Stepping stone. Building block. Both have been used to describe the success of the Kentwood High girls track team last spring, a season in which the Conquerors won the program’s first-ever South Puget Sound League North Division title with a perfect 5-0 record and went on to take a school-best sixth place at the state meet.

Stepping stone?

Building block?

The Conquerors view last season’s success as a springboard. And what lies ahead could be truly special.

“Winning the league title is something I had talked about for years,” said coach Steve Roche. “When we got that, it was like ‘what’s next?’ With the girls we have coming back and where we’re going … we’re looking to build.”

The fact is, the Conquerors can’t go much higher.

With that in mind, they’ve set their goals right at the top this spring — a state championship.

“I think we have a strong chance. Our team is put together really well,” said star sprinter Holly DeHart, who won the Class 4A state title in the 200 last spring with a time of 24.84 and took third in the 100 after crossing the finish line in 12.25 seconds. “(Winning a state title) is on all of our minds. Getting our first league title last year was a stepping stone.”

A stepping stone to potentially even better things this spring.

And the Conquerors certainly have the necessary firepower to get it done. Because in addition to DeHart, the Conquerors added transfer Madelayne Varela, who was Kentlake’s top sprinter last spring. Varela took eighth at state last season in the 100, 200 and 400. Take away a stumble in the 400, and the junior transfer may have won the gold medal.

“It felt like my legs just gave out. My form gave away and I just fell,” said Varela. “It was really frustrating. On a scale from 1 to 10, it was an 11.”

Leaving a talented Kentlake squad wasn’t easy, Varela admitted, but it made sense from a logistical standpoint.

“It’s harder for me to go to Kentlake because my brother goes to Kentwood,” she said. “I think about (Kentlake) every day. I miss Kentlake, that’s for sure.”

Regardless, Varela is excited about the move.

“This team is pretty close,” she said. “I think we could win it all for sure.”

And while much of what Kentwood accomplishes this spring hinges on its two superstar sprinters in DeHart and Varela, there’s plenty of talent behind them to make a big state run in late May. Giving Kentwood the depth it needs to be a serious challenger to the state crown include: Alyx Toeaina (fourth at state in the discus, fifth in the shot put), Megan McNally (10th in the 800 at the Nike Track Nationals), Beth Parrish (8th at the Nike Track Nationals in the pole vault), Carly Horn (sixth in the high jump at the Nike Track Nationals) and long-distance specialist Kailey Ulland among others.

Meanwhile, Kentwood also added soccer standout Mariah Lee (100, 200 and long jump) and Alyx Toeaina’s younger sister, Sarah Toeaina (hurdles, high jump and javelin).

Add it up and the Conquerors could be sitting on something special.

“It’s one of those things where a little voice in my head keeps saying, ‘Don’t screw this up. You don’t get these kinds of kids in one place at one time that often,’” Roche said. “I may never come across this again in my career.”

Which is why when some look at last season they may just see it as a building block or stepping stone to even better times ahead.