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Steamboat Springs — First-year Hayden High School track and field coach Barbara Manzanares doesn't appreciate every part of her new job, a step up from her position last year as an assistant with the team.

"There's a lot of paperwork," she said.

But nearly everything else former head coach Kevin Kleckler passed along has been great, Manzanares said.

The Tiger track program has swelled this spring to include 48 members, one of the biggest squads in recent years. It returns a group of talented upperclassmen and five of the team's seven entrants in last year's state track meet. It also welcomes a strong class of freshmen and a growing class of sophomores.

Not a bad gig for a first-year coach, Manzanares said.

"We've got some incoming freshmen that are going to help us out, both boys and girls, and we're pretty strong with our sophomore crew," said Manzanares, who moved up to high school last year after six years coaching track at the middle school level. "We only have five seniors out, which is a bummer, but along with what juniors we have out, they are pretty strong in their events."

Leading the Tigers into the spring season, which begins Saturday when the team travels to Delta, are the four returning state-tested veterans.

Zathan Bark, Coy Letlow and Jake Walker return from last season's 400- and 800-meter relay teams.

Billy Zehner, a 110-meter hurdler at state a year ago, returns as well, and will fill the open spot on the 400 relay. He earned the nod despite missing most of football season and all of basketball season with an injury.

Scott Armbruster will run with the squad this weekend in the 800 relay.

Salazar leads girls

Holli Salazar is the top returnee on the girls' side. She was one of two Tigers to qualify for state a year ago in the shot put, though the team will be without then-senior Emily Whiteman, the only Hayden athlete to place in the meet.

Salazar, who also will throw discus and help with relays, is part of a deep and varied team, Manzanares said.

"Holli will be very strong. I expect her to do very well in shot," she said. "When she warms up to discus, she'll do well in that, too."

The team also hopes to score points in distance events with the brother-sister combination of Laura and Chris Zirkle.

Manzanares also was hopeful the girls 400 relay team, consisting of her daughter, Calla Manzanares, Salazar, Delanie Vedepo and Kyra Roloado, could break through into state.

Manzanares replaces a 15-year track veteran and the school's athletic director in Kleckler.

"I wanted a break for my children," Kleckler said. "I haven't totally stepped away. As athletic director, I have a lot of commitments, and I'm continuing to coach the shot putters two days a week."

All those years on the job gave Kleckler a special connection. Manzanares, however, brings her own unique link to the team.

"Even these seniors I coached in middle school," she said. "That's been a lot of fun, watching them go from middle school, from a sixth-grader clear to a senior. I'm excited about it.

"We have a great group of kids and a great group of coaches that are really looking forward to the season."