he 2018 outdoor track season will kick off Wednesday with the Columbus North boys and girls traveling to Whiteland for a dual meet. The Hoosier State Relays, the unofficial state indoor meet, is Saturday at Indiana University.
The Columbus North girls finished second in the Franklin Sectional last season, while Columbus East took sixth. Here is the outlook for those and other area teams for this spring:
Columbus North
The Bull Dogs had Bartholomew County’s lone state qualifier last season. Then-freshman Olivia Morlok was a regional champion and finished 16th at state in the 3,200 meters.
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North coach Lou Sipe is hoping a few other girls can join her this season.
“We’re trying to improve each and every meet and be the strongest at the end of the season,” Sipe said. “I think we have the talent to get multiple athletes to the regional and state meet this year.”
Senior Arig Tong finished fourth in the regional in the 1,600, missing a state berth by one spot, and also was a regional qualifer in the 800. Sophomores Adrienne Salemme and Sami Heathcote in the pole vault, and senior Maura VanDeventer in the 100 hurdles also were regional qualifiers.
Senior Jahna Smiley was a regional qualifier in high jump as a sophomore and made it last year in the 4×100 relay. Senior Kennedy Cook returns from the regional-qualifying 4×400 relay team, and seniors Kirsten Ballard and Jocelyn Maynard are back from the regional-qualifying 4×800 relay squad.
Smiley also will long-jump and run sprints. The Bull Dogs also picked up three newcomers who should make an immediate impact in the sprints — freshman La’Monica Smith, a move-in from Chicago; junior Tateana Cutter, a move in from Indian Creek; and sophomore Carley Finke, a volleyball player who is out for track for the first time.
“It’s great for those girls to move in and help out our program,” Sipe said. “We also have some girls that came out and didn’t run last year that are going to help. Then, we can build on the success we’ve had in the other events, as well.”
Sophomore Emma Wetherald and junior Marie Harrison return in the shot put and discus. Freshman Aric Tong will join her sister Arig in the 800 and 1,600, and senior newcomer Maggie Mahoney also could contribute in the middle distance events.
Columbus East
The way Olympians coach Glen Brown sees it, the Olympians will be young but likely better than last season.
“We have a lot of sophomores that were freshmen last year that are going to help us out,” Brown said. “We have a lot of youth, and some of them are just now finding out how good they can actually be.”
Sophomore high jumper Elena Stoughton in the lone returning individual who qualified for regional last season. Juniors Yami Diaz and Amanda Pottorff and senior Kristen Lyons in the 4×800; and juniors Isha Chavan and Diaz and sophomore Allison Mack in the 4×400 are back from regional-qualifying relay teams.
Individually, Lyons will run the 1,600, Mack the 400, senior Lizzy Frazier the 800 and Pottorff the 3,200. Sophomore Sydney Wilson, freshman Alaina Dwenger and junior Breiana Burton will handle the sprints; and junior Olivia Williams and sophomore newcomer Emily Stiles will do the hurdles.
Senior McKenna Downey returns in the pole vault. Junior Keeleigh Kikendall, who missed most of last season with an injury, and freshman Elise LaSell join Stoughton in the high jump.
Sophomores Maycie Porter and Syd Kimbler are the top throwers. Several girls are trying the long jump.
“If things come together, I think we can challenge for (Hoosier Hills) conference again this year,” Brown said. “We have a good nucleus of girls. We just have to put everything together again.”
Hauser
The Jets have 13 girls out for the team, the most they’ve had in several years.
Senior Grace Hasler returns to lead the squad. She finished fourth in the regional as a sophomore and fifth last year in the 300 hurdles.
Hasler also runs the 100 hurdles and 4×100 and 4×400 relays. Her sister, sophomore Mel Hasler, and sophomore newcomer Grace Isley, a transfer from Columbus Christian, are sprinters.
Senior Haley Embry in the long jump, and junior Erin Newcomb in the high jump are back. Sophomore Bree Hadley returns in the sprints.
Beyond that, Hauser has an influx of freshmen — Kayla Magazenni in the sprints, Marnie Swartzkopf and Emily Harker in middle distance, Tammy Essex and Hae-Leigh Washburn in distance, Ashley Chambers in middle distance and the high jump and Adonah Riddle in the sprints and throws.
“We have a lot of young talent and new talent,” Hauser coach April Dalton said. “We have girls that are experienced, Grace (Hasler) especially. I think we’re going to be stronger in our mid (distance) and distance events than we have before. We’re going to be able to fill all the events this year.”
Jennings County
With the Panthers’ football field under construction, Jennings won’t have any home meets this year. The team has been practicing at Seymour.
Junior Kayla Truesdell was a state qualifier in the shot last season, finishing 16th. She broke school record at an indoor meet earlier this month.
Truesdell also throws the discus. Seniors throwers Mariah Grider and Emma Shockley and senior sprinter and long jumper Alexis Harsh all have signed to continue their track and field careers at Hanover.
Junior Alana Daeger and senior Emma McPeek return in the high jump. Sophomores Halle Stearns and Mia Simms are back in the pole vault.
Top returning runners include sophomore Izzy Daugherty in 400, 4×100 and 4×400, sophomore Emma Morrison in the distance events, juniors Patricia Henney and Ashley Heindel in the 1,600 and 4×800, sophomore Taylor Hamilton in 4×100 and junior Naomi Beal in the hurdles and possibly 4×400. Top freshmen are Samantha Sproles in the 4×100 and 4×400, Elizabeth Wahlman in distance and Heather Sea in the sprints.
