The Siuslaw Vikings' track and field team has a handful of seasoned thoroughbreds and some fine young colts, and coach Chris Johnson is chomping at the bit to turn them loose.

On the girls side, the Vikings will be counting on senior leadership from Celie Mans, Carissa Oliver, Destinie Tatum and Abby Watkins.

On the boys side, 6-foot-7 junior Trent Reavis will take aim at school records in both the shot put and discus.

But it's a deep freshman class that has Johnson's competitive juices roiling.

"We have a ton of really talented freshman boys," Johnson said. The current roster of 29 boys includes 12 freshmen. "You've seen them this year in cross country, football and basketball.

"Dayson Foglio, Jonah Jarman, Brendon Jensen, Kiger Johnson, Sam Myers, Brayson Myrick, Jordan Northrop and one you haven't seen, Ryan Rendon-Padilla.

"We feel like this is quite a nucleus for success.  They are very young, raw track and field athletes, but there's a ton of potential there with focus and hard work."

For all the raw talent, the ultimate success of the team may rest with the big four of Mans, Oliver, Tatum and Reavis, all who could rewrite the Vikings' record book this season.

Tatum already owns the school record at 800 meters, set last May when she won the Class 4A state title in 2 minutes, 17.62a seconds.

Mans is the two-time state 4A cross country champion, and will be a force in the distance races.

Oliver placed in both the shot put and the discus at state, finishing third and fourth, respectively.

"I think Celie and Carissa have chances for school records in the 3,000 and the discus throw," Johnson said.

And then there is Reavis, whose personal best of 51 feet, 2.5 inches was less than a foot short of the oldest school record for boys, Bruce Plaep's 52-1 in 1972.

"I don't like athletes to focus on those type of goals," Johnson said. "Those are external.  We want them to do the right things every day to put themselves in the best position to be their best at the right time of the year. Records are really a byproduct of daily internal focus."

To him, it comes down to three things — focus, focus and focus.

"Our only expectations for anyone — a defending champion, someone new to the program or to the sport of track and field — is to make the process the goal, and to do the best they can on and off the track to reach their potential," Johnson said.

"We always aspire to be competitive in the championship phase of the season. League and state championships will always be a goal when possible."

The Vikings get their first taste of competition Thursday, March 23, with the Siuslaw Icebreaker at Hans Petersen Field.

The Far West League championships are May 12 at North Bend and the state championships May 19-20 at Hayward Field in Eugene.

"At this point, it's a little too soon to predict," Johnson said. "Give me a few weeks or a few meets to sort it out."

NOTES

Siuslaw's new weight-training stations have a big fan in Johnson, whether he's wearing his coach's cap, his athletic-director's cap or just his Cubs cap.

"The new weights and new weights coach are great," he said. "(Football) Coach (Jamin) Pool has encouraged his football players to come out because he knows how beneficial track and field is for athletes.  We are all about developing speed, agility and explosiveness.  Those translate pretty well to football, volleyball, basketball, etc." ...

Johnson's assistant coaches include Jack Butler, Collin Cram, Dick Richmond, Ian Jarman, Max Perry, Snake Ulrich, Steven Moser, Anna Moser, Mary Dodson and Pat Towne. ...

2017 TRACK AND FIELD SCHEDULE

• Thursday, March 23 — Siuslaw Icebreaker, Hans Petersen Field, 4 p.m.
• Tuesday, April 4 — Far West League JV Meet, Hans Petersen Field, 4 p.m.
• Saturday, April 8 — Cardinal Classic, Portland, 10 a.m., and Junction City Invitational, 10 a.m.
• Tuesday, April 11 — Far West League Varsity Meet, Prefontaine Track, Coos Bay, 4 p.m.
• Friday-Saturday, April 14-15 — Oregon Relays, Hayward Field, Eugene, times TBA.
• Friday, April 21 — Central Coast Invitational at Hans Petersen Field, 4 p.m.
• Tuesday, April 25 — Far West League JV Meet, Douglas (Winston), 4 p.m.
• Friday, April 28 — Nike Jesuit Twilight Relays, Portland, 2:30 p.m.
• Saturday, April 29 — 68th annual Grants Pass Rotary Invitational, 10 a.m.
• Tuesday, May 2 — Far West League JV Meet, North Bend, 4 p.m.
• Friday, May 5 — Wally Ciochetti Invitational, Cottage Grove, 2 p.m.
• Friday, May 12 — Far West League championships, North Bend, times TBA.
• Friday-Saturday, May 19-20 — OSAA Class 4A state championships, Hayward Field, Eugene, times TBA.

2017 ROSTERS
Boys
Freshmen (12)

• Douglas Barnett
• Dayson Foglio
• Matthew Horillo
• Jonah Jarman
• Brendon Jensen
• Kiger Johnson
• Isaiah Jones
• Ricky Loza-Sanchez
• Sam Myers
• Brayson Myrick
• Jared Northrop
• Ryan Rendon-Padilla

Sophomores (2)

• Ethan Hack
• Robert Mans

Juniors (11)

• Isaac Griffes
• Jake Hickson
• Erick Kimbel
• Kyle King
• Ryan Lee
• Jordan Northrop
• Josh Payne
• Trent Reavis
• Roen Rollin-Khafu
• Quincy Rusk
• KC Tatum

Seniors (4)

• Ryan Alletson
• Clark Hooper
• Damion Fox
• Jack Pickell

Girls
Freshmen (8)

• Halle Anderson
• Bryn Clement
• Andrea Edmond
• Trinity Erickson
• Lizzy Lewis
• Chloe Maden
• Hannah Rannow
• Anne Wartnik

Sophomores (6)

• McKenzie Colton
• Hailee Edgerly
• Calin Mason
• Kaeli Ramos
• Madison Reynolds
• Naomi Shoji

Juniors (3)

• Lainey Goss
• Kaylee Graham
• Marika White

Seniors (4)

• Celie Mans
• Carissa Oliver
• Destinie Tatum
• Abby Watkins