Carey School track and field athletes have been concerned about the health of boys' coach and athletic director Lee Cook.
But the Panthers are forging ahead with their 2009 track season starting today, Wednesday with the Valley Invitational meet in Gooding.
Cook, who guided the Panther boys' track team to second in last May's State 1A meet in Boise, underwent triple bypass heart surgery after being hospitalized in Boise March 7.
He has been home in Carey for two weeks and "is gaining strength every day," said Carey girls' track coach Lane Kirkland. "Coach Cook wants to be back out on the track and he will try to attend practices the first week of April."
Kirkland with coaches Liz Young and Ron Martinez are guiding the Panthers with Cook out for the time being. Practicing are 14 girls practicing and 20 boys led by distance runners Antonio Gamino and Nathan Van Every.
Last May's State 1A 1600-meter gold medalist Amy Ellsworth, a junior, will lead the Panther girls. Kirkland said she'll anchor the 4x400-meter relay in addition to running the 800m and 1600m and possibly a 400m dash or 300m intermediate hurdles event.
Senior girls practicing include two returning state qualifiers, Kayla Bailey and Shelby Hansen, plus Kelsey Green, Chelsey Hunt, Emilee Butcher and Emily Andrews. Returning state high jumper Jessica Parke, a junior, is back in the jumps and relays. Junior Candace Hennefer is also out.
Other Panthers girls on the squad are sophomore Lorene Andrews plus freshmen hopefuls Nicki Gomez, Micaela Adamson, Charmaine Kirkland and Erika Zarate.
Kirkland expects two-time defending Northside Conference girls' champion Camas County of Fairfield to be a strong contender. Camas qualified eight for the state meet in 2008 and five were then juniors—Toni Wear, Hailey Gregory, Lindsey Peterson, Mollie McLam and Tessa Rumsey. Megan Stampke, now a junior, was also a Camas state entry.
