The Wareham High School girls and boys track teams have some proven contenders returning this season, as well as some promising newcomers.

Senior captain Aliyah Alley had a great winter track season, and competed at nationals in the 55 meter dash.

"She didn't run her best," said coach Chris Gardner, but he added that just making it to nationals is a huge accomplishment.

"I was a little disappointed with my time, but I had a hamstring problem," said Alley. "Usually when I run, I just ignore it."

Alley is a short-distance runner and her best events are the 100m, 200m, and 400m. She noted that between the indoor track season and the spring season, there isn't much downtime.

"I just finished my winter season," she said, noting that she is already practicing five to six days a week, including three days in the weight room, with her teammates, in preparation for the spring season.

And she's aiming high.

"I definitely want to get a personal record," Alley said, "and I definitely want to qualify for nationals again."

One of the breakout stars for the girls team is freshman Paige Fehskens.

"She had a great indoor season," said Gardner. "She's still got a lot to learn, but she's had a lot of success already."

Fehskens is the team's lone long-distance runner. She runs three to four miles just to warm up for practice.

Fehskens has been running with the Lady Vikings track team since joining as an eighth grader, after the district and the Mass. Interscholastic Athletic Association opted to allow middle school students to participate in an effort to increase the roster.

"I think it was an unbelievable opportunity to come up in eighth grade," said Fehskens. She made it to the state competition in the winter season, and says that for spring, "I hope to make it to all-states."

At all-states, the athletes compete against schools from every division.

As much success as she's had, Fehskens is not one to rest on her laurels.

"I just want to keep improving. I think you can always get better," she said. "Eventually, I  want to make it to nationals."

She's not at all intimidated by the prospect of competing against older more experienced runners: "I love the challenge," she said.

Also leading the way for the girls is high jumper and hurdler Emily Cummings. Winter was a little rough for her, but by the end of the season, she was back on top of her game.

"The first half of the season, I had some kind of mental roadblock," says Cummings. Then while competing at the Coaches Invitational at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston: "It just clicked. I just jumped it without any worries. ... I feel like this season, now that I don't have any roadblocks, will be a good one."

John Sousa is coaching the boys track team for the first time this year, but he has previous experience coaching at Seekonk. Noting that his Seekonk team always had specific goals to work toward,, Sousa said: "My goal is to make [Wareham track] a goal-oriented program and just go from there."

Running his first season of track this year is junior Mason Vasconcelos, who also plays basketball and football. Vasconcelos may be new to the track team, but apparently he's a natural.

"The first time I ran the mile I [did it in] five minutes and four seconds," said Vasconcelos. "My coach was like, 'you just qualified for states.'"

So why try a new sport as a junior?

"My cousin Jarrod used to do track and he talked me into [it]," Vasconcelos said, adding that he's thankful for that.

Vasconcelos says his goal for the season is to break the school record for the mile, which stands at 4:34, and is held by none other than Vasconcelos' basketball coach, Kevin Brogioli.

Elsewhere on the team, Charles Tranfaglia is a stand-out, said Sousa.

"Charles is probably our best sprinter," says Sousa.

Charles says that he runs track "mostly to get ready for football in college next year."

So how's it working out? "I've definitely gotten a lot faster and stronger," he said.

In addition to its runners, the boys team is fielding a strong discus thrower and a strong shot-putter.

Throwing the shot put will be Johnny Irving.

"This year I'll be top two or three in shot put. Right now I'm third," in the South Coast Conference, said Irving.

Irving says that he plans to focus on improving his form during practice, and hopefully make it to all-states this year. He's made it to states four times.

Hurling the discus will be Angel Rodriquez, who also serves as team captain. Rodriquez says that while running isn't his forte, he's going to take a crack at it this year.

"I'm going to do the 100 just to do it," he said. "I don't just want to throw all the time."

Like many of his teammates, Rodriquez is a multi-sport athlete, and he could be speaking for all of them when he says: "I get no breaks" in between seasons.