By Cort Reynolds
The 2022 Ada High School track and field team boasts a big roster, featuring strong upperclass returnees and a talented group of freshmen under ninth-year head coach Tyler Craig.
A total of 46 boys and girls comprise the squad. Ten seniors, five juniors, 16 sophomores and 15 freshmen fill out the roster.
MAIN PHOTO: The Ada varsity track and field team, from left, front: Mariah King, Gabby Wysocki, Kayleiana Cooper-Bolden, Courtney Sumner, Madison Park, Lexi Poling, Olivia Burkhart, Josie Phillips.
Row 2: Jalee Bolden, Brady Sloan, Logan Jolliff, Trevor McGue, Rey
Hurley, Luke Archer, Jillian Hazelton, Tessa Long.
Row 3: Ethan D'Souza, Olivia Green, Awo Akyeampong, Matthew Frazier,
Colton Cole, Wyatt Green, Owen Arnett, Kennedy Jones.
Row 4: Mason Selover, Ken Zheng, Dakota Gossman, Rowan West, Casen
Jones, Brailyne Downing, Chase Caldwell, Selah Green.
Row 5: Jackson Brown, Dylan Hartman, Alex Dearth, Kameron Mooney,
Keegan Giddens, Brayden Hunsicker, Julian Grose.
Back: assistant coach Terry Craig, Carter Nelson, Seth Nevers, Adam
Conner, Seth Swaney, Aedyn Beckwith, head coach Tyler Craig.
"We are lucky to have such a good group of kids who are so extraordinarily hard-working," said coach Craig. "Our numbers are way up on the boys team.
"We have great boys numbers, up from 20 to 32 this year," Craig noted. "We have more seniors and a lot of freshmen (12) on the boys side.
"Our girls numbers are down to 14 this year, the lowest it has been in a while," he added. "But the girls we have are hard workers. They are a very good group of kids."
The core group of talented and versatile girls the Lady Bulldogs have will compile points and carry the load.
Speedy senior Olivia Green is a top hurdler, and will also perform the high jump and long jump. She finished fourth in the 2021 NWC 100 hurdles and sixth in the conference 300 hurdles race. She also took second in the league long jump at 14-11.5.
Versatile junior ace Courtney Sumner will compete in the long jump, middle distance, sprint and relay events. Sumner won the league long jump title at 15-5 last spring, with Green a half foot behind her in second. "Courtney will do some of everything for us," said Craig. "Both Olivias are good athletes."
Springy-legged and quick sophomore Olivia Burkhart will contribute in the sprints, 400, long jump, pole vault and 4 x 400 relay. She finished eighth in the NWC pole vault at 7-0 as a freshman. "Olivia Burkhart is a very hard worker," Craig offered.
Sophomore Josie Phillips is expected to contribute heavily in long distance and pole vault events.
Junior Kayleiana Cooper-Bolden is also expected to do well in sprint races. Sophomore cross country runner Jillian Hazelton will run the distance events.
Classmate Mariah King will contribute in the middle distance and sprint races. "She is a good athlete," noted Craig.
Senior Lauren Mullins will participate in the pole vault, middle distance and long distance events. Classmate Tessa Long is expected to perform the throwing events.
Gabby Wysocki completes the four-girls senior class.
"Our track team is blessed to have a great group of girls who work hard and are very pleasant to be around," said Craig. "They are working their tails off."
The Ada girls ended up a solid fourth in the nine-team conference meet in 2021. Grove again repeated as NWC girls champions, followed by Spencerville, Paulding and Ada.
The Lady Bulldogs scored 60 points.
"Grove is the favorite in the NWC again until someone knocks them off," Craig offered. "Our girls should be competitive in the league despite the low roster numbers.
"When you have low numbers you ask a lot more of each athlete," he explained. "With lower numbers we won't be able to have two people in every event at the league meet, but we have some girls who will score points."
Perennial power Grove has captured the last six girls NWC titles. Spencerville grabbed the girls league team crown in 2013, the last time someone other than CG won it.
Craig feels the girls 4 x 400 relay team has a good chance to qualify for regionals. Sumner, Green, Burkhart return from the fifth-place district finishing quartet and Phillips will likely round out the foursome in place of graduated 400 standout Brenna Hissong.
A class of six seniors will help the 32-man boys squad compete well. "We will be competitive in the long distance, middle distance and spring events with our depth," predicted Craig. "We have a lot of people who can points."
Powerful senior Carter Nelson will lead the way in the discus and shot put. "Carter will score a lot of points for us in the throwing events," said Craig.
Versatile Seth Swaney will run sprints, relays and perform the pole vault. Seth Nevers, a 6-5 senior, is a promising high jumper.
Eleven sophomores will make a big contribution for the boys squad.
Sophomore Jackson Brown "will score a ton of points, we expect him to have a big year," said Craig. "He placed in the 110 high hurdles last year at the NWC meet."
Sophomore Chase Caldwell will also run middle and long distance, and ran a leg for the 4 x 400 relay team that finished fifth in the district in 2021.
Soph Matthew Frazier "placed in the NWC discus last year and is a hard worker," said Craig.
Athletic sophs Wyatt Green and Julian Grose should fare well in sprints.
Craig feels a strong freshman class will help the boys do well.
"Our freshmen boys finished as runner-up in the NWC junior high meet last year, so we expect them to contribute," noted the coach. "They have a lot of talent."
Frosh Aedyn Beckwith is expected to do well in the 400 and 4 x 400 relay, while Colton Cole could excel in the discus. Freshman Logan Jolliff is a promising 100 meter sprinter, while ninth grader Trevor McGue will contribute in the long jump and sprints.
Classmate Rowan West is also expected to contribute in the hurdles and 400 meters.
The Bulldog boys squad hopes to be competitive in the league and big meets this spring.
"Our entire group of boys and girls are hard workers," said Craig.
The purple and gold boys finished ninth out of nine teams at the 2021 Northwest Conference meet.
Columbus Grove won the 2021 boys team title, followed by Bluffton and Allen East. Grove has won eight of the last nine boys NWC championships.
"Columbus Grove is still the favorite until someone knocks them off," Craig said. "But our boys should be much more competitive this year in the league meet.
"We have a lot of athleticism," Craig summed up.
Ada is slated to open its 2021 track campaign March 29 at home vs. Indian Lake, USV and North Union.
The Bulldogs are scheduled to host the long-running Ada Invitational on Saturday, May 7.
PHOTO of letter winners:
Ada track letter winners, from left, front row: Kayleiana Cooper-Bolden, Olivia Green, Courtney Sumner, Olivia Burkhart, Josie Phillips.
Row 2: Seth Swaney, Keegan Giddens, Jillian Hazelton, Tessa Long.
Row 3: Carter Nelson, Matthew Frazier, Brayden Hunsicker, Wyatt Green, Chase Caldwell.
Row 4: Jackson Brown, Mason Selover, Julian Grose.
