by Geoff Fox

The Hancock Spring Track season got underway on March 20 with Greg Cartrette taking the reins of the program with Assistant Coach Brittany Waugh at his side.

Cartrette is also the head football coach for the Panthers and Waugh has been involved with track mostly as a parent teaching her kids the sport.

“Coach Waugh is a great asset to the team with her experience and her ability to help out with whatever needs accomplished on and off the track,” Cartrette said.

So far in the young season, the Panthers have competed in two events – at Smithsburg and at Clear Spring.

The 10 student-athletes on the track team include some dual sport athletes, between track and baseball and softball.

Cartrette said the team has a “great bunch of athletes” that are there to develop and learn track along with what it takes to excel on the track and in the classroom.

“I am very excited as to what I’m seeing on the potential for Hancock Track and Field for the future and what they can become and accomplish,” he said.

The ten athletes are seniors Landyn Clark and Ethan Hill; juniors Jayten McCarty and Conner Progue; sophomores Brody Morris, Madison (Madi) Booth, Leland Clark, and Nathan Rhodes; and freshman Xia Hixon and Maia Godinez.

For their first meet, the Panthers traveled to Smithsburg for the Charas Heurich Invitational, which was a 20-team meet with schools from Washington, Frederick, and Montgomery Counties.

Senior Landyn Clark placed first in the long jump event with sophomore Leland Clark placing fifth placing fifth in the disc with a personal best score.

Their second meet was on March 24 at Clear Spring with the Hoover Josenhans Invitational. Seven teams from Washington and Frederick Counties and Berkeley Springs competed.

For the second meet in a row, Landyn Clark placed first in the long jump in the boys’ event while sophomore Madi Booth placed first in the girls’ event.

Booth took second place in the girls’ high jump with Clark taking third in the boys. Leland Clark took second place in the boys’ discus, which also set a career best in the event.

Cartrette said in the state of Maryland, the top eight places for each event are awarded ribbons for their efforts and the Panthers earned a total of 12 total ribbons, with five being in the top three places.

He added as the coach, he’d like to thank all athletes for their effort that they put in to the first two meets of the season.

All athletes achieved their personal best for the season as a result of them competing. Cartrette and Waugh are looking forward to a great and successful year as coaches for Hancock Middle-Senior High School.

“To all athletes on the track team, we are proud of you and cannot wait to see what you can achieve this year,” Cartrette said.

Both Cartrette and Waugh want to take the track team to states to compete with the best in the state at each event and want each to achieve their own personal goal and the coaches’ goal for themselves.

“We have some great athletes, from the Seniors to the Freshman and each one is learning the ins and outs of their events,” Cartrette said. “I want to see each athlete, get better each day, whether it is practice or a meet and grow.”

The coach added if the team has that, they can build on the great athleticism they have at Hancock High School and get even better.