The 2020 boys track and field season would have been full of promise for some area schools and athletes. But along with other spring sports, those were canceled in Indiana because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here is a look at how those schools are shaping up in 2021:
Columbus North
The Bull Dogs have a new coach in Rick Sluder. Sluder, the North girls cross-country coach who was set to take over the girls track program from Lou Sipe last year, now will lead both the boys and girls track programs.
“We return a tremendous amount of talent, even though it has been a full year and we lost some talented seniors who did not get a final season,” Sluder said. “We will start this season off trying to fill some holes in those events where we couldn’t develop talent last year to replace those seniors. Some events will be a work in progress. We have some talented athletes out and we got some big numbers from our football team, so the opportunity is there to look very strong by the end of the year.”
Junior Tucker Smith finished second in the state in the shot put as a freshman. Juniors Matt Newell and Reese Kilbarger-Stumpff finished 11th and 19th at state in the 1,600 meters as freshmen and led the Bull Dogs to a state cross-country title last fall.
Seniors Andy Stohr and Colin Pruitt ran on the 4×800 relay team at state in 2019 and on the state champion cross-country team in the fall.
“Our big point scorers will come in our throwing and distance events,” Sluder said. “Tucker Smith is a national-level talent in the shot who has already broken the school record indoors. JJ Montgomery and David Sandusky will also add to that incredible depth in both the shot put and discus.”
Columbus East
The Olympians will be led by senior Crase Bergman, a two-time sectional champion in the long jump and a standout 400 runner.
“Crase is somebody that can do every single event,” East coach Scott Pherson said. “He’s a true track kid. It might be a few meets before we hone in on what might be his best event or events to get him to state.”
Bergman and senior Malachi Parks return from a 4×400 relay team that was two spots away from qualifying for state in 2019. Senior Sean Ryan was the fifth man on that team.
Parks could run the shorter sprints, as well as the 400.
“He’s really taken on a leadership role,” Pherson said. “He was the quarterback in football and was the leader and has stepped right into track and done the same thing.”
Junior Anthony Lloyd was a regional qualifier in the high jump as a freshman and also will try the long jump this year. Senior Mark McDonald returns in the sprints and long jump, and sophomore Ethan Duncan will join him in the sprints.
Senior Jesse Miller and sophomore Jacob Guse are the top throwers. Juniors Garrett Simpson and Charlie Russell and sophomores Henrique Carvalo and Tommy Anderson are vying for the hurdles spots.
“I think we’ll be competitive,” Pherson said. “Our distance guys are pretty competitive. There’s not a lot of experience there, but (distance) coach (Ryan) Burke will get them going. We’re looking to be competitive in late May.”
Hauser
The Jets will look to be competitive in some of their smaller meets
“The long layoff has meant a lot of catching up and learning things again,” Hauser coach Ben Finke said. “It’s a small group, but they’re working hard, and I’m pleased with their progress so far.”
Senior Ben Essex in the distance and middle distance events, senior Thomas Essex in the sprints, senior Forest Steele in the hurdles, senior Cameron Scott in the throws and junior Aleck Lopez in the sprints and jumps return from the 2019 team.
Top newcomers include sophomore Alex Bower and freshman Colin Kistler in the distance and middle distance events and freshmen Jude Chasteen and Kendrick Crowder in the sprints.
“I think the talent is there,” Finke said. “It’s going to have to be developed, and skills are going to have to be developed, and that’s going to be a process. But we could be competitive in some spots, and it should be a well-rounded team.”
Jennings County
The Panthers will host their sectional this year and hope to be a contender for the title.
Senior Gavin Hendrix; juniors Lane Elsner, Brenden Baker and Aidan Ernstes and sophomore Eli Wahlman were the top runners on a semistate-qualifying cross-country team. Junior Logan McIntosh will run middle distance and high jump.
Seniors Zane Ortlieb and Caleb Boccia and junior Jake Sturgeon are the top throwers. Junior Bryce Barnes returns in the long jump and sprints; freshman Branden Braun will do the sprints, hurdles and long jump and junior Layne Sharp is the top hurdler.
Senior Logan Strickland, junior Colton Ross and sophomores Michael Haines, Nathan Davis and Cole Marksberry will do the sprints, and Marksberry and Ross will long jump. Sophomore Justin Ramey will high jump and run the 400 or 800, freshman Dylan Harrison will do the high jump and 400 and junior Caleb Grills and sophomore Evan Sochacki are the top pole vaulters.
“We’re pretty young,” Jennings coach Bill Ludwig said. “We have some kids out that haven’t run before, but they’re showing some promise.”
