The Northwestern Lehigh girls track and field team might be short on experience this season, with seniors making up a small part of this year’s roster. But the team won’t lack talent or effort.

“We are very young,” said Tiger head coach Chuck Groller. “As long as we stay healthy, though, we will be competitive in every track meet. As the season progresses, we will get better and stronger. Our girls are always up for the challenge, no matter what sport they participate in.”

The Tigers graduated several of their top athletes from last years team, including league pole vault medalist Ashley Haas, sprinter Jakayla Holmes, jumper Kristin Mauer and jumper Emma Nelson.

Northwestern has a large group of returning athletes, led by state medalist Faith Yost. Last season Yost won three events at the league meet (100 hurdles, 300 hurdles, high jump) then nearly repeated the feat at districts, winning high jump and 100 hurdles while taking fourth in 300 hurdles. She followed that with a sixth-place finish in the state high jump.

“When you have an athlete like Faith Yost, it’s always great to have that experience back,” said Groller, who is in his ninth season at the helm of the girls team. “Faith is a competitor and is always trying to do her best. She is a leader, motivates others, and always supporting her teammates. It will be bittersweet when her career is done at Northwestern Lehigh. She will go down in our athletic history as one of the best athletes to ever compete in the sport of track and field at our school.”

The Tigers return several other top athletes from a team that went 9-2 in dual meets last season and finished third in the standings and fourth at the league meet.

Senior Amy Andreoli (pole vault), junior Katie Brensinger (hurdles/throws), junior Sadie Fenstermaker (throws), senior Noami Glassberg (sprints), senior Alicia Hunsicker (hurdles), senior Angelina Klein (distance), junior Abigail Pomajevich (sprints), sophomore Nora Silfies (sprints/jumps), sophomore Carsyn Van Norman (sprints) and junior Grace Yost (pole vault/throws).

A group of young athletes whose names might be familiar to Tiger fans from other sports will help bolster the roster this season, including sophomore Brook Balliet (sprints), sophomore Sophia Cornell (distance), junior Hailey Dubois (distance), sophomore Megan Fornwalt (hurdles/jumps), junior Kaia Grantham (sprints), sophomore Kelcy Pedron (distance), sophomore Sophia Penney (sophomore-distance) and senior Sarah Renner (sprints).

The Tigers will move down to Class 2A this season after competing in Class 3A for the past few seasons. In this year’s district championship meet Northwestern will compete against fewer East Penn Conference teams and more from the Colonial and Schuylkill leagues. That should result in more athletes making it to districts, reaching the medal stand and qualifying for states.

Northwestern was one of the smallest schools in Class 3A and will now likely be among the larger schools competing in 2A.