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By joe McCullough
Rappahannock Newg Special Writer
When Scott Mellott and Carla Scott, Rappahannock County High School’s track and field coaches, talk about this year’s team, they do so with cautious optimism. “We will probably send seven kids from the boys’ and girls’ squads to regionals, and a few of those will go on to compete at the state level,” said Mellott.
There should be a lot of individual awards for the Panthers this season, yet the coaches are wary of predicting success for the team in the tough Bull Run District. “Strasburg and Central are obvious favorites and we will be competitive, but a lack of depth could really hurt us,” Scott explained.
The Panthers will field a squad of 45 students this year, many of whom are eighth-graders. It’s a smaller squad than last year’s and falls short of Mellott’s goal of 60-plus. “The tids are great and work hard, but any injuries will seriously hurt our chances of finishing near the top of the district,” Mellott said.
Since the first day of practice on March 1, the two coaches have been seriously pressed for time. “Not only do we have to put together a team, we must do some major repair work on the track,” Scott said. The firstyear coach explained that last season the track was unfit for use, yet no efforts were made to repair it until recently. “We are hosting two meets this season and there are still some ugly holes out there.”
The coaches have also been hindered by foul weather. “But we should have everything organized by the first meet at Stonewall Jackson on the 29th,” Mellott predicted.
The boys’ squad will rely on strong senior leadership from Eric Dunn, Daniel Roy and Carroll Frye. All three are regional material. Dunn, who excelled on the basketball court for the Panthers, will continue his regimen of hard work in his first year of track. He leads RCHS at the high jump, long jump and should prove invaluable in a couple of sprinting events. Daniel Roy should place in at least four events
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