Perfection, as we know, is impossible to attain, but it wasn’t for the Emmaus girls track team last spring. The Green Hornets went 11-0 during the regular season and earned an EPC regular season title in the process. Surprising? Yes, even to the team’s leader.

“It was not expected last year,” said coach Kami Reinhard. “It was just one of those years that it all came together, having a top finisher in the majority of events.”

For the record, Emmaus finished fourth at the 2018 in the EPC Championship Meet and was not far from winning the whole thing. That’s because a mere eight points separated the first through fourth slots with Stroudsburg claiming the crown and Easton and Liberty finishing second and third, respectively. If that wasn’t frustrating enough, the scenario virtually repeated itself at districts.

This time there was a six-point difference between winner Easton and third-place Emmaus, with Stroudsburg earning second place.

“This year may be different,” she said. “We lost several of our top athletes, such as distance runner Abigail Dalton, Sophie Pickering and Kaitlyn Carter.”

How quickly their replacements realize their potential will likely hold the key to the program’s 2019 campaign.

“We remain a young team and are in a good position in most event groups, but time will tell if we can be as strong as last year,” Reinhard said.

The Green Hornets lost talented Naomi Devarie and Kaitlyn Renschen in addition to the aforementioned trio. But Emmaus has an array of weapons returning that should give opponents fits.

Distance runners Abby Heilenman, Clara Kennedy, Amanda Lavana, Kera Reinhard and Sophie Yialamas will be part of that “time will tell” answer. Sprinters Madison Brown, Katharine Downey, Mackenzie Dries, Halle Jennett, Kayla Kisthardt, Ashleigh McNellis, Ashley Ryan, Alanna Smith and Kayla Smith hope to leave opponents in the dust.

Lindsay Lumsden, Julia Rdkowsky, Laurel Widdoss and Kristen Zellner will handle jumping duties, while Edna Creelman, Elizabeth Mazzella, Tayah Mehrtens, Sarah Jane Waterman and Destiny Vazquez look to hurdle over rivals. Anna Scott-Hand, Hannah Lingold and Liliian Shields will comprise the throwing squad and MacKenzie Bruns, Eva Patt, Peyton Rautzhan and Abby Sommer will handle pole vaulting responsibilities.

Newcomers Keerstin Augustin, Isabella Lees and Madison Toretta will augment the distance squad, while Brooklyn Brunhoeber and Heather Augustin will fortify the sprinting contigent.

Aubrie Pavlacka will add depth to the jumping group, while Bethany Brown and Krissy Heilenman will do likewise in hurdles.

Molly Lineberger will work to get reps in throws and Morgan Belisle and Georgia Yialamas are expected to help the pole vault team.