Photo by Photoworks The 2023 Marshall girls track teams

The Marshall Tigers track and field team is coming off a season with a good number of girl athletes making it to the state tournament this past season while the boys improved but miss out on the tournament

Marie Sample is the girls track coach and David Sample is the boys track coach.

Girls

Marie Sample has been coaching for the past 24 years with 14 of those years at Marshall High School. In 11 of her 13 seasons has had athletes make it to the state tournament in the summer. The girls finished strong last season and won 3rd place in the 4×800 relay in the state meet. Brianna Simpson also medaled and took home 9th place in the 400M at state as well. With 42 returning athletes from last year’s team, the Tigers have the experience and depth needed to make another run at state.

Some of the key returners this year are Brianna Simpson, Taleigha Bigler, Katelyn Leibfried, Miracle Tucker, Allyson Sample, Peyton Boeck, Ava Holmgren, Autumn Duetz, and Avery Fahl. The team is fairly young though with just four seniors on the roster: Miracle Tucker, Ava Holmgren, Mandi Vankuelan and Simpson.

Marie Sample spoke about the expectations upcoming for the 2023 season of track.

“Our expectations are to work hard together and compete well as a team and also as individuals in different events,” Marie Sample said. “We are working hard to qualify some athletes for the Hamlin Elite Meet as well as the Howard Wood Relays. We also hope to compete well as a team at the Conference and Section meets. We have several athletes hoping to qualify for the state meet this spring.”

The strengths of the girl Tigers is strong senior leadership, and a strong work ethic. Coach Marie Sample also wants to see more depth in her team when it comes to the sprinters and hurdlers.

“We really enjoy working with our track athletes,” Marie Sample said. “It’s always a goal to try to encourage and inspire the kids to be the best that they can be. To set goals and work hard to reach them. It is so exciting to help teach kids that they can work hard and achieve big things both in the classroom and also competing as a Marshall Tiger track athlete.”

Boys

David Sample has been coaching for the past eight seasons at Marshall High School. Last year’s team showed improvement throughout the season but we’re very young and didn’t have any individuals make the state tournament. This is a feat that coach David Sample would like to accomplish in the 23′ season.

“We continued to improve last season as a young team with very few seniors,” David Sample said. “Our guys competed well at Conference and Sections. We had several athletes just miss making the State Meet. We had performances at sections that would have qualified boys when compared to other class AA sections in the state. We continue to compete in the toughest section in class AA.”

The boys’ team has 31 returning athletes and is senior heavy on the team with 16. With all of their leading performers back from last season, the Tigers are looking to build and improve on last year’s results. David Sample mentioned some of his key returners on the team.

“The key returners we have include Chidi Nwakama leading the charge for us in the sprints,” David Sample said. “Andrew Elton leading us in the jumping skills, Cesar Guzman and Evan Schotzko leading us in the throwing events and Sam Duetz and Keagen Anderson leading for us in the distance events.”

The boys expectations are very similar to the girls in trying to qualify for the Hamlin and Howard Wood events. Also want to do well in conference and section meets to get some boys athletes in the state tournament this year as well.