It could be a big spring for the Yuma High School track and field athletes.
The Indians open their season Saturday, when they host the Yuma Early Qualifier. The opener is a little later than in the past, but head coach Lucas Lubbers said he prefers that since the student-athletes will be back in school for one week after spring break.
“It’s a bear to keep kids here during spring break, and then have a meet at the end of it,” Lubbers said.
There are more than 60 students out for track and field, between the boys and girls teams.
“I’m pretty excited,” Lubbers said last week. “This is one of the bigger teams I’ve had since I’ve been coach.”
The Yuma boys ran, jumped, leaped and vaulted their way to the Class 2A championship, last June at the end of the COVID-impacted Season D. It was the boys program’s second state title, the first coming in 1996 in Class 3A.
Now everything is back on its normal schedule, and the Indians will be looking to repeat in May as 2A champions. Some of the key contributors were graduates last June. However, the vast majority of the team returns in 2022.
“We’ll see how hungry these boys are,” Lubbers said. “We have a ton of returners. We’re coming back strong.”
Yuma’s girls just missed on a top-10 finish last June, coming in 11th in the team standings. A couple of key contributors were graduates, but everyone else returns for what could be a highly-successful season for the girls team as well.
“We have some depth with the girls,” Lubbers said. “I think they can be contenders.”
The coach said both teams feature a lot of depth, allowing for the coaches to move around athletes in various events in an attempt to score across the board — field events, sprints, middle-distance and distance races, and relays.
“I’m hoping we score everywhere,” Lubbers said. “We have more throwers this year. That’s where we were hurting last year.”
The forecast for Saturday calls for a high of 70 degrees and sunny skies, so get on out to the YHS track and field complex to cheer on the Indians and other area athletes in what will be the season opener for most.
