The 2019 season was a little bit of a down year for area girls track and field, with only five local athletes qualifying for the state meet.
Following a 2020 season that was canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic, only one state qualfier remains. Jennings County senior Sam Sproles made it in the long jump as both a freshman and sophomore.
Here is a look at the area girls track teams:
Columbus North
The Bull Dogs have a couple of girls who had near misses in 2019.
Senior Mackenzie Barnett finished fourth in the regional in the 1,600 meters, and senior Emily Herndon took fifth in the regional in the shot put. The top three in each event qualify for state.
“We have a very balanced team on the girls in all ways,” North coach Rick Sluder said. “We have some very good senior leadership across the board and a nice amount of youth coming out for this year’s team. We have potential point scorers in big meets in many event areas which will help us compete in the Conference Indiana championships and the IHSAA tournament.”
Barnett and sophomores Brianna Newell and Lily Baker led Sluder’s cross-country team to a third-place state finish last fall. Senior Shaelynn Scruggs was a regional qualifier in the shot as a sophomore, and seniors Helena Ho and LaMonica Smith ran on the regional-qualifying 4×100 relay team in 2019.
“Our sprints will be led by Helena Ho and LaMonica Smith who give us a great 1-2 punch and should help with both sprint relays,” Sluder said. “Our throwers will be a huge set of points for us with Emily Herndon and Alivia Steinkoenig leading the way. Our distance group, who finished third in the Cross Country State Finals, will also be relied upon to contribute largely for our team.”
Columbus East
The Olympians have several girls back from their 2019 team.
“We’re coming along,” East coach Glen Brown said. “We have a good nucleus. It’s really tough because of it being two years, but they’re working really hard. They’re showing the younger kids, ‘This is what you have to do.’”
Senior Elise LaSell is back in the high jump and long jump, senior Katie Hagan returns in the pole vault and 300 hurdles. Senior Elizabeth Stevens is back in the pole vault and distance events, seniors Caitlyn Lucas and Makalya Frenzal return in the throws and senior Lynna Hendershot is back in the hurdles.
Other top returners are juniors Gabi Schuetz in sprints and long jump, Mallory Rupp in the sprints and Jordan Spurgeon in the distance events. Sophomore Chloe Krueger and freshman Carly Otte were two of the top cross-country runners and will lead the distance group. Freshman Gabbie Meier, a state qualifer in diving this winter, could contribute in the long jump, pole vault or 400.
“The thing that we have and that we thought we were going to have last year is some distance girls to go along with our sprinting,” Brown said. “We’ve always been heavy on sprinting, but we also have some distance runners now. Then our throwers, I think Caitlyn and Makalya will hold their own. I think we have a good nucleus that we won’t get run over by people.”
Hauser
April Dalton returns for her 16th and final year as coach of the Jets before stepping into retirement. She will have a small team with 10 girls.
“We’ve been conditioning since January, so they’ve been really eager to get started because we didn’t have a season last year,” Dalton said. “They’re ready to get started, and they’re definitely working hard.”
Back to led the Jets is senior Marnie Schwartzkopf, a two-time regional qualifier in the 800. Senior Ashley Chambers returns in the high jump, long jump and 400.
Senior Tammy Essex in the distance events and senior Adonah Riddle in throws and 4×100 relay also return, along with junior Carly Beeker in hurdles, junior Callie Swegman in the 1,600 and junior Bailey Barker in throws. The newcomers are sophomore Reiss Kistler in the distance events and freshmen Addy DeWeese and Grace Hattabaugh in the sprints.
“I think there’s definitely some promise,” Dalton said. “They’re a competive group of girls, and they work hard. Hopefully, that will take them far.”
Jennings County
The Panthers figure to be led by Sproles, who runs the 400 and 4×400 relay in addition to the long jump.
Senior Kenna Maschino in the throws and Liz Wahlman in the distance events also are among the top returners. Two basketball starters are out for track in juniors Lily Ernstes, who will be a sprinter and possibly long jumper, and Kali Thompson, who will throw and run the 100.
Top newcomers include sophomores Lydia Roth in the sprints and high jump, sophomores Halle Franks and Grace Gambrel and freshman Sarah Poole in the distance events and freshmen Taylor Leak and Rachel Manning in the sprints and pole vault and freshman Emilee Baugess in the hurdles and high jump.
“The pandemic definitely has played a role in our numbers this track season,” Jennings coach Leah McLeod said. “We have lost several athletes due to the fact they have gotten jobs and are now too busy to participate in athletics. With that being said, we welcome new faces to our sport. We have so many new faces to our program and we realize it will take time to get us where we need to be. We will set our eyes on the trophy in May. Until then, it’s being patient and letting the pieces fall in place.”
Brown County
The Eagles will feature a pair of sophomores in Hadley Gradolf and Abby Fleetwood who were state qualifiers in cross-country.
Gradolf and Fleetwood are joined in the distance events by senior Eme Koester and freshman Livie Austin. Senior Natalie Suding was a regional qualifier in the pole vault in 2019.
Junior Christy Sebastian returns in the sprints and could run hurdles this year. Other top newcomers are sophomores Alli Majors in the sprints and long jump, Xyleigh Thompson in the sprints and high jump and sophomore Lizzie Roush in the throws.
“We’re a little short on numbers, but we’ve had historically small teams on the girls side,” Brown County coach Jay Myers said. “I’m excited to see what they can do after not having a season last year. For some of them, it’s going to be the first time we’ve seen them in high school track and field.”
Edinburgh
Lancers coach Amy Schilling has only five girls on this year’s squad.
Seniors Malkia Willard and Elle Dayton will throw the shot and discus. Sophomore Jasmine Cunningham, a move-in from Whiteland, will run the sprints and 400.
Sophomore Chloe Greathouse will run the sprints and middle distance. Freshman Alanna Hobbs could run the 800 or 1,600.
“I’m hoping we can get a few more, or at least one more so we can have some relays,” Schilling said.
South Decatur
Senior Lana Bell, a 2019 regional qualifier in the high jump, returns to lead the Cougars.
Freshman Kate Hamilton was a regional qualifier in cross-country and will be joined in the distance events by freshman Emma Gatewood and sophomore Bridget Nobbe. Freshman Brayley Sundal, who also ran cross-country, will be a sprinter.
Junior Paige Hibberd will high jump and run the 300 hurdles. Junior Alli Nobbe and freshman Zoe Meer are the top throwers.
“Everyone missed last track season, so I think this year will be particularly rewarding for those athletes who have come out this year,” South Decatur coach Sariina Kalli said. “We didn’t get our usual winter conditioning in due to COVID restrictions at our school, but the changes we made to the early part of our season seem to be working, and the kids are working hard and are ready to compete. We have a few smaller meets in April that will give our upperclassmen the competition they’ve waited a year for, while giving our new athletes a chance to see what events fit them best.”
Trinity Lutheran
Mark Pinnow, a Columbus resident who ran at Trinity and Valparaiso University, takes over one-girl Cougar squad.
Junior Mya Lindroth will run the 200 and 400 for Trinity.
“We’re working her with her on her 400,” Pinnow said.
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The 2021 girls 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 Madison;5:30 p.m.
May 4;at Brown County;5 p.m.
May 11;HHC at Floyd Central;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
Today;at Jennings County;5:30 p.m.
Monday;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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