Neenah Rockets Preseason Practice 
Friday, March 9, 2012 at at Neenah High School.
Division: 1
Enrollment: 2116
Coach: Jody Drake [8th year at Neenah and 3rd year as head coach]
Conference: Fox Valley Association
Conference Schools: Appleton East, Appleton North, Appleton West, Fond du Lac, Kaukauna, Kimberly, Menasha, Neenah, Oshkosh North, and Oshkosh West.
All 4 of the Neenah Gold Medal winning 4x8 relay team return for the 2012 season. Above clockwise from top left:
- Alison Parker
- Claire Knaus
- Jessica Parker
- Jennifer Parker
Alison raced to a 2:12.36 in the 800m run to take the Gold Medal in that event at the 2011 State Meet.
The Neenah track and field team placed 4th at the 2011 State Track and Field Meet. Seven of the eight Neenha athletes who qualified for the State Meet return for the 2012 season
At the 2011 State D1 Cross Country Meet
- Alison Parker [6th]
- Jessica Parker [14th],
- Jennifer Parker [15th]
- Claire Knaus [32nd]
- Lydia Fahrenkrug [48th]
- Jessie Laubs [89th]
- Sydnee Braun [136th]
helped Neenah to a 2nd place finish at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids. D1 had 190 runners compete at the State XC Meet.
Below left: Alyssa Krueger a senior finished 9th in the 400m dash. Krueger was also the leadoff runner for the 3rd place Neenah 4x4 at La Crosse.
Below center: Junior hurdler Haley Rafferty qualified in both the 100m HH and 300m LH races at the 2011 State Meet. Rafferty is shown at the UW- Oshkosh Large Schools Indoor Meet in 2011.
Below right: Claire Knaus in the LJ at the W/TFA 2011 Meet at UW-Whitewater
Left: Junior Claire Knaus. Knaus was the leadoff runner in Neenah's 4x8. She also ran in the 3200m run at La Crosse finishing 6th.
Below left: Sophomore Jennifer Parker. Jennifer ran the 2nd leg of the Rocket's 4x8. She also finished 7th in the 800m run. Her busy schedule at La Crosse was completed as she helped Neeneah to a 3rd place finish in the 4x4 where she ran the 2nd leg of that relay.
Below right: Sophomore Jessica Parker. Like her sister's Alison and Jennifer, Jessica had a busy weekend at the State Meet. Jessica ran the 3rd leg of Neenah's 4x8, finished 11th in the 1600m run and was the leg 3 runner on the Rockets 4x4 relay team.
Head girls coach Jody Drake [above and right] is shown explaining the goals of the Friday practice. The Rockets have 80 girls out for track. After meeting with the athletes Coach Drake had 5 groups performing 'core' exercises [below]. Each group was led by one of the captains.
Coach Drake explained the criteria for the Athlete of the Week Award. Attitude, effort, and performance will be the three components of that award.
Two retired Neenah coaches and educators have returned to help coach field events for the girls track and field team. Long time Neenah cross-country and track coach Ron Fedenkol [above and left] is an assistant coach who helps with the pole vault event.
Assistant coach Bob Totten [below left] is the girls throws coach.
Totten who is now retired from teaching began his education and coaching career at Neenah in 1972.
Neenah has outstanding facilities. The field house has a 6 lane track.
Assistant coach Janelle Townsend [above] works with the high jump and hurdle athletes.
The athletes above run the middle and long distant races for the Rockets. The distance runners are coached by assistant girls track coach and head girls cross country coach Mike Heidke.
The dash athletes worked outside under the direction of volunteer assistant coach Megan Laurent [above right]. Laurent is a former Neenah track and field athlete.
Coach Drake works with the LJ, TJ and sprint athletes. The athletes above and to the right are working on a progression of drills leading to a take-off in the horizontal jumps.
The athlete on the left is outside on the track working on dash drills.
Below: Dash athletes outside.
School records: Indoor [above] and outdoor [below]
Head girls cross country coach and assistant girls track coach Mike Heidke and the Parker sisters
Photo supplied by Jody Drake