Brown County
The Eagles figure to be led by a distance group from their semistate-qualifying cross-country team.
Sophomore Chase Austin leads that pack and will be joined by sophomore Rafe Silbaugh and junior Rhett Silbaugh in the distance events. Junior Waylon Patrick will run middle distance.
Senior Ricky Stanley returns in the sprints and pole vault. Senior Reid Davis, along with junior John Redding, a transfer from Columbus North, and sophomore Wyatt Barnett will be the throwers. Senior Cameron Fox will do the sprints, and freshman Isaac Roberts could do the sprints, long jump and high jump.
“It’s kind of hard to tell because I have a lot of sophomores and freshman that I haven’t seen a lot of,” Brown County coach Kirk Wrightsman said. “But I think we have a good core out there, and they’re working really hard. It’s looking good so far.”
Edinburgh
The Lancers will have a small team with only eight athletes.
Senior Jayden Kohr will do the sprints and possibly high jump or long jump, and junior Travis Vidal can do a variety of events. Junior Parker Young will run the 200 and possibly long jump, and sophomore Tanner Kohr will run the 100 and maybe the 200.
Freshmen Austin Brockman and Ethan Campbell will be middle distance runners. Freshmen Gavin Straugh and Anduan Chavez will run the 400 and 800.
“We’re still working on a few more,” Edinburgh coach Amy Schilling said. “We keep getting more middle schoolers, but not very many more high schoolers. Hopefully, we can continue to grow and get the numbers there and get the interest up. In years’ past, they’ve only done one or two events, so we may have them doing four.”
South Decatur
Dan Wenning takes over the Cougar boys program after serving as a volunteer for several years.
Senior Trevor Newby was a regional qualifier in cross-country and will lead the distance group, along with sophomore Jack Hamilton. Junior Ian Frensemeier and senior Joe Lee are the top throwers.
Other top athletes are junior Corbin Mitchell and senior Jeremy Watts in the sprints, junior Kelby Shook in the jumps, junior Bradley Walling and sophomore Chase Kalli in middle distance and sophomore Rhett Martin in the hurdles and discus.
“We have 10 freshman on the team, and they’re all pretty good athletes,” Wenning said. “I’m expecting a lot out of them, and I’m excited to see what they can do.”
Trinity Lutheran
The Cougars have a new coach in Mark Pinnow, a Columbus resident who ran at Trinity and Valparaiso University.
Pinnow has only three athletes on the team. Junior Ryan Clements will run the sprints, and sophomore Adam Everroad and freshman Conner Nichols will run the distance events.
“I think Adam has a lot of potential,” Pinnow said. “In all of them, we’re trying to get (personal bests) and really just working on getting all of the form right and running properly.”
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The 2021 boys track schedules for Bartholomew County schools:
Columbus East
Saturday;Bloomington South;10:30 a.m.
April 6;Seymour;5 p.m.
April 10;at Columbus North Invitational;11 a.m.
April 13;Shelbyville;5:30 p.m.
April 15;Jennings County/Brownstown Central;5 p.m.
April 20;at Bloomington North;5:30 p.m.
April 22;at Columbus North;5 p.m.
April 27;at Seymour Invitational;6 p.m.
May 4;at Brown County;5 p.m.
May 13;HHC at Bedford North Lawrence;6 p.m.
Columbus North
April 6;at Bloomington South;6 p.m.
April 10;Columbus North Invitational; 11 a.m.
April 13;at Seymour;5:30 p.m.
April 16;at Franklin Central Showcase;6 p.m.
April 22;Columbus East;5 p.m.
April 24;at Brown County Talon Relays;10:45 a.m.
April 27;at Shelbyville (with East Central);5:30 p.m.
April 30;Conference Indiana at Bloomington North;5 p.m.
May 7;at Martinsville Koontz Relays;6 p.m.
May 12;Franklin;5 p.m.
Hauser
Tuesday;at Jennings County;5:30 p.m.
April 5;Crothersville;5:30 p.m.
April 7;Eastern Hancock;5:30 p.m.
April 13;at Indianapolis Lutheran;5 p.m.
April 16;Fortune Academy;5:30 p.m.
April 19;at Triton Central;5 p.m.
April 22;Morristown;5:30 p.m.
April 23;at Edinburgh Lancer Relays;5 p.m.
April 27;at Batesville (with JCD and North Decatur);5 p.m.
April 29;at Eastern Hancock;5:30 p.m.
May 6;at Indian Creek (with Brown County);5 p.m.
May 11;MHC at Southwestern (Shelby);5 p.m.
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