South boys track looking to bounce back

The drop-off was quick for the Nashua High School South boys indoor track team.

The Panthers went from the top of Class L in 2009, winning the indoor and outdoor boys track titles, to finishing 10^th during last indoor season.

For 2010, first-year head coach Jason Paling is trying to get South back to where it was two years ago and he just might have the right mix of experienced returners and talented newcomers to surprise a few people.

“I think we have two excellent throwers who will qualify and place in the state meet,” Paling said. “Our sprinters, we have a solid junior corps with some upcoming freshmen. With the large amount of underclassmen coming up, I think we’re going to be solid for the years to come.”

The Panthers return their top two throwers from a year ago in seniors Ian Parsons and Colin Quinn. Both qualified for the Class L meet last year, with Parsons finishing third.

South’s group of sprinters are led by juniors Ray Ramos, Connor O’Leary and Connor Rogowsky while the Panthers’ also return distance runner Aaron Martin, who placed in the 600-meter run last year.

While South has some talent on this year’s roster, Paling is searching for ways to bring it out the best of everyone when the team gets on the track.

“I think psychologically, you’ve got to build the team back up and develop and design what the team is going to be,” he said. “From there, you let the chips fall into place. Even though you have some talented individuals, they can’t exceed and excel if they don’t have a strong group of kids working around them. In track and field, we work on the events that we have, but also feed off the kids who work just as hard, even though they may not be as talented.”

The Panthers open their season Saturday in the evening meet at the University of New Hampshire.