Pat Rooney
Granted, The Classical Academy girls track team boasts star
power like few programs in the entire state, never mind how much
ahead of the pack the Titans are in their 3A classification.
With Kaitlin Hanenburg and Emily LaValley, among others, pacing
TCA’s loaded senior class, the group is driving towards an
accomplishment few athletes ever get to enjoy — winning team state
championships during each of their four seasons of varsity
competition.
Yet despite all of Hanenburg’s individual successes in her time
at TCA, she is no more of a one-person show than the remarkable
success of the Titans’ program is based solely on the production of
its upperclassmen.
As TCA begins the stretch run toward its goal of winning a
fourth consecutive 3A team championship, coach Tim Daggett is
reveling in the sort of depth and daily competition that can
sustain an elite program for years.
“I think for what we feel like we can do, what we’re capable of,
I’d say we’re on target for where we want to be,” Daggett said.
“The program has certainly reached a level beyond what we expected
or were striving for years ago. We’re at that level, but this is
still our little team. There is a lot of friendship, a lot of
encouraging each other to reach personal bests. The atmosphere is
really remarkable and sometimes that just feeds on itself.
“In a lot of cases, we don’t have to set goals for them. They
are so time-based and motivated that we don’t have to add to that
pressure.”
Hanenburg is undoubtedly the star — she is a two-time Class 3A
champion in the 1600-meter run and the 3200-meter run— but the
Titans have evolved into an ever-improving program in which
newcomers diligently put in their work to develop into bona fide
contributors.
In addition to LaValley, a senior who has progressed into a
threat to win the state title in the 800-meter run, the Titans have
been bolstered by the development of youngsters Meredith Sloan and
hurdler Elena Roy.
“Emily LaValley has exploded this year and has run the 800 in
sub-state record times,” Daggett said. “We have a couple of juniors
who have really come along. [Roy] has really come along and been a
real pleasant surprise [and Sloan) has steadily improved and will
probably get to state in a couple of events.”
For teams eager to knock the Titans off their 3A throne, Daggett
has some bad news. Perhaps the biggest surprise of this year’s
version of TCA’s girls track team has been the rapid improvement of
the Titans’ freshman class, which is showing signs of being able to
capably replace the Hanenburg and LaValley-led senior class after
this year.
“They won’t make a major state impact like the seniors will
[this year], but they will participate and compete,” Daggett said.
“That will be nice, having that big senior class, but then seeing
this group come up to help them and get experience for down the
road.”