By BRUCE HEFFLINGER

hefflinger@crescent-news.com

Youth will be in abundance for first-year Defiance High School boys varsity track coach Steve Rittenour.

Rittenour, who has replaced long-time mentor Jerry Buti who relinquished the position upon taking over as DHS athletic director a year ago, has just two seniors on this year's roster making the coaching transition a bit tougher than might be expected for a program that has captured 13 Western Buckeye League championships including the past two.

"The first thing I want to do is continue the success we've had here," Rittenour said. "Being an alumni, it's a great honor to have this job but I have some big footsteps to follow. At first it was overwhelming, I was used to being an assistant, but as the season gets closer the more excited I'm getting."

This year's squad must overcome the loss of numerous standouts from a year ago headed by Austin Trivett and James Rodriguez, a pair of state qualifiers, along with Jacquice King and Vince Buti. Trivett won the pole vault and 110 hurdles at the 2007 WBL meet.

"The team has a lot of question marks but also offers opportunities to succeed," said Rittenour, who has coached for eight years at DHS. "We've always been a great conditioned team and we've won WBL titles with tough competitors. We also want to act with class on and off the track. If we do those things we'll be successful."

Senior Aaron Demecs (200 and 400 meters) heads a group of 17 returning lettermen for the Bulldogs. Last season Demecs was part of the school record-setting 400 relay team while also placing second in the WBL in the 400 meters.

"Aaron can win almost any event we want to put him in," Rittenour noted.

Elliot Wilde (discus) is the other senior on the DHS roster this year, but a large contingent of juniors brings optimism to another successful campaign. Leading that class are returning lettermen Alex Perez (shot put), David Pagan (400, high jump), Travis Spitnale (200, long jump), Zac Wiles (distance), Sebastian Brown (800), Jordan Gonzales (pole vault), Richie Miller (pole vault), Andrew Hess (shot put) and John Lenhert (shot put).

"It seems like a couple of these guys have been around forever," Rittenour said. "You like to have seniors be leaders but if a junior wants to be a leader I have no problem with that. We have some leaders in that junior class and we'll have to have that."

Distance runner Trevin Flickinger is back to head a sophomore class that also returns letterwinners Isaac Swanson (sprints), Casey Fuhrmann (shot put), Thorne Roehrig (pole vault) and Dennis Green (discus).

However, out of the junior and sophomore returnees, only Wiles (second 3200, third 1600), Flickinger (fourth 1600) and Pagan (fifth high jump, sixth 400) placed in the top six at the WBL meet last season.

"We have guys back that have been very important in our last two WBL championships," said Rittenour, who points to distance and middle distance events as strengths this year with throwing and sprint events the biggest concerns. "We have a chance to three-peat and I don't know that we've ever done that. It's one of our goals. Last year we wanted to repeat and this year the first thing the kids said they want to do is three-peat.

"But that will be a big challenge. Wapak and Shawnee look to be the favorites but we hope to be right there with them."

Defiance opens up its season on Tuesday with a home meet against Archbold and Bryan.