About 10 years ago, Central Kings was the school track and field power in the Valley, if not the entire Western Region, winning a succession of team titles and successfully hosting provincials on at least two occasions.

In more recent years, that mantle has passed to Horton, both in terms of quantity and quality.

C.K. has continued to perform well in some events, particularly the relays, and has continued to produce top-level athletes such as Rob and Jason Shepherd, Kelsey Best and Devin Hatt, to name just a few; but hasn't consistently managed overall team results.

Until this year.

If the 2007 district meet held last week represents a glimpse of the future of track and field locally, there's no question: C.K. is back - or soon will be.

The Gators captured both the intermediate boys' and girls' district banners at the meet, the boys by 294-205 over NKEC and the girls' by 211-162 over Horton.

Coldbrook, which has already supplied C.K. with a good percentage of its current intermediate contingent, captured both the junior boys' and girls' titles. The Coldbrook junior boys amassed 385 points from top finishes, more than 200 points ahead of the runner-up school - Central Kings. The junior girls' standings were much closer, with Coldbrook edging Pine Ridge 234-228.

Horton won both the senior boys' and senior girls' district banners, but all of the current Horton seniors are, or will be, graduating this year or next. While Horton is likely to be competitive for some years to come, the future crop of athletes at Central Kings looks truly impressive.

Start at the intermediate level with Marissa Walter, who set a new district record last week in the 100 metres, also won the 200 as well as anchored wins in both relays and, according to her coach, Charles Scarrow, is faster than Jenna Martin at the same age.

That's scary, especially considering Walter can only continue to improve. However, she's not alone.

Other C.K. intermediate girls turning in top-five finishes last week included Robbyn McNeill, Lauren Landry, Alana Fairfax, Chantal Landry, Silvina Bitar, Trissa Dunham, Carrie Wood and Mallory Graves.

The Coldbrook junior girls - most, if not all, of whom will end up attending C.K.; includes Kiessa VanMeekeren, Kelsey Young, Jessica Monette, Chantal Cadeau, Nadara McIntyre, Haleigh Fletcher, Stacy Burgess, Jennifer Poirier and Lauren Berlmont. All had at least one top-five finish in the junior division.

That's just the girls. On the boys' side, Dustin Poirier of C.K. was almost a one-boy show at districts, winning the intermediate boys' hurdles, high jump, javelin, long jump and triple jump. Jeremy Shepherd captured both the discus and shot put, and Mike Kroezen both the 100 and 200 metres. Other C.K. intermediate boys with at least one top-five finish at the meet included Zachary Kenneally, Travis Bacon, Richard Melonson, Tyler Doherty, Connor Simmons, Michael Foote and Devin Locke; many of whom are first-year intermediates.

The prospects of what this year's crop of Coldbrook junior boys might add to the mix, some as early as next year, is truly scary. This group includes Mitch Getson, who set a new junior boys' record in the javelin and narrowly missed another in the discus; and Andrew Jennings-Lindsay, who shattered a 40-year-old shot put record by more than a metre-and-a-third - not once, but twice. The remainder of the Coldbrook boys' team - Alex McCarthy, Iain MacMillan, Todd Dow, George Bitar (all gold medalists at the district meet), Mitchell Gough, Charles McNeill and Mike Mills; all appear talented as well.

I'm looking forward to seeing how they do at regionals - and provincials.

That's not to say C.K.'s own junior boys' team is nonexistent. Both Brandon Patterson and Mitchell Best were double winners at districts, and Brandon Best also qualified for regionals in one event, helping their team to a runner-up finish.

The potential re-emergence of Central Kings, the steady improvement of NKEC and the continued excellence of Horton and its feeder schools should make for interesting times in track and field over the next few years.

I am really looking forward to it.