“We’re going to do some big things,” Jennings coach Leah McLeod said. “I think we’re a contender. We don’t have a track, and we’re not going to be as competitive as we’ve been the last couple years. But the kids are working hard, and they’re excited about having a new track next year.”
Brown County
The Eagles have a new coach in Jay Myers and will try to return to the top of the Western Indiana Conference after finishing second last season.
Senior Kathleen McCann a former state qualifier in the 100 and a regional qualifier last season in the 100 and 200, will run mostly the 200 and 400 this season. Senior Vivien Crimmins was a regional qualifier in the 100 hurdles.
Senior middle distance runner Olivia Lee and junior hurdler Evey Crimmins are back after missing most of last season with injuries. Also returning are sophomore Chloe Lee in middle distance and long jump and sophomore Gabby Wright and junior Coralynne Robinson in the sprints and sophomore Maris Wyman in distance.
Sophomore newcomers Abigail Hollander and Bella Hobbs could contribute in the sprints and possibly the pole vault. Ten of the 20 girls on the team are freshmen, including sprinter and pole vaulter Natalie Suding, sprinter and jumper Halie Lunsford, middle distance runner Kaylen Combest and distance runners Eme Koester, Anna Fleetwood and Emma DeBord.
“We have a really strong distance crew,” Myers said. “I’m real excited about getting a (freshman) class of 10 girls because that’s going to help us build our numbers in the next couple of years.”
South Decatur
Sariina Kalli has taken over as interim coach, and she will have no seniors this season.
Sophomore sprinter Tanisha Bushhorn and sophomore distance runner Sierra Kalli are the top returning athletes. Juniors Hannah Miller in middle distance and long jump and Bre Wright in middle distance are the veterans of the team. Sophomore Brianna Browder in the shot and discus and sophomore Whitnye Burton in the discus also return.
Several freshman figure to play a role, including throwers Lana Bell and Caryn Rosfeld, hurdler and sprinter Lily Rigby, sprinter and long jumper Ivey Barnes and high jumpers Bell, Lauren Arreola, and Larissa Lair. Lair and Ali Boilanger also could contribute in the 1,600, 4×800 and 4×400.
“As we lost nearly half of last year’s team, this year will be a bit of a rebuilding season,” Sariina Kalli said. “However, we have a good group of girls, many of whom are coming up from a successful junior high experience. They are excited about the season, and that enthusiasm has already carried over to the rest of the team.”
Edinburgh
The Lancers will have a small team, with only eight girls who came the first week of practice before spring break.
Junior Taylor Tatlock in the throws and 400 is the top returner. Her sister, freshman Trinity Tatlock has shown promise in the sprints and jumps.
Senior Emily Davis returns in the distance events. Senior Katelyn Bivens will try middle distance and jumps after doing sprints last year, and sophomore Lili Ervin will try the sprints after doing distance last year
“I think we’ll definitely score some points,” Edinburgh coach Ashley Myers said. “Unfortunately in track, you need a lot of numbers to win meets. But track is also about personal gains and how much we can improve throughout the season to make ourselves better.”
Trinity Lutheran
The Cougars will be inexperienced this season. Only three of their seven athletes have participated in track and field before.
Sophomore Hannah Sabotin returns in the high jump and will run either the 400 or 300 hurdles. Freshman Sydney Jaynes could make an impact in the throws.
Senior Rachel Onken, who is coming back from an ACL injury, will join Jaynes in the throws. Senior Savannah Setty could do a variety of events.
“We’re short on numbers, so I don’t really expect to win many meets,” Trinity coach Caleb Tormoehlen said. “But I’d like to push Hannah and Sydney to regional, and I just want to see improvement throughout the season.”
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Girls track and field schedules for Bartholomew County schools:
Columbus East
March 31;at Bloomington South;10:30 a.m.
April 3;at Seymour;5 p.m.
April 7;at Columbus North Invitational;11 a.m.
April 10;at Shelbyville;5:30 p.m.
April 12;Jennings County, Brownstown Central;5 p.m.
April 17;Bloomington North;5:30 p.m.
April 19;Columbus North;5 p.m.
April 24;at Madison;5:30 p.m.
May 1;Brown County;4:30 p.m.
May 8;HHC at Bedford North Lawrence;6 p.m.
Columbus North
Wednesday;at Whiteland;5:30 p.m.
April 3;Bloomington South;6 p.m.
April 7;Columbus North Invitational;11 a.m.
April 10;Seymour;5:30 p.m.
April 13;at Franklin Central Showcase;6 p.m.
April 14;Midwest Prep at Lawrence Central;11 a.m.
April 19;at Columbus East;5 p.m.
April 21;at Brown County Talon Relays;10:45 a.m.
April 24;at Shelbyville (with East Central);5:30 p.m.
April 27;Conference Indiana at Southport;5 p.m.
May 4;at Martinsville Relays;6 p.m.
May 9;at Franklin;5 p.m.
Hauser
April 2;Trinity Lutheran, Crothersville;4:45 p.m.
April 6;at Triton Central Invitational;5 p.m.
April 16;at Triton Central (with Waldron, New Palestine);5 p.m.
April 19;Waldron;5 p.m.
April 20;at Edinburgh Relays;5 p.m.
April 23;at Triton Central (with South Decatur);5:30 p.m.
April 24;at Batesville (with North Decatur, Jac-Cen-Del);5 p.m.
May 3;at Brown County (with Southwestern, Indian Creek);4:30 p.m.
May 8;MHC at Southwestern (Shelby);5 p.m.
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