By David Pan/Lynnwood Today editor

The Lynnwood track and field program has suffered a lack of numbers for a number of years.

The overall numbers, however, look good for the upcoming season as about 100 athletes turned out, making the 2014 team the largest in at least five years.

“We’re probably up about 25 what we’ve been the last several years,” said Lynnwood coach Duane Lewis, who is entering his 48^th season at the helm of the track and field program.

The girls team returns plenty of talent and should be able to hold its own against any of the top teams in the Wesco 4A, Lewis said.

Versatile is an apt description for some of the returning athletes.

Sophomore Mikayla Pivec, one of the top basketball players in the league, is just as talented in track. Pivec is the returning league champion in the 800 and 1,600. She placed sixth in the 1,600 at state as a freshman. Pivec also had the second best throw in the javelin as a freshman.

Sophomore Jordyn Edwards, another standout from the basketball team, is a returning state qualifier in the 200 and 400 and should be among the top 3 in the state in the latter event.

Pivec, Edwards and Grace Douglas, yet another basketball standout, helped the 1,600 relay team place fifth at state last year.

“They demolished our school record,” Lewis said.

Pivec’s younger sister, Malia Pivec, looks to be the fourth member of this year’s relay, replacing Hannah Lemm, who graduated.

“She might be even a little faster than Hannah,” Lewis said.

Some other basketball athletes also are out for track.

“We don’t know what their best events are,” Lewis said. “We’re still trying to figure out where they fit. We should be better at the end of the year than where we are at the beginning.”

The boys team is led by junior Tyler McArthur, the Wesco 4A champion in the 800 and in Lewis’ opinion one of the top five returning runners in the state in the event.

“He came off a little bit of soreness from basketball,” Lewis said. “He looks good in practice. He’s working real hard.”

Junior Andrew Katzenberger is one of the league’s top discus throwers. Most of the top boys in the event graduated last year, so Katzenberger figures to move up in the standings.

Senior Kyle Shankle advanced to the district finals in the 100-meter dash but then pulled a hamstring. Shankle again should be among the top sprinters in the league.

Lewis noted that the boys team has a lot of newcomers and it’s going to take a while to figure out where their strengths lie.