ENTERPRISE — Many of the athletes who helped boost the Wallowa County girls cross-country team to a state championship in November will be on the track for Enterprise this spring, and although head coach Dan Moody has been limited in working with the athletes outdoors due to weather issues, he’s optimistic about what the team can do once it gets some practices in.

“We’re way behind. I think we’ve had two workouts on our track,” he said March 19. “You’d like to say what we’re going to have (is strong), but I don’t know until we start seeing them.”

However, he added, “I think we’re going to be really solid.”

Four of the seven runners who were in the championship race in the fall — Owyhee Harguess, Piper Harvey, Abigail Hurley and Maddie Nordtvedt — lead the way for the Outlaws, who have a solid blend of distance and speed as they look to get back into trophy contention this spring after placing 13th last spring.

“I’m counting on big things coming from them,” he said of the cross-country athletes. “Abigail has some pretty good speed, she’ll be 800 and maybe 400, (and) mile relay. Owyhee has a lot of speed. She’ll definitely be (in the) 200 (and) 400. (The) 800 is basically Abigail and Maddie Nordtvedt. (The) 15 and 3, Piper and Hannah Sheahan and Michaila (Caine).”

That mix also includes Nevaeh James, the defending 2A champion in the girls 300 hurdles, as well as three of the four runners from both the 4×100 and 4×400 relay teams that placed in the top five last year. Althea Komiskey and Alisha Melville were on the 4×100 and 4×400 teams, respectively, with James and Nordtvedt.

“The girls should be pretty solid,” he said. “They’re going to make a good showing all the way through the year.”

On the boys side, the Outlaws are coming off a runner-up effort at last year’s state track meet, but enter in a bit of a rebuild with state champion distance runner Zac Knapp and 400 runner-up Levi Ortswam lost to graduation. But among the returners are Ransom Peters, Andrew Nordtvedt, Weston Wolfe and Cory Walker, all of whom helped score points for Enterprise.

“We won’t have the distance runners, but we got a thrower, Tanner Kesecker in the disc, and then Noah Meyer in the javelin,” Moody said, though he noted the team has yet to practice with metal javelins yet due to the ground conditions.

The Outlaws also get back Lute Ramsden, who recently returned to competition during the wrestling season after dealing with injuries. He could be a wild card for Moody.

“People forgot about him. As a freshman he ran a 52-(second) 400, and then hasn’t been around,” the coach said. “He just is coming back now. I’m expecting some big things out of him. I think he’s going to surprise a lot of people.”

There are also some unknowns for Moody given the youth he has among the 45 athletes on the team this spring. The youth movement paid off in the fall with cross-country as the girls team learned the ropes quickly, and he is hoping for a similar outcome this spring.

“With the boys and girls, two-thirds of our team are freshmen and sophomores. It’s a lot of youth,” he said. “They’ll be improving throughout the year. We may not know where we’re going to put everybody until mid- to late season.”

Enterprise doesn’t take to the track until April 7 at Pendleton, with Moody holding off on any meets before spring break, but the Outlaws then have five meets in 15 days, and eight in four weeks, so the coach will quickly have a gauge on where his team is at.

The 2A Special District 4 track meet is May 20 in Hermiston, with state the following week at Hayward Field in Eugene.