Rotarians hear from NHS track coaches

Jimi Easterling and Paul Dean were the guest speakers this week during the Nashville Rotary Club meeting.

This is Easterling’s first year has the head boys track coach, and he talked about following in the footsteps of Coach Rick Baker.

He also said this year’s track team is experienced but young. Easterling said the team was working to improve in the field events. He said last year they earned 4-points in the field events at the state track meet, but during an early season track meet, the team earned 40 points in the field events.

He mentioned several athletes that are currently in the top ten in the conference and/or state. Easterling said Dexter Draper has qualified for state in the shot put. Alex Sullivan is currently first in the state in the pole vault. Kyle Whiteman is ranked sixth in the high jump. Randy Ortiz and Oliver Ortiz is ranked distance runners. Miller Goff is third in the state in the sprints and the fastest kid on the team. Sloan Perrin is sixth in the state in the 200-meter dash. Astin Cooper is in the top five in the conference in hurdles and Kelvin Flowers is one of the best all-around athletes at Nashville High School.

Coach Paul Dean has seen the number of female track athletes increase from 7 or 8 in his first season to 15 this year.

Dean said this year’s squad is more balanced. He has runners, throwers and vaulters. He said KK Perkins is back this season after attending the Meet of Champions last year and Heaven Collins is running the 100-meter, 200-meter and competing in the long jump this season. Dean stated Collins has signed to run track next year at SAU and those are the events she will be competing in on the colligate level.

Dean said this team is getting better each week.

The Scrappers and the Scrapperettes will compete in the Scrapper Relays next Thursday and the Coca-Cola Relays in Nashville on April 19.