The Columbus Wildcats are on their marks and ready for the starting gun of a new boys’ track and field season. Columbus has been one of the area’s most outstanding boys’ track programs the last two seasons, winning every outdoor meet but state and claiming back-to-back Southeast Iowa Super Conference championships.

While the Wildcats will need to replace state-qualifying sprinter Kaden Amigon and bronze-medalist shot-putter Russell Coil, they do not lack for returning talent.

Senior Riley Kaalberg was part of three relay teams that reached the Class 1A state meet last season and also qualified individually in the 100-meter dash, while sophomore Lamar Ceant returns after being on two of those relay teams and qualifying in the 110-meter hurdles.

Also back is junior Alexander Rees, who won state medals with the shuttle hurdles relay and in the individual 110 hurdles. With so much talent still on the roster and new faces emerging, Columbus head coach Scott Dennler tells KCII Sports they’re not planning on slowing down any time soon.

“We want to win every meet this year,” Dennler says, “[and] we want to win conference [and] win districts again, and we want to be on top at the end. That’s the one that’s been out of our grasp, but that’s the goal.”

The Wildcats also return seniors like Juan Chairez and Johnathan Miranda, who helped relay teams reach state. Columbus competes for the first time this track season at the Dickinson Relays later today in the UNI-Dome in Cedar Rapids.