Members of the boys and girls track teams at South Whidbey High School haven’t had to worry much during the off season about how they would stay among the best in Washington in 2003.

Spared huge losses to graduation after the Falcon girls placed third and the boys eighth in state last year, the two teams — which function as one in everything but meet scoring — are pretty much what they were last year, only a year older, stronger and faster.

About 75 track athletes turned out this week to run in both rain and sunshine on the high school’s newly resurfaced track.

To see them on the rubberized asphalt or the still-greening infield is to look at a South Whidbey track team with more balance and talent than any other in the past decade. After largely surviving on the talents of distance runners and the occasional jumper, sprinter or thrower in recent years, the 2003 Falcons have the potential, according to head coach Doug Fulton, to be the best in almost any event.

On the boys side of the equation, the team is working to rebuild its state-championship 4×400 team after losing senior runner Joe Candelario to graduation. Returning to run on the team are senior Andy Wills, junior Nick Plastino, and senior Brandon Bilyeu, who has spent the better part of a year healing up from several foot ailments. Wills and Plastino are also expected to return in the 4×100 with Zach Taylor, an event in which the Falcons led the state for portions of the 2002 season.

Wills said this week that he will lead by example, especially on the relay teams.

“The faster I go, the faster they go,” he said.

Back to help the team in the high jump and long jump is junior Kyle McGillen, who placed at state in the high jump, and Travis Tornga, another state high jumper. In the field, Jeremy Iversen is expected to be a state contender in the javelin throw.

In the middle and long-distance running events, the boys are will be as tough as ever. Hitting the track after winning conference and district titles in cross country last year are junior James Sundquist, sophomore Holton Schmitt, freshman JD Peters, and Bilyeu. Sundquist made his state track debut with an 11th-place performance in the 3,200-meter run in 2002, while Bilyeu will be making a bid for his fourth straight trip to the big meet.

On the girls team, there are some big cleats to fill as the Falcons try to fill open spots left by graduates Melissa Poolman, Lindsey Binford and Karen Schwager. Poolman and Binford were members of the team’s successful 4×100 and 4×200 relays last year. This year, junior sprinter Claudia Gil-Osorio and Nicole Mock will lead a sprinting crew Coach Fulton said will be bolstered by several talented freshmen.

Schwager’s loss, though a huge hit after she placed in both the 1,600 and 3,200 in the state meet in Cheney last year, may be the easiest for the team to make up. Without her this fall, the girls cross country team placed second at state. The girls that drove that team — Julie Gabelein, Callie Supsinskas, Mary Bakeman, Nancy Godsey and Kelly DeGraaf — were on the track this week, along with sophomore Emily Felt, a standout last season.

Gabelein, the lone senior in the group, said she can’t imagine not being successful.

“It’s the same (as cross country),” she said. “We’re just on a track now going in circles.”

Likely to be South Whidbey’s biggest weapon again this year is junior Katy McGillen, who accounted for a big chunk of the team’s points last year with victories week after week in the 100 hurdles, the long jump and javelin. Expected to shadow her in the hurdles is sophomore Becky Gabelein and sophomore Kimery Hern, who in addition to throwing the javelin was a state placer in the discus in 2002.

Fulton also counted the team’s coaching staff as a factor in its favor this year. Joining him on the staff are former head track coaches Mike McInerney, Mark Eager and Carl Westling, throwing coach Jeff Green, sprinting coach Dean Hatt and javelin coach Craig Stelling. Between all that expertise and a group of athletes he sees getting “better and better,”

Fulton said both the girl and boy Falcons have a good chance to unseat last year’s state champion, Mount Baker.

“I’m really excited about this group,” he said.

The Falcons start their season March 20 with a jamboree at Waterman Field.