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The Heath High School girls track and field team, perhaps just by even being mentioned before the Division II state champion boys team, slowly is showing signs it is closing the gap between the programs.

Just don't tell that to girls coach Jeff Sheets, who early last season also downplayed the potential of a solid core group which eventually beat out Division III-district champion Newark Catholic 140-133 to capture the MSL-Ohio Division title. The Bulldogs, who return much of that cast and had placed fourth in the league in 2006, contended for a district 1 team championship of its own, finishing third (78 points) as New Albany (114) won.

"We've had a couple of setbacks so I think we're back at square one. We're young and looking for an identity," Sheets said. "We have some freshman picking it up, though, and if they keep developing we'll get stronger."

As a bonus, most of the regional qualifiers are back, the notable exception being sprinter Jessica Parnell, a junior who won the league title in the 200 meters (25.9 seconds) and took part on the qualifying 400 and 800 relays. Senior Abby Forman and sophomore Sam Jones were on both, junior Courtney Kramer was on the 800 relay and junior Shaunisha Winter was on the 400 relay. Winter also qualified in the high jump and won a district title in the 300 hurdles (47.68).

The 400 (51.9) and 800 (1:50.2) relays won league titles, too.

Other regional qualifiers included sophomore Hannah Weaver (100 hurdles), Kramer (400) and juniors Paige Kelley (discus, shot put) and Cassie Norman (pole vault). Kelley won the league in the shot put (33 feet, 8 1/2 inches).

Others to look for include seniors Abigail Sigman and Angela Hastings and junior Sammi Presley, all distance runners.

"We just want to get better in April," said Sheets, whose team finished third (69.5) at the Dick Houston Relays last Thursday at Licking Valley as Newark Catholic (80) won. "We didn't have the winter I thought we would, but I'm still telling the girls our expectations are higher."

Heath competes Thursday at the Utica Invitational and Saturday at the Granville Invitational.

The boys team finally earned the state championship last season, overtaking Salem 41-33 after the 1,600 relay won the final event (3:18.54) behind graduates Aaron Roberts, Josh Kraner and Jordan Gravely and returning senior Chase Oberfield.

Roberts, a two-time ThisWeek boys Athlete of the Year and Ohio State recruit, won six state titles overall, which included last year's 800 relay (1:27.28) and 300 hurdles (36.98). Graduate Zach Embrey was on the 800 relay and also advanced to the regional in the long jump while classmates Wes Howell made it in the high jump and Chris Dunlap in the shot put.

The Bulldogs, who were the state runners-up in 2005, made a clean team sweep at every postseason meet, topping Napoleon 64-62 at the regional and Bexley 142-130 at the district 1 meet and 158-149 at the MSL-Ohio meet in a successful defense.

Plenty of talent returns with regional-qualifying seniors Caleb Downey (110 hurdles, 400 relay), Wes Bending (high jump) and Nick Kelley (discus) and junior Cameron Ross (400 relay, 800). Others to look for include senior Lucas Barrett, juniors Charles Gresham and Arsenio White and sophomore Nelson Scott.

The boys team won three of the four relay events and also took third place (66) last Thursday at Licking Valley as Watkins Memorial (75) prevailed.