Columbus North’s Carys Glyn-Jones finishes the 800 meters in the Girls Track and Field State Finals June 3, 2023, at Indiana University
The Republic file photo
It will be a season of new leadership with area girls track and field teams, with new head coaches at six of the eight area schools that have programs.
Here is a look at those eight teams heading into the 2024 season:
Columbus North
Rick Sluder is one of only two returning girls head coaches among area teams. Sluder, who also coaches the Bull Dog boys, figures to have a more balanced team this season after being distance-heavy the past several years.
“We should be stronger than last year,” Sluder said. “We have a lot more depth and a lot more pieces we can move around. We lost a lot with some of those senior distance girls, but we look like we’ll have better depth. It looks like we’ll have a more balanced team.”
Junior Carys Glyn-Jones ran on North’s state champion 4×800-meter relay team and was a state qualifier in the 800. Junior Kyleigh Wolf ran on the 4×800 relay team for much of last season and finished fourth in the regional in the 1,600, one spot away from qualifying for state.
Sophomore Ainsley Sherlock is healthy after missing most of last season with an injury. Junior Macy Eaton and freshmen Tristan Works, Adira Sluder and Reece Peeples also are among the top distance and middle distance runners.
“Some of our freshmen are starting to step up, too, in distance,” Rick Sluder said. “Some of our youth is coming through there.”
Junior Sierra Newell is a two-time regional qualifier in the pole vault. Senior Ava Collier and junior Maggie Russell return in the sprints and 400, and sophomores Lily Miller and Natalie Rohm are back in the hurdles.
Sophomore Abbi Schiefer is the top shot and discus thrower. Freshman Avery Johnson has shown promise in the high jump, long jump and sprints.
“We have some really young girls who are really talented,” Rick Sluder said. “We should be really young on the girls side, but have some good depth.”
Columbus East
The Olympians needed a new coach after longtime mentor Glen Brown died last summer.
Kareem Ash, a former East runner and soccer player, takes over the program. Ash was an assistant coach for the Olympian boys and girls in 2010-11 and has been coaching Speed, Power and Fitness for Columbus Express Soccer Club and youth track and field with Pathfinders.
Ash, who was an assistant track coach at North last season, inherits a team with a little experience returning and plenty of youth.
“The main thing right now is track knowledge in general is limited, so I’m trying to get them into the mindset that track is competitive and not just a leisurely activity,” Ash said. “It’s something that you can definitely work toward being good at.”
Columbus East’s Taylor Scott, right, competes in the 100 meters in the Columbus North Invitational on April 7, 2023.
The Republic file photo
Senior Taylor Scott was a regional qualifier in the 100. Scott and sophomore Sophie Glick return from the regional-qualifying 4×400 relay team, and Scott and junior Carsyn Schlehuser are back from the regional-qualifying 4×100 squad. Senior Jenna Guse also has run on the 4×400 team the past three years, but was injured at the end of last season.
Senior Gabbie Meier was a regional qualifier in the long jump and also does the high jump and 400. Seniors Carly Otte and Victoria Cuhadar are the top returning distance runners.
Grace Lykins and Sophia Gallion are the top throwers. Senior Nadia Harris, a standout soccer player, is running high school track for the first time and will do the sprints and long jump.
“We have some freshmen that are showing a lot of promise, so I’m excited for that,” Ash said. “I see promise in quite a few of them. One of my goals is to get at least three or four girls to state. The best chance for that is probably a relay team.”
Hauser
The Jets’ new coach is Shannon Dailey, who takes over for April Dalton.
Hauser returns a trio of sprinters in senior Grace Hattabaugh, junior Lily Roll and sophomore Charleston Gelfius. Gelfius might also do the high jump and discus this year.
Senior Dancy Cain also returns. Kennedy Konradi, who can do a variety of events, leads a group of freshmen.
“We do have several freshmen who came in, and they seem really excited,” Dailey said. “We have some other girls that are returning from last year and a few foreign exchange student, so that will be good.”
