records in the open 100 (11.63 Fully Automatic Timing) at the Ohio Cardinal Conference Championships and in the 200 in the State semifinals (21.58 FAT), which was a Wayne County record as well. He also helped a pair of WHS sprint relays to State as a junior, setting school records as well.
We lost DMetre and you cant replace him, said WHS coach Doug Bennett. He was a little point factory.
The cupboard is hardly bare, though, for a team that finished second to Lexington in the OCC championship meet. While their point factory is gone, along with 400-meter OCC and district champion Shawn Riley, the Generals are a year older and improved in a number of other events.
Bennett welcomes back 15 lettermen, led by a trio of regional qualifiers. Junior Duke Price, who may add the high hurdles to his repertoire this season, went to regionals with a long jump of 21-9.5, as did sophomore Stewart Turner Jr., who went 22-1.5. Junior Austin Carstensen, who sailed over 6-2 in the high jump, joined them at Youngstown.
Price and Turner will figure prominently in the sprints and sprint relays, along with junior Zaurice Stephans. Juniors Jordan (hurdles) and Marcus Cremer (800) will give their events a major boost, while senior Gabe Abud will be a key performer in the 3200. A trio of sophomores will impact the Generals lineup -- Cody Neidig will also run the 800 (2:06), Brock Berlin finished third in the OCC 3200 (10:18), while Michael Styer broke the Generals freshman 400 record (53.04).
The pole vault will be one of the teams strengths with juniors Brett Breneman (11-6) and Kosta Nicolozakes (11-0), as well as sophomore Thomas Dail. Senior Mamoudou NDiaye will be a key performer in the high jump, while classmate Preston Keener is the top returnee in the weights.
We lost Nate Miller in the throws, but in the high jump were a year older, the vault a year older and the long jump a year older. That will help, said Bennett. Duke is back and Im excited to see what he can do, as well as our sprinters. Well see who steps up at the time trials.
Our distance and middle distance kids have grown, he added. We lost Sharry Grewal (10:06 3200), but we have kids ready to step in. They are also a year older and a year seasoned. I think we have the potential to be a good team and get better by the league meet.
Wooster opens at home against Nordonia March 30.
