Columbus North’s Lily Baker takes the baton from Brianna Newell on during the 4x800-meter relay at the Girls Track and Field State Finals Saturday June 5, 2021, at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis.
The Republic file photo
Half of the eight local girls track and field teams will be under new leadership this season.
Columbus East has an interim coach, and Hauser, Jennings County and Trinity Lutheran have new head coaches. Here is a look at those schools, as well as other area teams heading into the 2022 season.
Columbus North
The Bull Dogs came within five points of winning a regional title last season. They lost a few key athletes, but return most of their distance crew from a team that won the state cross-country title in the fall.
“We lost some good senior leadership in the sprint area, but our distance kids are strong,” North coach Rick Sluder said. “We want to compete for a 4×800 state title. We had a lot of girls qualify for state in the distance events last year, and we want to repeat that this year.”
Juniors Lily Baker, Brianna Newell and Julie Klaus return from the 4×800-meter relay team that finished third at state. They will be joined by junior Jessica Meza, who ran on the state-qualifying 4×400 relay team with juniors Helen Alderfer and Emma Long and sophomore Olivia Johnson.
“We do think we can score a fair amount of points at state,” Sluder said. “I think our 4×400 is going to be pretty good. I think a lot of people aren’t going to expect us to be up there, but they could make the fast heat at the state meet if they keep progressing like they are right now.”
Newell was a state qualifier in the 1,600, and senior Katherine Rumsey was a state qualifier in the 3,200. Junior Julia Kiesler, a move-in from California who earned All-State honors in cross-country for the Bull Dogs last fall, joins the distance group, with seniors Alyssa Green and Abby Jacobi and junior Sydney Morlok.
“We just have that depth that we’ll be able to show more in track than we did in cross because we have so many girls,” Sluder said. “We’ll move some people around and have them run multiple events.”
Senior Sasha Goodlow returns in the hurdles and high jump, Long is back in the high jump and sophomore Natalie Ho returns in the sprints. Seniors Olivia Steinkoenig and Moana Steele have shown promise in the shot put.
Senior Kylah Lawson, a basketball standout who was the Bull Dogs’ track MVP as a freshman, is back out for track for the first time since then and will do the sprints and long jump. Freshman Sydney Johnson in the sprints and freshman Sierra Newell in the pole vault also will look to make an immediate impact.
Columbus East
Jesse Shoaf, who has been the Olympians girls cross-country coach and assistant track coach, steps in as interim head girls track coach while longtime coach Glen Brown battles a health issue.
“We have a lot of new girls this year,” Shoaf said. “We have a pretty young team in general, so there is opportunity for growth with a lot of our athletes this year.”
Columbus East’s Emma Gray competes in the 300-meter hurdles against Bloomington South at Columbus East, Saturday, April 3, 2021.
The Republic file photo
Junior Emma Gray was a regional qualifier in the 300 hurdles and also runs the 100 hurdles. Junior Chloe Krueger and senior Olivia Shoaf in the 800; seniors Mallory Rupp, sophomore Taylor Scott and juniors Norah Dwenger and Hallie Randle in the 4×400 and Randle, Scott and seniors Gabi Schuetz and Jordan Sims in the 4×100 return from regional-qualifying relay teams.
Sophomore Jenna Guse is back in the 400 after missing most of last season with an injury. Other top returners are junior Megan Tracy in the throws, sophomore Gabbie Meier in the pole vault and high jump and sophomore Carly Otte in the distance events.
“I think we have a pretty good core,” Jesse Shoaf said. “Gabi and Jordan have been big contributors for us. That senior core of sprinters will be pretty good for us and that distance and middle distance group will be contributing week-in-and-week-out for us. With the field events, we’re going to see how that goes. We just have a lot of new girls that are learning.”
Hauser
Melissa Newcomb, who has been the Jets’ middle school coach, takes over the high school program. She will have a small team with only eight girls.
“They’re looking pretty good,” Newcomb said. “Our numbers are a little lower than we’d like, but we’re excited about who we do have, and they’re working hard.”
Senior Callie Swegman in the distance events and senior Bailey Barker in the throws will be looked upon to lead the team. Sophomore Grace Hattabaugh returns in the sprints and long jump, and juniors Amanda Steward and Reiss Kistler will run distance events.
Freshman Lilly Lockridge could make an immediate impact in the high jump, long jump and middle distance. Hauser also has a pair of exchange students in Valeska Lopez (Germany) and Viola Verzino (Italy) that will compete in the sprints.
Jennings County
The Panthers have a new coach in Amanda Young, who took over the girls cross-country program in the fall.
Senior Lily Ernstes returns in the 400, and senior Rilee Hicks is back in the 400 and high jump. Junior Halle Franks, freshman Avery Willhite, sophomore Elizabeth Evans and junior Grace Gambrel lead a solid distance crew.
