INDIANAPOLIS — This time, there was no drama for Katrina May.
A week after coming within one opening-height miss of not qualifying out of the sectional, the Columbus North senior made her first height, 10 feet, 6 inches, on her second try in the pole vault competition. She went on to clear 11-6 to capture her third consecutive regional championship and another trip to the state finals.
“We came out with a lot better weather, and I had a lot better practice this week, so I was feeling more confident coming in today,” May said. “I’m really happy with how I jumped today. Coming back from the vault last week at sectional, my confidence was a little lower, so it was good to come here and prove to myself that I still had it.”
May’s victory, along with a win from junior Rachel Brougher in the 3,200 meters, led the Bull Dogs to a third-place team finish. Host Warren Central won with 124 points to 54 for Franklin Central, 46 for North and 44 for Center Grove and Franklin.
In the 3,200, Brougher stayed patient through a fast first 1,600 and led most of the final four laps to win in 11 minutes, 32.92 seconds.
“That was a lot of fun,” Brougher said. “I was happy with my time because it’s a little warmer than normal, and it’s just a different atmosphere. It was an interesting race because it went out a lot faster than normal, and that was really good experience for state.”
The Bull Dogs qualified for state in two other distance events. Sophomore Arig Tong, senior Avrie Allen, sophomore Kirsten Ballard and senior Nina Bouthier finished third in the 4×800 relay in a season-best 9:57.58.
Senior Sierra Lax took second in the 1,600 in 5:15.97.
“I had girls to race against today, which I haven’t had in the past couple weeks,” Lax said. “It was just fun because having the sense to race is different than just going out and racing. It’s good experience for next week.”
Meanwhile, Columbus East is sending three field-event athletes to the June 3 state finals. Freshman Beyoncey Coleman-Turner (117-7) and junior Seena Greiwe (113-4½) finished second and third in the discus, and senior Katie Mack was third in the high jump (5-3).
Coleman-Turner came through with her 117-7 toss on her third and final preliminary throw after fouling on her first two attempts.
“I just tried to focus more and throw it,” Coleman-Turner said. “I had my feet turned around more, and it opened my hips up so I could throw it in and not out of the sector. Not a lot of freshmen go to state, so I’m excited.”
It was a heartbreaking day for Hauser sophomore Grace Hasler. Hasler finished fourth in the 300 hurdles in 47.93, just 19 hundredths of a second out of the third and final state qualifying spot.
North and East had some near-misses as well. North senior Allison Coffey finished fifth in the 1,600 (5:26.75), Bouthier took fifth in the 3,200 (11:50.73) and sophomore Jahna Smiley was sixth in the high jump (5-1).
Coleman-Turner finished fifth in the shot put (36-5½) for East, and junior Cortney VanLiew was sixth in the 400 (1:00.53).
