Jake Pretzer slowly positions himself on the track at Marana High School during practice. With a clap, he explodes from the line and clears three hurdles as if they did not exist.
"You're looking like a hurdler now," assistant coach Marty Honea shouts to Pretzer.
That was not always the case for the 18-year-old senior standout.
Pretzer is amped about his final season of a roller-coaster career.
"I ran freshman year, but I didn't really count that," he said. "I wasn't very competitive in it."
Pretzer then took his sophomore campaign off altogether. But he came back as a junior and is glad he did so.
"Last year was my first year really competing in track," he said. "Everything was a little sloppy in my races, and I've improved a lot."
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About to start his final season, he said he feels better than ever.
"I've gotten a lot faster and a lot stronger," Pretzer said. "I've gotten a lot smoother with all my hurdles, so I'm feeling pretty good."
Here are four reasons Pretzer is due for a breakout year in 2010:
1. His work ethic. Pretzer credits Honea's lifting class as crucial to his success, but the assistant coach said he feels it is all Pretzer.
"He was probably crediting the weight room as opposed to crediting himself," Honea said. "But it was his work ethic that has done it, and he's done a good job with it."
2. His goals are in sight. Pretzer's goal for this year is clear: place in the 300 hurdles at the state championship. He also runs the 400-meter dash and the 1,600 relay.
First-year Marana coach Matt Romanoski said the goal is for Pretzer to run the 300 hurdles in under 40 seconds.
The real reason Pretzer returned to track in his junior year was to get faster for football, where he played linebacker for the Tigers. But it turned out he had a hidden talent.
"The coaches saw I was good at hurdles, so they made me compete," he said. "Then I started doing good. So I started liking it a lot."
3. His improved technique. Another difference from this year to last is knowing technique. But he still sees room for improvement.
"A lot of it is technical, and just repetition and practicing and knowing how many steps to take," he said. "That's probably my biggest thing I need to work on, because I have the speed and everything.
4. His young but strong supporting cast. Romanoski said the team is young, but he is hoping for some surprises.
In field events, senior Matt Susa and junior Eric Gibbs are expected to be contenders.
Susa threw in the high 130s (feet) in discus last year, Romanoski said.
"We expect (Susa) to challenge for the region championship and maybe make some noise at state," the coach said.
Romanoski said he expects Gibbs to stand out in the triple, long and high jumps. He added that senior Ryan Lafaye will be an "all-around athlete."
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