BLOOMINGTON — In searching for the right word to describe her emotions after the final state meet of her career, Katrina May opted for “content” over “satisfied.”
The Columbus North senior finished third in the pole vault in Friday’s Girls Track and Field State Finals. She tied her outdoor school record with a vault of 12 feet.
“I’m pretty happy with third,” May said. “The big two goals of the day were to place top three and (set a personal record). We still have two more meets to PR. We’re just looking forward from here.”
May, who finished sixth in last year’s state outdoor meet, took second in this year’s indoor meet with an indoor school record of 12-6. She broke her own outdoor record with a vault of 12-0 earlier this year, then tied that on Friday.
May did it despite experiencing shin and back pain. She has been battling shin splints the second half of the season and injured her back prior to winning last week’s Warren Central Regional.
Friday, May passed the opening height of 10-0, then made 10-6 and 11-0 on her first attempt. She passed 11-3, then made 11-6 on her first try, but needed all of the allotted three attempts to clear 11-9. She made 12-0 on her second try.
“I actually had some pretty good vaults,” May said. “Just toward the end, I was in a little bit of pain, and it started to affect me in my vaults.”
Pike’s Sandra Brown won the competition with a vault of 12-9. Madison’s Maddie Holland took second at 12-6. Those were the only two vaulters who were seeded ahead of May entering the state meet.
May’s season isn’t over. She plans to compete in Saturday’s Midwest Meet of Champions in Delaware, Ohio, and in the New Balance Nationals the following weekend in North Carolina.
“I have two meets coming up that we’re looking to peak for,” May said. We’re still working on it, but I’m pretty happy with how today went.”
May was the only area athlete to earn a medal with a top-nine finish, but several others competed. Columbus East freshman Beyoncey Coleman-Turner took 15th (113-1) and junior Seena Greiwe 22nd (101-6) in the discus, and senior Katie Mack tied for 23rd in the high jump (5-0).
North senior Sierra Lax finished her career with a season-best 5 minutes, 8.66 seconds in the 1,600 meters, good enough for an 18th-place finish.
“I went out here not really going for a place, but more of a time because that’s something I can control, and during that whole race, I felt good,” Lax said. “I raced hard. I’m very happy with how I’m leaving Columbus North.”
Junior Rachel Brougher finished 24th in the 3,200 in 11:39.60.
Brougher ran her first 1,600 in 5:15, just four seconds off her personal best for 1,600, but was spiked on the fourth lap.
“I was just trying to stay with the top girls as long as I could,” Brougher said. “You have to go through aggressive things if you want to push through later on. It was a good experience.”
North sophomore Arig Tong, senior Avrie Allen, sophomore Kirsten Ballard and senior Nina Bouthier finished 26th in the 4×800 relay in 9:56.11.
Both of Jennings County’s state qualifiers came away with 23rd-place finishes. Freshman Kayla Truesdell threw the shot 35-7, and senior Justine Corya ran the 400 in 59.71.
Brown County’s lone qualifier, sophomore Kathleen McCann, was 21st in the 100 in 12.79.
