FRANKLIN — Sami Heathcote might have been tired right after running the finals of the 100-meter hurdles in Tuesday’s Franklin Sectional, but it didn’t matter.
Heathcote, who had missed her first two pole vault attempts at 10 feet, 2 inches before leaving to run the hurdles, made her third and final try just a couple minutes after the race. That gave the Columbus North sophomore a personal record and a sectional title.
“I think hurdling made me faster,” Heathcote said. “Also, knowing that everybody else had missed 10-2 made me a little bit more motivated to do it. Sometimes it will make me slower, and sometimes it can help to lengthen my stride to make me faster.”
Heathcote’s victory, coupled with a wins from Olivia Morlok in the 3,200 meters and the Bull Dogs’ 4×800-meter relay team, led North to a third-place team finish. Center Grove won with 156 points to 124 1/2 for Franklin and 100 for the Bull Dogs.
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Morlok, the county’s lone girls state qualifier last season, teamed Emma Smith, Kirsten Ballard and Aric Tong to win the 4×800 in 10 minutes, 6.05 seconds. Morlok came back to take the 3,200 in 12:03.22.
“It’s exciting because I did get beat at sectional last year,” Morlok said. “It’s good to come back and win it this year. Hopefully, I’ll (set a personal record at regional), because I haven’t been around there this season.”
The Bull Dogs had second-place finishes from Adrienne Salemme in the pole vault (9-10) and Jahna Smiley in the high jump (5-0). Arig Tong took third in the 1,600 (5:34.78), Sydney Geckler was third in the 3,200 (12:30.95) and Maggie Mahoney, Smith, Erin Rawlins and Arig Tong were third in the 4×400 relay (4:24.29).
Columbus East finished sixth with 36 points. Hauser, led by a victory from Grace Hasler in the 300 hurdles, was seventh with 27.
Hasler, who had earlier finished fourth in the 100 hurdles, got off to a slow start in the 300s. But she took the lead on the curve and held off Whiteland’s Isabella Jackson 46.28 to 46.40.
“The wind was definitely really strong on the first straightaway, and I haven’t run against anyone that fast all season,” said Hasler, who broke her own school record. “So it definitely felt a little slow, but I was still a little tired from running the 4×100. I just tried to keep up with (Jackson).”
Hauser’s Marnie Schwarzkopf also advanced to regional with a third-place finish in the 800 in 2:27.80.
East’s lone automatic qualifier was Elena Stoughton, who took third in the high jump at 5-0. A couple others may earn spots through call-backs.
“You’re always hoping to get a few more (qualifiers) than that, but we came and competed pretty well,” East coach Glen Brown said. “Everybody’s times were were we should have been. We had great effort. When you have a young team like we do, you just have to keep trying and see what we can do.”
Edinburgh scored five points on Taylor Tatlock’s fourth-place finish in the discus (107-5).
