The Aplington-Parkersburg girls track & field team is entering the season with a deep and experienced roster. Head Coach Alex Pollock is especially optimistic about the potential for some of the field events.
Sophomore Zoey Uhlenhopp started her season with an eighth place shot put finish at Monday’s Wartburg Invitational with a throw of 29-11.00. Pollock says Uhlenhopp has a high ceiling.
“We’re excited about Zoey,” Pollock says. “She’s had a just a really good year in between the track season. She works really hard. She’s a state wrestler. She was a key contributor on that state volleyball team. So I think she’s starting to see that success and gain that confidence that it takes to become a state caliber thrower. And I know she really wants it. And so we’re excited about what she can do. I think coach Lindsay Wolff has done a phenomenal job with her, just getting her to understand the ins and outs, the technique really well.”
Pollock says senior Olyvia Bellows, coming off a seventh place high jump finish in last year’s state meet, has championship potential.
“We’re really just looking for her to be elite this year. That’s the one event where I think that we can be elite. And we’re talking about placing pretty high at Drake and talking about a state champion. The three-time state champion in our class for high jump finally graduated this past year. So that gives somebody else an opportunity and Olyvia has that potential there. So when you’re talking about making some major points at state, that’s an event that we can do well in.”
The Falcons will compete at another indoor meet at Warburg on Tuesday, March 19. They’ll begin the outdoor season on Tuesday, April 2 at Grundy Center.
Season preview with Pollock:
