The Free State and Lawrence High girls track and field teams are dominated by underclassmen, but both squads have plenty of senior leaders – with state hardware to back them up.

The Firebirds have the two-sport experience of Alysha Valencia to guide the largest girls team Free State ever has had.

Valencia, sixth in the state cross country championship last fall, looks to cap her senior year with track gold around her neck.

“She’s really excited about running faster than a year ago,” FSHS coach Steve Heffernan said. “And heading into track season has always been her favorite season compared to cross country.”

The competition should be a little fearful if Valencia runs faster than last year. The Firebird distance runner already has gold and silver from last year’s state track and field, finishing second in the 1,600 and first in the 3,200.

“She doesn’t seem to set herself apart from the team. : She doesn’t have a big head,” Heffernan said about the leadership role Valencia embraces. “She just comes in and wants to work hard and wants to improve. And so when kids see that and see that she’s approachable – they talk to her, she likes everybody and is a team person – I think that gives them some confidence in their own ability.”

Valencia said the large squad just needed to keep it simple in order to get the results it wanted.

“We doubt ourselves sometimes, and we really can compete,” Valencia said. “Just doing traditions – spaghetti dinners, sleepovers and that kind of stuff – with the team bonding will help us.”

Another key for FSHS will be Emma Brooke, who tied for third in the high jump a year ago.

While Free State’s boys team finished a place behind Lawrence at state, the roles were reversed with the FSHS girls finishing 1.5 points in front of LHS.

Lawrence’s push at state came from senior Amy Magnuson, who finished with a gold and silver at the state meet.

Magnuson won the 100-meter hurdles and was second in the triple jump.

“The great thing about track is the No. 1 way to lead is by being a hard worker, and (Magnuson) does that without a doubt,” Lawrence coach Scott Stidham said.

Though young, the Lions’ aren’t inexperienced.

“We have a lot of young sophomores coming up that had some experience late in the year, coming up as ninth-graders after their junior high season,” Stidham said. “So they got a little taste of what to expect of Lawrence High track and field, and we have some high hopes for our girls team.”