The Big Lake girls track and field team will be looking for some of its younger members to step up and score points during this year’s meets.

The Hornets were a relatively young team last year, and with many of the team’s veterans gone, that’s the case again this season.

“We graduated a lot of point scorers from last year,” says Coach Adam Pelot.

The team fared well in some events, but not as well as in past years.

“We competed well and scored points when we needed to,” says Pelot. “And we were hoping for some better results in some meets.”

The team should be strong in the distance events, with Emilee Doperalski and Erin Kjellberg leading a contingent from the cross-country team. They can all compete in the 800, 1600 and 3200 meter races.

The field events are more or less a question mark so far, with a few of last year’s jumpers, throwers and hurdlers gone to graduation. 

But Pelot says ninth-grader Olivia Voss might do well in the high jump, and some of the sprinters could do some damage in the long jump and triple jump. Grace McCrone and Sydney Roy did well in their 60-meter time trials at Becker last week. They can place in 100 and 200 meter events, as well as the jumps.

Tayla Gassman is back. She qualified for the state meet last year in four wheelchair events: 100 and 200 meters, shot put and discus.

Pelot says there are a group of freshman sprinters that will be tested early in the season to see how well they compete in events up to 400 meters.

But until the weather cooperates, those athletes will have to workout indoors.

“We’re hoping to be outside by mid-April,” says Pelot.

The Hornets competed in a time trial meet in the Becker fieldhouse last week. No places were recorded. They also competed indoors at Monticello Thursday.

The regular outdoor season is scheduled to begin April 4, weather permitting, with a meet at the Big Lake High School track.