Trisha Kealy is entering her 17th year as head coach of the Becker girls track and field team. She has 29 student/athletes signed up from grades 9-12 and 12 kids from grades seven and eight.

Paul Schmidt is the head boys coach and he and Trisha work together with both girls and boys along with the assistant coaches, including Dustin Weege and Tony Miller. Miller is new to the program this year. 

“We are excited Mr. Miller has joined us this year as we have been hoping to add him to our program for some time,” said Kealy.  “We have two new junior high coaches for the program which will start April 19, they are Callie Doucette and Josh Otto.

The team’s managers this year are Chloe Setrum, Abi Berning and Aylla King.

“It is the kids that keep me coming back every year,” said Kealy. “They are so great and I love being around them and seeing them grow throughout their careers. I also love working with the coaches in our program -— they are  such good people and are so good with the athletes and invested in their well being.”

Captains this year for Kealy are seniors Anna Briggs, Crace Schendel, Jessica Gruenes, Cassidy Pleoger and Whit Schug.

“This will be our first year returning to the Mississippi 8  Conference,” said Becker’s head coach. “After not having our season last year, we have missed out on any competition with these teams so we assume everyone is  competition.  I know Monticello and Cambridge-Isanti have traditionally been talented and have large rosters.”

With COVID-19 still hovering over school activities, Kealy and her coaches are doing their best to adjust to new rules and keep kids safe while practicing and competing.

“Of course we are social distancing and when inside wearing masks,” she says. “The pandemic has changed our length of season, schedules and meet formats. Some of these items remain to be seen how they will play out and we are just excited to be able to have a season. These kids deserve to participate and have the great experiences that sports provides.”

Kealy, who also coaches the Bulldog cross country squads, grew up with track & field as part of her life. Her dad was a hall-of-fame coach and her sisters are still coaching throughout the state.

“My participation as an athlete started in seventh grade and I was a state competitor in the long jump, 200, and three different hurdle races with a third place finish in the 100 meter hurdles,” she said.  “I ran four years at Bemidji State University and was captain my senior year.”

Coaching 29+ athletes in multiple events can be a real challenge for some people, but Kealy has adjusted and stays organized.

“Meets can resemble organized chaos in the early season and a friend of mine says it is like herding cats,” she said. “But once the kids figure out their routine and learn to help one another, things smooth out and they learn how to handle it.”  

Kealy says one can succeed by challenging oneself to improve. 

“There is a lot of technique involved in the various events but kids need to understand that you will get out of it what you put into it,” she says.  “Put the persistant hard work in and you will be successful.”

Track and Field will be changing in Minnesota next year, Kealy says. 

“We are moving to three classes from the present two.  At this time we are in the large school class and will be moving to the middle class for the 2021-22 school year.  This is something the coaches have been working toward for many years and we look forward to it.”

The girls’ 2021 season kicks off Tues., April 13 at home against Princeton.