The Summit High School track and field team was the lone varsity sport to compete in spring 2020.

Fourteen months ago, a Tigers contingent led by 2020 graduates Jeremiah Vaille, Max Bonenberger, Gabe Dalrymple, Paul Hans and PK Vincze ran, threw and leaped at the Rangeview Raider Invitational in Aurora.

Then, suddenly, it was all over due to the onset of the pandemic.

“There are so many kids who are very excited about the season,” Tigers head coach Kristy McClain said. “When we didn’t have last year; it was a heartbreaker. And we had high hopes for last year, but there are a lot of hopes we’re carrying into this year. The kids are working hard and settling into what events and specialties they want to focus on.”

Those leaders, who were poised last spring to take the program to one of its best seasons in recent memory, have now moved onto post high school life. Vaille and Bonenberger are part of one of the best Division II programs in the country as distance runners at Colorado School of Mines while Vincze is training with USA Rugby this year after delaying her enrollment at Harvard University to this fall.

Despite the losses, the Tigers have several top athletes returning, including two top veterans who won an event at the Rangeview Raider Invitational.

Junior Emily Koetteritz won the 300-meter hurdles and senior Corey Johnson won the discus at the Rangeview meet last year. They are two of an athletic group of newcomers and veterans McClain said will anchor the Tigers team this year.

Johnson was elected team captain with fellow seniors Bryton Ferrari and Lexi Vaille. McClain said Ferrari will be one of the team’s best sprinters in the 100 and 200 meters.

“She has one of the best work ethics of any athlete I’ve ever known,” McClain said about the future Colorado School of Mines rugby player. “Every day, she is working hard.”

While Ferrari will lift up the Tigers’ runners, Johnson and Vaille — who also compete in hurdles — will be the vocal leaders for the team’s younger throwers under the tutelage of throwing coach Michael Hagen.

McClain said Tigers sophomores Dom Remeikis and Zach McBride should carry their cross-country success to the mile and 800-meter runs. McClain also said seniors Sam Burke, Korben Long and Theodore Preaus will add running depth to the boys side.

And Koetteritz will provide a triple-threat across sprinting, jumping and hurdling disciplines for Summit. McClain said Koetteritz will contend in the triple jump and long jump as well as 100- and 300-meter hurdles.

“I couldn’t ask for a better athlete on the track team than Emily,” McClain said.

The team will also have seniors Brielly Quigley and Lily Hess add depth to the girls running side. McClain said Hess is available for the 100- and 200-meter runs after the future Coastal Carolina rugby player returns from a wrist injury that prevented her from playing rugby this fall. McClain said Hess may play into the high potential Summit has for several relays this year.

Ferrari said she’s most excited for the 4-x-100-meter relay, a group featuring Lucy Brady, Koetteritz and some other top runners who are ready to break the school record after tying it in 2019.

Ferrari said she expects a big season from football stars Aidan Collins, a junior, and Cam Kalaf, a senior, who have run the 100 fast in practice. Less than a week after leading Summit rugby to a state title, Ferrari said the track team has a great combination of top athletes from multiple sports, including some who’ll race in the same relay.

“That connection in the relays is really cool for track,” Ferrari said.