Despite recent weather limiting outdoor training, the 2025-26 West Fork girls track and field team is making early-season gains inside the community wellness center. Head Coach Ashley Sears says the focus so far has been on building a foundation of speed and explosiveness across all events.
“Mostly have been focusing on building a base of speed, like whether they’re running a kick at the end of the 800 or if they’re just a 100 meter dasher we’re hoping to help everybody just get faster,” says Sears. “And we do a lot of speed and explosive drills, a lot of lifting and other explosive plyometric stuff. Can’t do a lot of just sheer running and working on the speed endurance, but we do a lot of anaerobic work to try to get aerobically fit.”
This year’s team returns several state qualifiers, including Alyssa Wood, Evelyn Hitzhusen and Abby Schoning on the track, along with Brylee Dickman in the shot put.
Last season, Wood and Hitzhusen were part of a state-qualifying 800-meter sprint medley. The Warhawks also qualified in the 4×200-meter relay but must replace three runners from that team, with Wood the only returner. In the 4×400-meter relay, West Fork returns Schoning and Hitzhusen but will need to replace two runners lost to graduation.
With key spots to fill, Sears says a group of incoming freshmen could make an immediate impact.
“I know Dazie Huff and Talia Pommrehn are two I’m really excited about short sprinters that are freshmen coming up,” says Sears. “Mackenna Dick is also another freshman who might do better at the fours and eights and above. She was a state cross-country qualifier this year as a freshman. So, I think we’ve got some exciting things coming with those new kids that hopefully fill in some of the gaps that the senior class left us.”
The Warhawks first outdoor competition is scheduled on March 31 in St. Ansgar.
