It’s Spring Break in the Greene County School District, but some spring sports will still be practicing for their upcoming seasons. Derek Merk heads the girls’ track & field program and Chad Morton is the boys’ head coach.

There were no Iowa high school spring sports in 2020 due to COVID-19 and the coach was asked what the attitudes have been like after such a long layoff. Coach Merk told Raccoon Valley Radio, “They’ve come back real hungry. There are several of them I think would have had a really great season last year, and that kind of hurt them, knowing they lost that season. So, they’re coming back with something to prove, and I see that in the way they practice.”

There are three seniors with State Meet experience from the past in thrower Brooklyn Olson, sprinter Makala Kafer, and long jumper/sprinter Brianna Osterson. The coach said are three are showing great leadership in the early going. “We see that in practice. I’ve watched all of them in some way or another take time to help the younger girls. They’re making sure those young girls feel valued and those three, and other older girls, are taking time to help the younger ones.”

The Rams are preparing to start the outdoor season on Monday, March 29 in Jefferson at Linduska Field for the Greene County Coed Early Bird Meet.