With a roster dominated by freshmen and sophomores, the Putnam County track and field team is leaning on growth and development this season, with early returns being encouraging.
Despite being one of the younger teams in the area, the War Eagles have shown promise, combining returning talent with an influx of underclassmen who are quickly finding their footing.
“It’s been great,” head coach Kedric Manning said. “We started this year kind of reinventing ourselves on both the boys and girls sides, learning some new disciplines and just growing into who we’re going to be.”
Leading the way is returning state placer Bill Waters, who finished third in the high jump at last year’s state meet. Manning said Waters has already cleared 6-foot-7 this season and is on pace to challenge even higher marks.
“He’s on track to get back to that level and hopefully even push past it,” Manning said.
While Waters provides experience, the bulk of the roster is made up of younger athletes.
Putnam County has just five seniors, with the rest of the team largely consisting of freshmen and sophomores — including a freshman class of around 15 athletes. That youth movement has injected energy across the program.
On the boys' side, freshmen Jacob Manning, Myles Terrell, and Rasha Ellison have stood out early, while Levi Screws has brought enthusiasm to the distance events. Sophomores Caden Jackson and Christian Gresham have also contributed, giving the team depth despite their relative inexperience.
In the field events, veteran throwers Joe Ward and Bryson Brown have provided leadership. Brown has already posted a 45-foot mark in shot put, signaling strong potential as the season continues.
The girls’ team has been equally impressive, with a mix of emerging talent and key contributors. Freshmen Aubree Butts and Kacie Monday are expected to make an impact in the sprints, while Laneya Milligan and Treasure McClendon lead the way in the throwing events.
Jaslyn Foster and Alexis Evans also have been major contributors, helping to anchor a girls’ squad that Manning described as one of the team’s biggest strengths.
“We’ve got some really strong girls this year,” Manning said. “But overall, it’s just a solid group across the board.”
A major focus for Putnam County this season has been developing a consistent mindset. Manning has implemented what he calls a “gladiator mentality,” pushing athletes to build both physical endurance and mental toughness.
Practices are structured to keep athletes constantly engaged, minimize downtime, and reinforce discipline.
“We’re working every single day,” Manning said. “It’s not a lot of standing around. We’re trying to build that mental toughness and flip that switch so they can compete at a high level.”
That mentality has helped the team to buy into the program, even on the most challenging days.
“They’re very coachable and excited to be out there,” Manning said. “Even when it gets tough, they keep pushing.”