Freshmen Alexa Mollenhoff, Trinity Burke, Emmerson Benson and sophomores Rachel Manning and Katie Asbury are the top sprinters and hurdlers. Leading the field events will be senior Haleigh Askew and sophomore Cheyanna Leslie in the throws and sophomores Taylor Leak, Rachel Manning and Delaynie Maschino in the pole vault.
“We have an extremely young team,” Young said. “Probably half of our girls have never run track. The thing about the girls that I have liked and enjoyed the most is, they’re all very eager to try new and different events and compete. It’s going to be an interesting season to see where they all fit. But they’re very eager, and for that aspect, it’s going to be extremely fun finding the races that they like the best and that they are the most competitive in. It’s going to be a fun year. ”
Brown County
The Eagles will be led by junior Hadley Gradolf, a regional qualifier in the 3,200 last season and an All-State performer in cross-country last fall.
Senior sprinter and hurdler Christy Sebastian was a regional qualifier in the 300 hurdles. Other top returners are sophomore Madalyn Purlee in the distance events, junior Alli Majors in the sprints and hurdles, junior Xyleigh Thompson in the high jump and long jump and junior Lizzie Roush in the throws.
Brown County has 13 girls out for this year’s team.
“Our numbers are a little small, but that’s typical of the past few years,” Brown County coach Jay Myers said. “But like usual, we have a couple good individuals. We’ve been dealing with smaller teams and smaller numbers, but typically, we have a couple individuals placing pretty high in the bigger meets.”
South Decatur
The Cougars will look to compete for a Mid-Hoosier Conference title after finishing second last season.
Seniors Paige Hibberd in the high jump and 300 hurdles and Alli Nobbe in the throws return to lead the team. Junior Bridget Nobbe will lead the distance crew.
Sophomores Brayley Sundal and Zoe Meer return to sprints and long jump. Sophomores Ana Arreola and Clair Schoettmer return in the 100 hurdles, and all four 300-meter hurdlers are back in Hibberd, Arreola, Schoettmer and Maria Nobbe are back in the 300 hurdles.
Freshman Kiley Best was the junior high MHC 100-meter hurdles champ last spring, and ran a leg on the junior high school record-breaking 4×100 and 4×400 relay teams.
“We have seven freshmen girls coming from successful junior high track experiences that will help fill spots in nearly every event,” South Decatur coach Sariina Kalli said. “Our girls’ team doesn’t have the depth that our boys’ team does, but we have a lot of capable athletes that are willing to work where we need them, so that’s promising this early in the year.
Edinburgh
The Lancers will begin the season with only one girls athlete, sophomore thrower Alanna Hobbs.
“She’s working hard on the throwing,” Edinburgh coach Amy Schilling said. “She’s definitely improved from last year.”
Trinity Lutheran
Keith Dyer, who has been cross-country coach at Immanuel Lutheran the past four years, takes over the Cougars track program. Trinity had only one girls runner last year, but has nine this season.
Freshman Emalee Goss has shown potential in the sprints and high jump. Other top athletes are senior Sadie Nay in the sprints, sophomore Jocelyn Love in the hurdles and freshman Cheyenne Campbell in the 800 and 1,600.
“It will be nice to be competing more as a team vs. just in individual events,” Dyer said. “They’re excited about that.”
The 2022 girls track schedules for Bartholomew County schools:
Columbus East
Saturday;at Bloomington South;10:30 a.m.
April 5;at Seymour;5 p.m.
April 9;at Columbus North Invitational;11 a.m.
April 12;at Shelbyville (with Southwestern);5:30 p.m.
April 14;at Jennings County (with Brownstown Central);5 p.m.
April 19;Bloomington North;5:30 p.m.
April 21;Columbus North;5 p.m.
May 3;Brown County;5 p.m.
May 12;HHC meet at Jeffersonville;6 p.m.
Columbus North
April 5;Bloomington South;6 p.m.
April 9;North Invitational;11 a.m.
April 12;Seymour;6 p.m.
April 15;at Franklin Central Showcase;6 p.m.
April 21;at Columbus East;5:30 p.m.
April 23;at Pike Invitational;11 a.m.
April 26;at East Central;6 p.m.
April 29;Conference Indiana at Southport;6 p.m.
May 10;at Franklin;5 p.m.
Hauser
Tuesday;Jennings County;5:30 p.m.
April 4;at Crothersville;5:30 p.m.
April 12;at Indianapolis Lutheran;5 p.m.
April 18;at Triton Central (with Waldron);5 p.m.
April 21;at Jac-Cen-Del (with Morristown);5 p.m.
April 22;at Edinburgh Lancer Relays;5 p.m.
April 26;at Batesville (with Jac-Cen-Del, North Decatur);5 p.m.
April 28;Indy Genesis;5:30 p.m.
May 5;Brown County;5 p.m.
May 10;MHC at Southwestern (Shelby);5 p.m.
