Eighty-six athletes fill out the huge ladies track and field roster this season. Though the program lost 18 senior boys and girls last season, Head Coach Matt Johnson is looking forward to seeing what he has and working with the remaining Wildcats on their form.

“Not knowing what we have on extreme speed, we just work on form with everyone,” he said.

Thanks to some returning athletes, Johnson and Coach Michael Sudrovech are planning for the ladies to do well in the 200 and 400 meter events. The 800 meter race has some returning talent, so coaches are expecting that could be a strong event as well.

“It’s almost double the team we had last year, so we’re hoping that added depth will help bring a couple more in the win column,” Sudrovech said.

One of the star returners for the ladies is junior Antonia Vackaro, who Johnson says can compete at a high level in most events.

“She’s gifted in anything she runs in,” he said.

With a lot of boys and girls coming up from the middle school, much of the team is still trying to prove themselves athletically. The returning upperclassman on both sides are also looking to prove themselves as leaders.

“I have a list of kids on my phone that I expect to be captains,” Johnson said. “And right now, they’re proving their captainship.”

But,Oxford was led in points by its underclassman on March 27 in its first meet of the season against Lake Orion. Though the team lost 82-46, 102 personal records were set throughout the night for the Lady Cats.

Vackaro got things started with second place finishes in both the 100 and 200 Meter events.

Other athletes to get points in running events were freshman Olivia Drobnich with third in the 400 Meter, sophomore Lauren Schiller with third in the 800 Meter, freshman Alaine Cusick with third in the 1,600 Meter and second in the 3,200 Meter and junior Rachel Whitt with third in the 3,200 Meter.

In the hurdling events, senior Victoria Huntsman led the way with second in the 100 Meter and third in the 300 Meter. Junior Mattie Johnson took third in the 100 Meter.

The Lady Cats placed in the top three spots for every field event, and junior Gihon Maxwell and freshman Jenna Chappel gave Oxford first place points. Maxwell won Shot Put with a 31 foot, four inch throw and Chappel won the High Jump with a four foot, six inch leap.

Other top field finishes came from freshman Eriana Hubbard with second in Shot Put, Maxwell with second in Discus, sophomore Olivia Roth with third in Discus, Johnson with second in Pole Vault, sophomore Charlie McClenaghan with third in Pole Vault and sophomore Jordan Beebe with third in Long Jump.

The girls and the boys will be back at it on April 10 when they host Clarkston. Sudrovech and Johnson also encouraged the community to mark April 27 on their calendars, in which Oxford will host its annual Elmer Ball Oxford Invitational.

Twenty teams are already signed up for the big meet.