Helias track teams working toward state hardware

Chloe Ramsey of Helias clears the bar in the pole vault last year in the Class 4 state championships at Adkins Stadium.
Chloe Ramsey of Helias clears the bar in the pole vault last year in the Class 4 state championships at Adkins Stadium.

The Helias Lady Crusaders finished tied for ninth at last year's Class 4 state championships. They're looking to do better this season.

The Helias Crusaders didn't score a point at state last year. They're looking to do a lot better this season.

The first step on the road for both to the state championships in late May at Adkins Stadium is today, also at Adkins Stadium, in a triangular against Jefferson City and Eldon.

"The six weeks of the season is the opportunity to work toward the districts and the rest of the postseason," Helias coach Rulo said. "We're looking to post some times or throws or jumps as a initial mark to start the season, then continue to improve.

"It's a matter of finding the right pieces and putting them in the right places to get as many kids to state as possible."

The Lady Crusaders finished with 28 team points at state last season. Chloe Ramsey, a senior, accounted for 10 of those with her state title in the pole vault.

"When I talk to her about her goals, they are things like high-level Division I in college, maybe the Olympics," Rulo said. "She can hit some marks this year that can make those things very realistic.

"We are working to find the best ways to help her achieve those. I think the sky is truly the limit for her."

With an athlete such as Ramsey, it's not so much as coaching as it is making sure she has all the tools needed to succeed.

"You have a person who has trained so much in an event like Chloe, they know so much more than any of the coaches," Rulo said. "We know that. It's a matter of making sure she's mentally in the right spot to allow her to perform her best."

Anna Vollet, also a senior, returns after earning medals in three events last season. The Murray State signee was second in the 200-meter dash, fourth in the long jump and seventh in the 100-meter dash.

"She has a lot of potential to have a standout senior season, to compete successfully in a lot of events at state," Rulo said. "She has a lot of natural ability, she showed that with her medals last season. You're pretty special when you can walk out of state with three of them."

Vollet finished among the state's best in the long jump despite a lack of experience in the event.

"She really started to take it up last year and had a lot of success with it," Rulo said. "And the great thing is she has the ability to do even better."

But it will take more than the two seniors if the Lady Crusaders want to finish in the top four to earn a team trophy at state.

"The girls have worked so hard in the offseason," Rulo said. "We've got a lot of talented girls out this season."

Some of that talent is in the distance events. The Lady Crusaders have three seniors - Alicia Engelbrecht, Abby Hake and Claire McDonald - that ran for Helias' cross country team that finished third in state last fall.

The opening of the track at the new athletic complex at Helias has paid dividends in that a handful of athletes from fall and winter sports are out for track this spring. That's true for both the Crusaders and Lady Crusaders and is a nice problem to have for the coaching staff.

"You have to experiment a little bit to try and figure out which of the 19 events in track that suits an athlete the best," Rulo said. "You're casting a big net at the start of the season and then narrowing it as the season goes along.

"There is a lot of unknown potential there that we as coaches need to get into the correct spots."

On the boys side, the Crusaders qualified in two individual and two relay events at state last season.

"I was happy with how they performed at state," Rulo said. "Now it's a matter of taking that next step to get a medal."

Blake Veltrop (10th in the 400-meter dash) and Austin Phillips (12th in the shot put) both return in the individual events.

"Blake had a great season last year and I'm expecting him to be even better as a senior," Rulo said. "Austin was in the high 40s by the end of last year and I truly believe he has a chance to get well into the 50s this year. And when you do that, that means you should do well at state."

Helias also returns relay team members in the 4x400 (13th) and 4x800 (ninth).

Jack Crull, a sophomore who has been all-state twice in cross country, leads the Helias distance runners.

"He's an amazing runner with a big-time heart," Rulo said. "He's a bulldog, he really gets after it. It's a matter of figuring out his best events."

It usually takes around 40 points to earn a team trophy at state.

"I think that's a possibility," Rulo said. "We're going to need some kids to take that next step in their development, but if that happens, I think we can get a top-four finish."

Action begins at 4 p.m. today.