ROCKINGHAM — When looking at the Richmond Senior High School boys’ track and field team, there are numerous athletes who play multiple sports. And for third-year head coach Chris Campolieta, that’s a major plus heading into the new season.
The Raiders are set to open their season on March 12 at Purnell Swett High School, and Campolieta and his 60 athletes have been preparing indoors and outdoors when the weather permits.
With several years under his belt as head coach, Campolieta expressed he’s been able to learn a lot about what works and what doesn’t work when training athletes. His knowledge, along with the help of assistant head coach Dennis Toney and assistant coaches Bryan Till and John Ware, are setting the Raiders up for success in 2020.
“The team looks great so far,” Campolieta said. “With all of this rainy weather, it’s been hard to get outside and really get the work we want to get in, but the boys have been committed.
“When we do get a chance to get outside, they really work hard,” he added. “I have been really proud of the effort and hard work up to this point.”
What makes the upcoming slate “exciting” for Campolieta is the amount of talent across the board in all the events. Unlike past years, however, there isn’t a clear dominant runner like Dante Miller and Preston Coker who were always a strong guarantee to win races the last two seasons.
Instead, it will be a complete team effort for the Raiders, a group that Campolieta also expects to be competitive at the regional and state levels.
“This year will be a little different and will be more of a group approach,” Campolieta said. “We still have a ton of fast dudes out there, but we will be able to score points in more than just the sprints.
“Based on times and qualifications last year, I think we can get a solid group of athletes to that level this year as long as we stay healthy and keep progressing,” he added. “I really just want each athlete to go out there and do his best. It sounds cliche, but it’s about you and the clock or mark.”
If each athlete continues to get better week to week, Campolieta believes the rest will take care of itself.
Among the top sprinters on the team are juniors Caleb Hood and Dalton Stroman and sophomore Jaleak Gates. Campolieta said the trio will be “key” for the team’s success and added they could score points between eight to 10 events.
“Jaleak has tremendous speed. He is long and getting stronger in the weight room with Coach Till and Coach (Milton) Swinnie, which has helped him a ton,” Campolieta said. “I expect him to be a part of some really fast relay teams along with triple and high jump.
“Caleb is just a freak. He’s fast, strong and can jump through the roof,” he continued. “I am really excited to see his growth in the open 100 along with high jump and long jump. Dalton was a big part of what we did last year and is so versatile. He is one of our top returning high jumpers and 200 guys.”
Also helping out with sprints and jumps this year will be juniors Jaron Coleman and Tremel Jones. With their “blazing speed,” Campolieta plans to use them in the various jumping events and on relay teams.
Hood is the only returner of the 4×100-meter relay team which went to states last year, but Campolieta believes there are a few guys ready to step in and help make another run at it.
“Coleman, Jones, Stroman and Gates are all guys who run a 4.4-4.5 second in the 40-yard dash, so we are just trying to get them in shape to run a little longer,” Campolieta said.
Back for his senior year and coming off a state qualification as a junior is high jumper Antron Miller. Not only does his head coach expect big things above the bar, but Miller will also participate in hurdles, a new event for him.
In the long distance events, senior Joey Nicholson and junior Carson Jordan will carry the weight for the team. Both cross country runners, Jordan returns as the top distance runner from last spring. Nicholson was injured for most of last season, but Campolieta hopes to use the pair’s endurance in the distance races, while also adding the 4×400-meter relay to their slate.
Junior Trevor Moss will return to run the open 400, having worked with the sprinters and distance runners to “develop a perfect condition” for the quarter-mile race. Campolieta hopes to see him hit the 50-second mark this season.
In the throwing events, senior Joerail White is believed to be Richmond’s “best chance to be a state qualifier” in the discus. Back to full health this spring, White has “shown a ton of progress under Coach Till’s leadership.”
Junior Jah’meek Harden and senior Gavin Russell will be guys to watch in the shot put. Coach Ware has been “working on their technique and pushing them harder this year.” Campolieta said both have a chance to be some of the “top dogs in the conference.”
The last two seasons Campolieta has overseen all the jumps, sprints and distance runners. This year, Coach Toney has stepped up and began working with the jumpers and hurdlers. Coach Toney “brings a ton of experience in these events as a coach and athlete.”
“Guys like Jakolbe Baldwin, Antron Miller and Jarrod Morrison are going to have a great opportunity to compete for conference championships this year,” Campolieta said. “They are still learning the techniques, but I can tell every day they are getting better and better.”
The Raiders will put their efforts to the test in the season-opening meet against host Purnell Swett and fellow Sandhills Athletic Conference schools Seventy-First and Scotland beginning at 4 p.m. on March 12.
