The Eisenhower track team had a new head coach — Jimmy Schrecongost — when it faced off against Kane in its first meet of the year Tuesday, but he has been around the program for quite a while.

A 2008 Eisenhower graduate, Schrecongost took over as head coach earlier this spring after realizing he had the desire to be a part of continuing the rich tradition of Eisenhower track and field.

“I ran cross country and was a state qualifier for the track team when I competed, so to be able to keep the traditions and add my footprint on the program just means so much to me,” he said.

The 2024 Knights will field a team with a small number of returning seniors, but they have a large number of underclassmen and great numbers in the freshman class.

“We may be short on seniors but the underclassmen are working hard and improving every practice,” Schrecongost said. “I am excited to watch (the freshmen’s) improvement over the course of the season.”

The Knights also return some familiar faces to the coaching staff as well. After a year away, Sharon Harris returns to work with the sprinters; Rob Devereaux is back to work with the pole vaulters; Ike graduate Nichomis Stanton will be working with the jumpers; and Betsy Sobkowski has been added to work with the throwers.

“Our numbers are strong. It should make for a fun and exciting season. We should be able to qualify a good number for district competition and, hopefully, get a few athletes qualified for states.”