If you think South Whidbey senior Tanner Lobdell is most looking forward to winning a state title in the 400-meter race this season, guess again.

While it certainly is one of his goals, after placing second at the 2015 state 1A track and field championships, he was more excited about enjoying himself.

“Track is just fun. Running is hard and annoying at times, but everybody has fun here,” Lobdell said. “Nobody is mean to each other, nobody gets picked on, I’m just looking forward to fun.”

As the fastest returner in the 400, having set a personal best of 50.35 at the state championship, Falcon head coach Mark Eager labeled Lobdell as a favorite to win a state title. Lobdell felt his success came from mental fortitude and preparation, as the 400 is one of the more difficult events to endure because of the distance in which a runner sustains a sprint. He hopes to break the school record of 49.3 by running a 48-second split.

“This year our preparation is going to be better because we’re aware of everything that is going on,” Lobdell said. “I’ve been working hard since football, so I think I can do it.”

He is among three returning state placers for South Whidbey. Sophomore Elizabeth Donnelly is poised to win a state title in the 800, after placing second at state last season. Senior Allie Vanbenschoten placed fourth in the 300-meter hurdles. She is also aiming to beat the school record this season.

“Some of us are already looking forward to state,” Vanbenschoten said. “It’s early in the season, but what we do now is what gets us there.”

Junior Bailey Forsyth will also be in the mix for claiming a medal at the state championships. She finished 10th overall in the 100-meter race with a split of 13.08 seconds.

Sophomore Sophia Nielsen won a Cascade Conference championship in the long jump and will look to advance to the state championships for the first time in her career. She is also the sixth-fastest returning sprinter in the 100-meter hurdles in the state, according to Eager, with a personal best time of 14.07.

Throwers Chase Barthlett, Chandler Hagglund, Hailey Simchuk and Morgan Davis are among the athletes throws coach Jeff Greene highlighted as having potential to reach the state championships.

Falcon athletes said the season got off to a fast start, with Eager implementing tougher workouts earlier than he has in the past in order to help prevent injuries in the postseason.

“I think he also knows we have goals that we want to meet and places we want to be and he wants to help us get there,” Vanbenschoten said.

Eager’s goal for the team is to see his athletes have fun. He said turnout for the program – 64 – is down slightly from previous years. He wants the athletes to do the best they can. By emphasizing focus on four-person relay teams, the Falcons will look to send more athletes to the 2016 state championships.

“We want to get as many kids to the state championships as possible,” Eager said. “The biggest priority is to try and meet the over 60 kids that we got and make sure they have a good experience.”

The Falcons open the season at the Island Jamboree on March 17 at Oak Harbor High School. Oak Harbor, Coupeville, Lakewood and South Whidbey will be in attendance. Their first home meet is at 4 p.m. Thursday, March 31. Two other home meets will be hosted by South Whidbey on April 14 and April 21. Both start at 4 p.m.