The Lone Tree Lions are off and running in a new boys’ track and field season and will be looking to a pair of juniors to help lead the way in the sprint events. Emmett Burke and Domonic Garcia were part of a 4-by-100-meter relay team that reached the Class 1A state meet last season for Lone Tree.

Both also ran on the 4-by-200 relay that took second place in the Southeast Iowa Super Conference, and Garcia was third in the league in the 100-meter dash last season. Lions head coach Kale Render tells KCII Sports that he’s looking to his veterans to set an example for the rest of the team.

“They’re going to be leaders for a relatively young team that we’re going to have,” Render says. “They think they’re going to take that next little jump this season, hopefully.”

Lone Tree competed at the Iowa Association of Track Coaches Indoor State Championships last week. Their first outdoor track meet of the season will be this coming Monday at the Columbus Invitational at Louisa-Muscatine.