Lutheran High School Track & Field

Over the past six years God has granted Lutheran High track & field athletes repeated success and improvement.  At the Conference level, our girls have been Conference champs once, Conference Runners-up fourt times, and finished 3td place once. our boys have been Conference Runners-up three times, have finished 3rd twice, and 7th place once.  Each year we send large numbers of athletes to the State Outdoor Championships - 8 in 2003, 15 in 2004, 13 in 2005, and 15 in 2006.  Due to the jump from Class 2A to 4A this year, we only managed to get 2 girls qualified and no boys, but this has simply inspired us to work harder to achieve our desired level of success at the 4A level.  Our girls have shown great success at the state level, finishing 3rd out of 36 teams in 2004 and 4th out of 46 teams in 2005.  Our boys have improved greatly, jumping from a 22nd-place finish in 2005 to a 12th-place finish in 2006 (out of 53 teams).  We have produced two individual state champions in two years:  Jordan Twedt (senior '05) won the high jump in 2005 and Rachel Goodwin (senior '09) won the long jump in 2006.  Both of these ladies competed at the Meet of Champs at Hot Springs High School.  Goodwin competed in the Arkansas State Heptathlon in 2007, finishing 7th in the state.  She was the top 10th grader in the entire field. We have a huge class of talented 9th graders moving up from Christ Lutheran School in 2007-08, many of whom have been doing track for years.  They wil add to the ipact of our upperclassmen.

Christ Lutheran School

For four years Christ Lutheran School has been a dominant force in the central Arkansas Parochial Track & Field League.  Our girls have been League Champions for the past three years (2005, 2006, and 2007), and were League Runners-up in 2004.  They were undefeated in both 2005 and 2007 and went 17 wins, 1 loss in 2006.  Their overall win-loss record for the past four years is an incredible 98 - 3!  Our boys were League Champions in 2007 League Runners-in 2006 (narrowly missing 1st place!).  They posted a record of 23 wins, 1 loss, 1 tie in 2007 and, like the girls, went 17-1 in 2006. Their win-loss record over four years is an impressive 67 wins, 32 losses, and 2 ties.  Christ Lutheran School track & field will experience some change as a very capable Coach David Witte, formerly the Luttheran High School assistant track & cross-country coach, takes the helm. We're once again, like last year, losing a talented class of 8th graders (15 of whom will be competing for Lutheran High School in 2007-08 but our 5th - 7th grade was so strong in 2007 that we should continue to be a factor in the Parochial League.

Erin Adams

Sprints/Jumps Captain, MVP, High Point Award Winner, and Rookie of the Year for CLS track & field in 2007. Extraordinarily talented in speed/power events. Set new CLS school records in the Long Jump, 100m Hurdles, 200m, and 300m Hurdles. Was 2007 Parochial League Champion in the 100m, 200m, 100m Hurdles, Long Jump, and Triple Jump and was League Runner-up in the 300m Hurdles.

Will Betzner

Sprints/Jumps Captain; earned High Point Runner-up Award and Track & Field Spirit Award for CLS track & field in 2007. CLS School Record Holder in the 300m Hurdles, and CLS’s 2 nd best all-time marks in the 110m Hurdles and 400m Dash. League Champion in the 100m Dash and 300m Hurdles, and League Runner-up in the 200m Dash, 110m Hurdles, Long Jump, and Triple Jump. An extraordinarily talented individual in the speed/power events.

Courtney Goudy

Harrison Files

Was unable to compete in 2007 but practiced with the team daily, and in practice had marks comparable to or better than those of Will Betzner and Josh Ralston. Could be a tremendous asset to the LHS track team.

Anna Junkans

Earned Spiritual Leadership Award two years in a row as well as Team Servant Award for CLS track & field in 2007. A top finisher through most of the season for CLS in distance events. Finished one step behind Goudy in the 800m and 1600m at the Parochial League Championships. One of several talented female distance runners.

Jonathan Kettler

Earned Spiritual Leadership Award for 4 consecutive years, and Team Servant Award for CLS track & field in 2006. One of our top male distance runners, he brings a tremendous work ethic and great spiritual focus to the team. Is ready for a breakthrough in high school.

Taylor Logsdon

Middle/Long Distance Captain for CLS track & field in 2007. A top finisher through most of the season for CLS in distance events. One of several talented female distance runners.

Josh Ralston

Throws Captain for the 3 rd consecutive year, was High Point Award winner, Team MVP for CLS track & field in 2007. CLS School Record Holder in Discus, Shotput and Long Jump. Parochial League Champion in the 200m, Long Jump, and Triple Jump, and League Runner-up in the 100m. Won the Discus, Shotput and High Jump throughout the season until a shoulder injury sidelined these events at the Championships. Another extraordinarily gifted individual.

Kayla Mayes

Throws Captain and High Point Runner-up Award for CLS track & field in 2007. All-around solid athlete in speed/power events. League Champion in the Discus, League Runner-up in the High, Long and Triple Jumps and 3 rd place finisher in Shotput at the Championships.

Markham Roberson

Combines good speed and developing endurance to help us in multiple relay events and hurdles. He has much room for improvement as he grows and gets stronger.

Sydney McCauley

Combines good speed and developing endurance to help us in multiple relay events and hurdles. She has much room for improvement as she grows and gets stronger.

Eric Sanders

Like Markham, brings together solid speed and good endurance to help us in relays. He is developing as a distance runner and will continue to improve as he builds strength and power.

Jessica Taylor

3 rd place finisher in the 400m at the Championships. Like Sydney, brings together solid speed and good endurance to help us in relays and jumps. She will continue to improve as she builds strength and power.

Greg Smith

CLS School Record Holder in the 110m Hurdles. Parochial League Champion in the 110m Hurdles and Discus, League Runner-up in the 300m Hurdles and Shotput. Combines great coordination with speed and power to make an all-around “can-do” athlete.

Alexis Whitley

League Champion in the 300m Hurdles, 3 rd place finisher in the 100m at the Championships. She brings very solid speed to the table and will be very competitive at the high school level.

Annual Lutheran High School Cross-country Camp of Champions for coaches and athletes of all schools

After six consecutive years of a great experience for Arkansas youth distance runners, the Lutheran High Cross-country Camp of Champions will no longer be offered. As director of the camp, I wish to spend more time with my daughter and wife, and this is one way to do so. I’ve been so blessed to work with so many different people who helped facilitate the camp. I learned from every speaker, and I know that the 115 athletes who attended each year did as well. The University of Arkansas in Fayetteville offers a great running camp. Go to http://www.coachmcdonnell.com/camp.htm for information.