With their first season of indoor track behind them, most teams in Carroll County are a step ahead of where they were this time a year ago.
Again, however, that means they're still a step behind perennial power Westminster.
As the spring season moves into high gear, the Owls are in pursuit of their 15th straight boys and fourth straight girls county titles.
The Westminster boys, who finished 12th at last year's Class 4A state meet, return a plethora of top performers led by senior distance standout Jason Santucci, The Sun Carroll County Indoor Track Performer of the Year and two-time All-Metro Cross Country Runner of the Year.
Santucci, who will run the 1,600 meters, 3,200 and a leg on the 4x800 relay, was the Central Maryland Conference champion this past winter in the 1,600, and also won region titles in both the 1,600 and 3,200.
He is just one member of a talent-laden team, that includes five other indoor All-Countians:
Sophomore Troy Borneman was the CMC's indoor high jump champion.
Sophomore Andy Kuchera took fourth in the Class 3A-4A indoor pole vault.
Junior Jesse O'Connell won a Class 3A-4A indoor state title in the 800, and also won CMC crowns in both the 500 and 800.
Sophomore Kevin Pool finished fourth in the regional indoor 3,200 and ninth in the state.
Senior Jim Garrett took third in the CMC indoor 300.
Junior Jared Craig, who won CMC indoor titles in the 55 and high hurdles, is currently ineligible, but will return in late April.
Boys team-by-team
Westminster: The Owls also feature a number of other top performers, including senior Ifeanyi Ani, a standout in the sprints and jumps. Last spring, he was a double county champion, winning the long and triple jumps.
Senior Sean Valis was the county's pole vault champion last spring before placing sixth at the state meet.
Junior Josh Davis (distance), sophomore Matt Newcomer (hurdles), freshman Alex Hernandez (high jump), senior Tony Legge (jumps), sophomore Scott Smith (pole vault), senior Ben Hull (shot, discus) and Adam Ridgway (shot) are also ones to watch. Coach Jim Shank said his team appears to be in good shape, albeit a bit depleted in the sprints.
South Carroll: The Cavaliers, who finished third in the county and tied for 14th at the Class 3A state meet a year ago, could be the Owls' top challenger.
Despite the graduation of distance standout Steve McClearn (second in state 1,600, fifth in state 3,200), South Carroll returns a talented group led by a distance corps that has claimed the Class 3A state cross country title each of the past two years.
Sophomore Bobby Mead, an All-County indoor performer, gives coach Rob Pennington plenty of flexibility with his ability to run anything from the 800 to the 3,200. His best event is the mile, an event in which he took fourth in the CMC and ninth in the state this past winter.
He will be complimented by a number of talented distance runners, including senior Steve Hamilton (1,600, 3,200), juniors Peter Hamlington (1,600, 3,200) -- a former tennis standout -- and Doug Harmer (800, 1,600), and sophomores Sean Hollars (3,200) and Matt Adami, who runs everything from the 800 to the 3,200 and also shows high-jump potential.
The team is also strong in the middle distance, where another All-Countian, senior Chris McDonald, leads the way. Last spring, he took third in the county 400 and this winter took third in the 800 region.
Senior Sean McClearn (400, 800), the younger brother of Steve, also is expected to produce.
Sprinters Josh Rodriguez (junior) and Mike Muller (senior) have shown surprising speed early, and the field events will be led by senior Blake Boyer (jumps), Jason Blocher (long, triple) and junior Ron Brogden (long).
Pennington said his roster is also filled with several other solid athletes who will help in the relays.
Francis Scott Key: The Eagles, who finished second in the county and sixth at last spring's Class 2A state meet, will be trying to replace a number of top performers lost to graduation.
Francis Scott Key graduated four who helped account for 31 points in the state meet. "We're doing some rebuilding, and some kids have to step up," said Eagles coach Rich Salkin.
Among them will be seniors Mike Replogle (800) and Ken Miller (shot put), both All-County performers over the winter. Replogle won the 800 at the Monocacy Valley Athletic League meet before taking fourth in the region and fifth at the Class 1A-2A state meet. Miller also won an MVAL championship, took second in the region -- with the longest throw of any county performer all season -- and fifth in the state.
They will be complimented by a number of talented middle-distance runners in seniors Rob Hanson and Billy Joy, sophomore Jim Wood and freshman Adam Safely, as well as sprinters Justin Airing, Andre Gerald (both seniors) and Ed Feely (sophomore). Freshman Tony Gerald and senior Tony Ebaugh will be expected to produce in the hurdles, while senior Justin Thomas (high jump), junior Tony Braglio (shot) and senior Clint Day (pole vault) should do well in the field events. "We have some good kids in each area," said Salkin. "How good remains to be seen."
North Carroll: The Panthers, tied for fourth in the county with Liberty last year, feature a corps of strong throwers, led by senior Josh Schwartz, who took third in the Class 3A discus a year ago with a record-breaking toss.
Schwartz will be shooting for the coveted 150-foot mark this season, and will compete in the shot put, as well. Joining him are seniors Jason Howdyshell (shot) and Eric Wilhelm (shot, discus).
Senior high jumper Matt Dornberger was indoor All-County, finishing second in the Class 2A-3A Central region before tying for seventh in the state. He will also compete in the long and triple jumps.
The Panthers aren't deep in the running events, but do have two top middle-distance performers in seniors Jason Cuno and Jeff Graham, as well as a pair of strong distance runners in juniors Justin Getty and Ken Lynch.
