The indoor track team aims to rebuild its strong reputation after the loss of key seniors Llewellyn Smith and Tessa Morrison.

Despite the boys team’s weak performance in recent years, the large number of athletes trying out keeps the team optimistic.

“We have a lot of young talent this year and a lot of new developing runners that are looking to do great things this season,” sprinter Nick Newsham said.

Freshman phenom Rio Chiba, one of the top sprinters in the county, has a good shot at making it to the state meet.

Sprinting team captain Madeline Entwistle notes that the girls team is especially strong this year, returning seniors Julie Elfin, Caroline Guiot, Sarah Zeichner, Mimi Lawrence and Elizabeth Frank.

“I expect a lot of hard workers and I can see we will have many committed runners on the team this year,” Entwistle said.

Middle-distance runner Tara Biglari believes that the Vikes are also a top-tier team this season after the hard work the runners have put in during practice.

“We’ve been training hard all offseason so hopefully we meet the high expectations that coach [Stephen Hays] sets for us,” Biglari said.

Distance team captain Nick Adams notes that the team looks solid after a strong cross country season, which will lead into track. Hays adds that cross country state champion Caroline Guiot has the potential to win her event.

“Caroline is a great kid and works very hard,” Hays said. “If she can put together a strong season of training she will be a state champion in 3200.”

The team has qualified for the state championship 20 years in a row in addition to winning the MCPS Division II Championship last year.

Although the Vikes boast a strong team, they will face challenging opponents throughout the season. Hays notes that Walter Johnson and Churchill are strong on the boys distance events while BCC is strong on the girls distance events.

The first meet of the season is Dec. 13 at the Prince George’s Sportsplex in Landover.