Spring athletes have been turning out for more than two weeks, fine-tuning their skills on the baseball and softball diamonds, on the soccer pitch and the tennis courts, not to mention the lacrosse fields and in the various track and field events.

Now it’s time to test those skills against both nonleague competitors and those in the 3A North Puget Sound League. It’s a new athletic world on the Plateau, where both Enumclaw and White River grew out of the smaller Class 2A ranks for the new league and larger-school competition.

Here’s a look at some of the local programs as they head into the spring season.

TRACK AND FIELD

Enumclaw: The Enumclaw High crew won’t have to travel far to kick off the spring season, making the short trip to rural Buckley for Saturday’s 10-team Bill Hodder Invitational. Then, after resting up for a few days the Hornets launch the 3A North Puget Sound League season by hosting Kent-Meridian on March 20.

Head coach Jenelle Murrell and her staff might have lost some talented athletes (elite distance runners like McCoy Brooks and Evan Cheney being prime examples) but there’s still plenty of experience to call upon. Senior Amos Hall earned all-league honors a season ago in both hurdle events and junior Cole Olson was a second team all-league honoree in the 100 meters.

On the girls’ side of the program, sophomore Senna Burt returns after receiving first team honors last season in the high jump. Others earning postseason honors were runners Avery Marecle and Mali Rademacher.

White River: Veteran coach Dameon Marlow begins the season with proven athletes, state meet experience and healthy turnout numbers. The biggest question mark is how the program responds to a jump in classification and membership in the North Puget Sound League.

“We have a lot of new athletes out and the coaches are looking forward to seeing how we are able to compete in our new league and division,” Marlow said in a written, preseason assessment.

At first glance, “distance still seems to be one of our strengths,” he noted. That is based, on the boys’ side of the Hornet program, on the track record built by Michael Marlow in the middle distance events. Things might look even better from the girls’ perspective where Vivian Kingston returns in the middle distances, Paeton Poelman goes in the longer runs and freshman Victoria Blakely comes off an impressive fall stint on the WRHS cross country team.

Returning to the boys’ side are state meet veterans like Dainton Neff in the throws and the 4×400 relay team. For the girls, there is state meet experience from Charlee Sproed at 400 meters, Trista Turgeon in the hurdles and the 4×400 relay crew.

The Hornets opened their season last Saturday (March 15) by hosting the Bill Hodder Invitational. The meet will feature a variety of teams, from larger schools like Bethel, Graham-Kapowsin and Rogers (Puyallup) from the Class 4A ranks to the 1A Montesano Bulldogs.

BOYS SOCCER

Enumclaw: With a March 15 jamboree under their belts the Enumclaw High soccer crew will launched their regular season with a home contest against the Federal Way Eagles last week.

Coach Shawn Tobius and his Hornets took the pitch on March 12 at 4 p.m. at the Enumclaw Expo Center. It will be Enumclaw’s first match against a 3A North Puget Sound League foe since bumping up from the Class 2A ranks.

Tobius has a core group of returning players that includes senior Landon Breidenbach who garnered first team, all-league honors a season ago. Other Hornets back for another campaign include seniors Brandon Almaraz, Sam Blair, Brian Silva and Aiden Navarro, along with sophomores Nery Ruiz and Diego Fregoso.

Promising newcomers, the coach reported, include Gavin Schneider (who played in just two games last year before being sidelined with an injury) and freshman Josh Bazail.

What is the coach looking for this season? “I expect us to work hard no matter what minute it is.”

White River: Lee Sinkovic might be new to the role of head coach but he’s certainly familiar with the Hornet soccer program.

“Having been the assistant coach for the last six years I have seen all of our returning players develop,” Sinkovic wrote about his squad. “As the new head coach of the varsity, I believe we have the talent and work ethic to challenge for the league title and make a deep run into the playoffs.”

It’s a different league than the coach and Hornet players previously experienced. With a jump in enrollment White River has moved up the Class 3A level and joined the North Puget Sound League.

Key returnees include senior Evan Weisheyer, a fourth-year varsity center back; senior Dekker Plaster, fourth-year varsity midfielder; senior Lane Beus, fourth-year forward; and sophmore Max Argo, second-year varsity midfielder.

When it comes to new additions to White River’s varsity roster, “We will have a handful of junior varsity players looking to make the jump to varsity and a very promising group of incoming freshman,” the coach reported. The frosh group is led by goalkeeper Waylon Sinkovic who will take over for graduated senior Karsen Trudgeon.

“The strength of our team will be our defense,” Sinkovic said, noting that the entire starting defense will consist of experienced varsity players.

Sinkovic got his first look at his team in action the evening of March 13 when Auburn Mountainview comes to town. The NPSL 3A game begins at 7:30 p.m. at Arrow Lumber Stadium in Buckley. The following evening, White River hosts the neighboring, nonleague Panthers from Bonney Lake High with a 7 p.m. start.

GIRLS TENNIIS

Enumclaw: Coach Will Stuenkel opens the season facing a bit of a rebuilding project, the result of having lost eight seniors from last year’s squad.

Included in those who graduated were Bella Firnkoess and Josie Schampera who teamed up to qualify for the state doubles tournament. They also were named the league’s doubles MVPs.

Among the experienced Hornets back on Stuenkel’s roster are sophomores Audrey Firnkoess and Haley Dumontet who combined for a strong doubles pair last year (voted second team, all-league). The coach also points to Chloe Decker “who will help bring leadership to the team,” he said.

The bottom line, Stuenkel said, is “We are excited about lots of younger players stepping up and filling important roles for the team and having a great season.”

The Hornets kick off the season March 20 when they welcome the Kentlake Falcons to the EHS courts. It is a North Puget Sound League 3A contest beginning at 3:30 p.m.

White River: “Youth” is the name of the game at White River, where coach Brad Pratt has welcomed a spring squad consisting of 20 players from the freshman and sophomore classes and just nine from the junior/senior ranks.

At the top of the roster – for good reason – is sophomore Cydnee Chapin. A season ago, stepping onto the court for the first time as a high schooler, Chapin went undefeated through both the regular season and the league tournament. She added to an impressive freshman campaign by placing third in the district tourney and sixth at state, wrapping up the season by being named the league’s Most Valuable Player on the singles side.

“I’m excited to see what she will do at the 3A level,” Pratt said, referencing White River’s move to the larger classification and membership in the North Puget Sound League.

Also back are a trio of juniors who earned first team, all-league honors a season ago. Alexandra Dinger was noted for singles play and Ella Stone and Adalyn Sykes earned accolades on the doubles side.

“This year’s varsity lineup will be made up of a mix of sophomores and juniors,” Pratt said, “but our two seniors, Sydney Lynch and Emily Roberts, will defiantly be seeing some varsity matches.”