Coach Jenelle Stussy was greeted with great weather and a big turnout of athletes as she launched her fifth season at the helm of the Enumclaw High track and field program.

“Practices are running like clockwork,” she said following the initial week of practice.

It helps to have a core group of proven tracksters in the Hornet fold, a group that led both the Hornet boys and girls teams to upper-tier finishes a season ago in the South Puget Sound League 3A.

Among the proven veterans back for another track and field season are Stephanie Schreiner and Carissa Gwerder on the girls side and Braden Timpe, Abe Kellogg and Larry Calvert on the boys side. Schreiner returns with a record of success in both the 200- and 400-meter runs and is also a factor in the long jump. Gwerder provided EHS plenty of points in the distance races.

Kellogg is a hurdle specialist who placed second at last year’s Class 3A state meet in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles. Timpe was a state qualified last season in the 800 meters and Calvert is solid in both the 800 and 1,600.

Stussy gets her first look at the Hornets in competition Saturday when the team travels for the annual jamboree at Sumner High.