Liberty: The Lions look to be strong in the sprints and field events. They are led by jumper Marc Falcone, a junior who last spring took second in the triple jump and third in the long jump at the county meet. He will be complimented in the jumps by sophomore Ryan Ford, also a sprinter.
Others to watch in the field include junior Andrew Cooke (pole vault), junior Tim Eagle (discus), senior Shawn Carter (shot) and high jumper Jason Foss. Senior Ray Tignal (middle distance), senior Matt Cox (sprints, 400) and a pair of distance standouts in freshman Mark Buschman and senior Nathan Gilmore will also be counted on to produce.
Girls team-by-team
Westminster: The Owls are a strong favorite, with 12 returning seniors plus a host of top younger performers. "We've got some experience coming back that will make a good contribution and some young kids with promise," said coach Tom Fisher.
The team is led by its extremely powerful group of throwers. Senior Kiara Adams dominated the shot over the winter, winning CMC, region and state titles and being named The Sun's county indoor track Performer of the Year. The power lifter has hit the coveted 40-foot mark in practice.
She is complimented by juniors Emily and Jessica Hester. Emily was an All-County indoor performer, taking second in the CMC, fourth in the region and third in the state in the shot. Jessica is the defending county champion in the discus.
Senior Becky Kuchera earned All-Coun ty honors over the winter by excelling in two events, winning a CMC title in the high jump and taking seventh in the state pole vault.
The team also returns a strong group of distance standouts from the cross country team, including seniors Holly Thompson and Beth Vigliotti and junior Katie Henshaw. Fisher said sophomore Janielle Santucci could also surprise.
Junior Mandy Komar, another All-County indoor performer, excels in the distance races and triple jump, where she took fifth in the state last spring. Others to watch include sophomore Ashley Schoenbech (sprints), sophomore Rachel Imhoff (long jump, hurdles), freshman Lindsay Ludwigen (long jump, sprints), junior Elyssa Huvver (pole vault) and freshman Tiffany Ellison (sprints).
South Carroll: The Cavaliers, who finished second in the county and tied for eighth in Class 3A, return perhaps the top jumper in the state in senior Pun Chittchang. Last spring, she won county and state championships in both the long jump and triple jump, and is expected to again be a dominant force in both.
Chittchang is one of just seven seniors on a roster of 49, but is also the leader of a squad dominated by strong sprinters and field performers.
Senior Jody Sharpe was an All-County indoor selection, winning a CMC title in the 55 hurdles before taking third in the region in that event. Last spring, she took runner-up in the county's 100 hurdles.
Other sprinter standouts include senior Kim Weschler (100, 200), senior Charlene Deniker (100, 200), junior Shannon Farber (sprints, hurdles) and Heather Embrey (200). Junior Diana Bolard will compete in both the 100 and the pole vault.
The team also appears strong in middle distance, led by sophomore Megan Sowa (400), junior Chrissy Murphy (400, 800), junior Mollie Olson (800), junior Michele Hollars (800), freshman Kim McClearn (800) and freshman Lindsey Schwartz, who will run both the 800 and 3,200.
Liberty: The Lions, who took third in the county last year, should be among the leaders again with their strong group of distance and middle-distance runners, and field performers.
Senior Gwen Gilmore was an All-County pick over the winter after placing sixth in the regional 800 and showing well in both the 800 and 1,600 at the Class 2A-3A state meet. Sophomores Katie Brelsford and Ashley Duerr should also contend in the distance events, while freshman Alexis Grubb shows signs of being a strong distance and middle-distance runner.
Lions coach Ed Adami got a good indication of what to expect from this year's team at an early-season tri-meet with Thomas Johnson and North Carroll. He said the Lions, with 18 freshmen on the roster, exceeded his expectations in several areas en route to a team victory.
Among those areas was the high jump, where senior Wendy Frank, who had peaked at 4-foot-8 indoors, cleared 5 feet. Junior Julie Hurt also faired well, taking second at the meet in the shot. She will compete in the discus, as well.
Others to watch include freshman Laura Wilson and seniors Jen Bruce and Dana Parisi (sprints), sophomore Emily Herman and freshman Chardonnay McCord (middle distance) and jumper Jenny Dick.
North Carroll: The Panthers, fourth in the county last spring, return two All-County indoor performers in sophomore Colleen Lawson and junior Anna Korovina.
Lawson, second last spring in the county 3,200, played a key role this past winter as the Panthers claimed the Class 2A-3A Central region title, winning the 1,600 and 3,200, and taking fifth in the 800. She also won a CMC championship in the 3,200 and took third in that event at the states.
Korovina, who will be counted on in the hurdles, shot put, long and triple jumps, had a winter to remember. In her first season throwing the shot, she took third in the CMC before winning a region title and placing fifth in the state.
Junior Katie Walker (pole vault), senior Jill Russell (middle distance) and sophomore Jen Lee (sprints) should also contribute.
Francis Scott Key: The Eagles, fifth in the county a year ago, look to be strong in the sprints, middle distance and throwing, but thin in the distance and jumping events. The formation of a varsity girls lacrosse team cut into the turnout, claiming several top athletes.
The team is led by all-County indoor track performer Jackie Kram, a junior who excels at both the shot put and triple jump, and also won the Class 1A-2A West region title in the indoor 55.
She will be complimented by senior Melissa Merson (hurdles), juniors Kim Mathias (800), Jenny Penn (800, hurdles), Kellie Pfeiffer (hurdles, jumps) and Emily Cyford (sprints), and sophomores Sam Stambaugh (throws), April Wantz (1,600, 800), Lauren Jorbeck (pole vault) and Amanda Woolman (pole vault).