NSAA rules allowed for spring sports teams at Washington County high schools to begin official practices Monday.
While there were three new head coaches between Arlington, Blair and Fort Calhoun during the winter season, there is only one this spring. AHS' Kyle Buckingham will lead the track and field Eagles this season, joining the ranks of Bryan Soukup of Blair and Fort Calhoun head coach Mandy Taylor.
In baseball, the Bears' John Roan, the Eagles' Tyler Stender and the Pioneers' Roy Prauner return. The FCHS coach is the longest tenured, starting his 13th season this week.
Washington County's boys golf coaches are Landon Walkenhorst of Arlington, Dustin Humphrey of Fort Calhoun and Blair's Ross Udey. Udey, who retired from teaching at BHS in 2023, returns after stepping away from girls golf in the fall.
Both of the Bears' soccer programs return their head coaches this spring, too. Nick Hall leads the girls team, while Curt Scott is back for his fourth boys campaign.
David Christensen returns for his second girls tennis season as well.
The first official day of spring competition at Blair is March 14 with three teams getting their start. The track team starts at Concordia University in Seward at 3 p.m. before the home-opener baseball game against Bennington at 4:30. The girls soccer team plays Omaha Mercy at the College of Saint Mary in Omaha at 6 p.m., too.
Fort Calhoun track and field will attend the same Concordia University meet as the Bears on March 14. The baseball team, however, opens the year at home against Omaha Bryan with a start time of 4:30 p.m. on the same day.
Arlington, meanwhile, gets started March 15 with a 9 a.m. track meet at Concordia in Seward. The baseball team starts its season later that day at 6:45 p.m. against Omaha Northwest in Ralston.
