Interest in Upper Perkiomen's newest varsity sport started strong. More than 40 students signed up for the boys indoor track team. Nearly all of them showed up for the first day of practice last Friday, according to head coach Todd Niemann.
            "Right now, it's the shiny new toy," he said.

Upper Perkiomen's boys indoor track team circles the track at Keeny Staduim on Monday.

            The roster consists of multiple three-season runners, athletes from other sports looking to enhance their abilities and a handful of elite performers. No one could benefit more from a full season than Grayson Riggins, according to Niemann.
            Riggins, a standout hurdler who missed nearly all of his junior season with groin and muscle issues, completed a full workout on Friday, Nov. 14. The coach said he's yet to commit to a college track team.
            "Grayson is ready to go," Niemann said.
            The current roster is benefiting from the efforts of several former male runners to start the team, according to the coach. He said that in recent years, some boys competed in a limited schedule as independents. Parents were forced to transport their children.
            This season, the Indians will compete in a series of meets sponsored by the Delaware Valley Track Coaches Association. Niemann said he hopes to get at least their top four performers – Riggins, Darius Reid, Asher Zonis and John Kuzmission – to qualify for the state championship meet early next year at Penn State University.

            "It would be great to get them all there," Niemann said.
            The coach said he hopes to take the handful of top athletes to two or three meets against elite competition. The exposure would likely help Riggins, who missed his prime college recruiting period during his junior spring season after earning a silver medal in the 110-meter hurdles at the District One Class 3A Championships as a sophomore.
            "The talent Grayson has doesn't go away," the coach said of Riggins, who will likely compete in the 60-meter hurdles and the 200-meter dash. "He's itching to compete. We're going to slowly build his volume."

            Reid, a standout jumper and sprinter, will compete in the high jump while he plays basketball. He finished fourth in the event in the PIAA Class 3A championships in the spring.

            Zonis, a senior, set a personal record in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.97 seconds at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor in June at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.

            Kuzmission, who runs during all three seasons, should be the team's top distance runner.

            The Tribe is scheduled to run in its first meet on Dec. 13 at Lehigh University. According to Niemann, the boys top performers will include distance runners Sean Donahue and Thomas Daub, Jose Montero in the 400-meter dash and Cael Martin in the shot put.

            "Hopefully, some freshmen step up," the coach wrote in a text message.

            The Tribe girls will be led by senior hurdler Sallybeth McCaskey, classmate Morgan O'Hara and junior triple jumper Lauren Coates.

            According to head coach Clayton Mowrer, O'Hara will run sprints and compete in the shot put due to the fact that her top two throwing events – discus and javelin – aren't available during the season.

            Junior Paige Long will compete in long-distance events for the Indians, whose first meet is scheduled for Dec. 12 at Alvernia University. Sprinters Lila Martin and Maya Pierce, along with Maggie Bittermann (distance events) will lead a strong sophomore class, according to the coach. Jazzmin Hollada will throw the shot.

            Amy and Sarah Rohl will participate while also swimming, according to Mowrer. He said Amy, a senior, will run distance races. The coach said Sarah, a sophomore, will split time between the two sports.