The Emmaus girls track and field team looks to continue its winning ways during the 2023 season.

Exactly how successful this version of the green and gold will be depends on how many, and how quickly, some athletes graduate from potential to production.

“The girls team is rebuilding this year, but still with plenty of talent to be a top performing team in the league and district,” Emmaus head coach Kami Reinhard said. “We will need several girls to step up into some big shoes in order for use to perform the way we have the last five years.

“There lies the challenge for our girls team, so it’s exciting to see how they will do with being such a new team.”

The Green Hornets were hard at work during preseason practice last Wednesday, despite 20 mph winds and a real feel temperature of 35 degrees. With 192 athletes, the girls and boys are separated in the field house, and each practice begins with a team meeting.

“It is crucial for our athletes to be 100 percent aware of what he or she need to do to get through the incredibly fast and dynamic spring season,” Reinhard said. “Our teams then combine for a full team warmup, the separate out into their event groups for their training session.”

In that practice the distance team did some hip mobility drills over hurdles, while sprinters worked on their starts through 60-meter repeats. Some impromptu dancing broke out between reps by the girls distance runners, while the Hornet hurdlers were finishing up their final rep of 300 meter repeats, high-fiving those doing mobility drills.

“Our athletes work hard, but we also like to foster an environment to support each other in their own way between event groups as well,” Reinhard said.

Abby Burnett, Morgan Tandy, Anna Price and Elizabeth Burns are Emmaus’ top four returning sprinters. Hailey Reinhard, Payton Campbell, Addison Johnson, Sophia Kovalski, Addison Kleinle, Ava Rincon, Addison Shank and Isabella Scarlata comprise a strong returning distance running squad.

Catherine Sirignano, Hannah Gehman and AnnMarie Mont give the Hornets depth at throwing, while Isabelle Russo, Hadlee Horvath and Kayla-Rayne Quinones are the team’s top three returning hurdlers. Sheldynne Pierre and Elizabeth Samer are the top two returning jumpers while Sarah Greene and Malena Stetz are back as pole vaulters.

One of the trademarks of recent Emmaus girls track and field depth is the team’s depth. This year should continue that trend as some underclassmen should contribute. Sophomore Morgan Fletes has shown significant improvement in several different event groups, while sophomore Dani Balik just continues to improve race after race and Reinhard says she is developing “into a quite a runner.”

Freshman Emma Paradise and junior Mya Cooper should make an immediate impact on the girls sprint team, while freshman Madelyn McCartney is ready to attack distance races thanks to a strong middle school track and field experience. Still another freshman - Claudia Walls - has excelled in both sprints and jumps and “is a stellar overall athlete.”

Reinhard is looking forward to another rewarding season at the helm of the Emmaus track and field program.

“It is a joy and honor to be able to watch these student-athletes grow, literally and figuratively, from their freshman year to their senior year,” Reinhard said. “We see growth in so many different forms, from their confidence levels, ability to communicate, improvement in the sport, their successes academically, their character, ability to work through and overcome challenges and their contribution to the community.”