First-year Arlington High School track and field head coach Kyle Buckingham was well aware of the weather forecast.
As a result, he checked out the Eagles' warmup gear last week to make sure his team wouldn't waste any of the opening practice day's nice weather Monday.
AHS didn't.
“I thought it went really good,” Buckingham said Tuesday when most of AHS' work was forced inside by a chilling, stiff wind. “The sun was out. Everyone was happy — in a good mood.”
First days have their challenges, but the Eagles turned it into an overall positive.
“They complained at first about the sprint workout that (assistant coach Troy) Schlueter and I were doing, but they got over it pretty quick because it was nice out,” Buckingham said.
The Blair native, a former Arlington assistant himself, takes over this season after Tyler Spitser finished up last spring. Schlueter, Madison Pawoll, Carla Kaup, Jake Eckhardt, Michaela Curran and volunteer Gavin Larson join him on the coaching staff, too.
Though it ultimately went well, the Buckingham said he was a tad bit anxious going into his first official practice in charge.
“All day, I'm like, 'I've got to be missing something,'” he explained.
When it comes to event work, the new head coach is in a similar role to last year. But, now, he's overseeing everything.
“You've got to make sure everybody's ready to go,” Buckingham said. “You've got to make sure all of the kids are ready to go.”
The coach anticipates the Eagles will be when be when the season begins March 15 at Concordia University in Seward. He feels his roster will score medals and team points throughout the season.
“Our goal should be to win meets,” Buckingham said. “Even though we're against Class B competition, we're good enough. We're talented enough. We can do a lot of damage.”
Past state qualifiers Taylor Arp, Kaden Foust, Nolan May, Hailey O'Daniel, Dallin Franzluebbers and Kevin Flesner are among AHS' top returning talents. O'Daniel, a junior, earned fifth in the 1,600-meter run last season.
“Heck of an athlete,” Buckingham said of Foust. “Long jump, 400 (dash). He's going to do a lot of good for us.”
The coach also noted the potential of Coach Eckhardt's throwers and Arlington's cast of sprinters.
“We didn't have a whole strong sprint game last year,” Buckingham said. “But I think, day one, working on a few things, I think we'll be a little bit better.”
The Eagles are replacing key graduates Keelianne Green, Cadie Robinson and Luke Hammang, but — two days in — the coach was optimistic, telling his athletes before Tuesday's practice that there is no room for saying “I can't” in his program.
