Mercer Track And Field Look To Defend State Title
Photo: Submitted
Some of the members of the Titans track team traveled to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, over spring break to compete. Both the boys and girls teams have worked hard in the off season to defend their state championships.
Casey Roberts
Herald Staff
Sports@harrodsburgherald.com
Head Coach Terry Yeast and his Mercer County Titans track and field squad will need to have another great season if they plan to duplicate the success of last year’s state championship run on both the girls and boys teams.
The only task harder than winning a state title is defending it. However, that’s exactly what the Mercer Titans track and field teams have been preparing to do. Yeast made his intentions clear.
“The goal is for both teams to repeat, that’s the plan and expectation.”
From the time their final meet ended last year, Yeast had his sights on his team returning back to the top spot in the following season.
“Our kids have been working extremely hard in the offseason, we had more of our athletes take weightlifting seriously. We also tried to get out to an early start with our core returners by competing in in-door events,” said Yeast.
The Lady Titans return their entire roster from last season with the exception of Timberlynn Yeast, who sustained a knee injury during basketball season.
In her absence, Coach Yeast expects senior Jai Maria Piazza and freshman Teigh Yeast to step up in a big way. Distance runner Clayra Darnell is also slated for a successful season.
Recent Centre College signee senior Lindsay Jessie is also poised for a huge year. She opened her senior season by placing first in the shot put in the team’s first meet of the season. Over the weekend, Jessie set a new personal best in the discus throw with a score of 111-9.
Coach Yeast loses some depth from the boys team, but the goal remains the same.
“We lost some big-time contributors from last year’s team. Right now we are trying to place our boys in the best position to be successful. A lot of kids that are used to running relays are now being asked to participate in more individual events,” said Coach Yeast.
Senior Beau Brown and junior Thaddeus Mays return as highly touted leaders from last year’s title team. Senior Lleyton Penn helps round out what Coach Yeast describes as the “core group.”
Along with the talented upperclassmen, the Titans boast an influx of youth which includes sophomore Marshall Hart. Hart wasted no time making his impact felt on the program by breaking the school record in the two-mile run this past weekend in Myrtle Beach South Carolina.
“Marshall is an amazing athlete that we feel will definitely help us moving forward,” said Coach Yeast.
The sky is the limit for Yeast and his squad this season. The team started hot in their first meet of the year. The Titans won multiple relay and individual events in the Mercer County all-comers competition.