Jennings County
Jill Stoner takes over the Panther program.
Leading the team this year will be senior Cheyeanna Leslie who was a regional qualifier in the shot and discus, and senior Rachael Manning, a regional qualifier in the 100 and 200.
“They have made it a goal to make it to state, and I think they have the potential to do so,” Stoner said.
Jennings also made it to regional in the 4×800 last season, and junior Haley Vogel returns from that unit.
Manning and senior Kristen Ponder return in the pole vault, and junior Trinity Burke is back in the hurdles. Junior Sasha Hicks returns in the high jump, where she will be joined by freshmen Aylah Belding and Ilene Hifo.
Vogel will be joined in the distance events by freshmen Alana Watts, Addie Otte, Addey Herche, Isla Stevens and Bella Miller
“We have some great seniors,” Stoner said. “We have a lot of freshmen this year. We have a lot of girls who have never ran track before, but wanted to join. We have a lot of new faces, but a lot of strong competitors.”
Brown County
New coach Don Hamrick will have a smaller team with only 12 girls this season.
“We are very low in numbers, but we are big in heart, and that helps,” Hamrick said. “It’s a very positive and hardworking group of girls. We may only have 12, but I wouldn’t trade any of them.”
Sophomore Sadie Hiatt and freshman Izzy Miller lead the distance crew. Freshman Leanne Hatch and sophomore newcomer Jordyn Nicols are the top sprinters.
Senior Livie Austin can do a variety of events. Senior Claire Endris will throw the shot and discus, and sophomore Alana Johnson will compete in the hurdles and discus.
“You’re thin everywhere when you only have 12 girls,” Hamrick said. “The beginning part of the season is going to be about experimenting and moving people around and see where everybody fits best.”
South Decatur
Bethany Fromer, who has been an assistant track and head cross-country coach, takes over the track program from Sariina Kalli, who led the Cougars to Mid-Hoosier Conference titles the past two years.
Junior Madison Danforth was a regional qualifier in the long jump. Brayley Sundal, Clair Schoettmer and Zoe Meer return from the regional-qualifying 4×100 relay team.
Kylie Best and Meer return in the hurdles. Other top returners are junior Hannah Gridley in the hurdles and long jump and junior Bernice Tooley in the distance and middle distance events.
Top newcomers are sophomores Andrea Brogan and Disaree Smith in the distance events, freshman Laney Seegers in the sprints and long jump, freshman Liz Bennett in the sprints and high jump, freshman Brooklyn Ortman in the 400 and hurdles, freshman Kennedy Sundal in the 200 and throws and freshman Kenzie Troutman in the hurdles.
“We have already been at the track working hard to keep athletes in shape over spring break these last two weeks,” Fromer said. “Our senior class have stepped up to help lead the program and give the younger athletes encouragement.”
Edinburgh
The Lancers have some athleticism, and the key will be transferring that onto the track and the field events for new coach Jordan Bowman.
Returning to the team are seniors Alix Streeval and Alanna Hobbs, junior Shyleigh Gobel and sophomores Kenna Streeval and Addison Crawhorn. Newcomers are senior Kyah Streeval and Bailey Nelson and freshman Mya Denton.
All three Streevals also are softball players for Edinburgh.
“We share a lot of kids with our other spring sports,” Bowman said.
Trinity Lutheran
Keith Dyer returns as the Cougars coach and will have a mix of returners and newcomers.
Junior Emalee Goss was a regional qualifier in the high jump. She will be joined there by freshman Bella Griner.
Junior Cheyenne Campbell, who ran the 1,600 the past couple years, likely will run more in the 400 and 800 this season. Sophomore newcomer Bailey Bonde has shown promise in the throws and 400, and freshman Katie Malone and senior Kaydence Miller are the top sprinters.
“I feel like this is probably top to bottom the most talent I’ve had,” Dyer said. “They all have improved physically from last year to this year. They’re running stronger, faster and came in doing well with high jumping and throwing pretty close to where they were last year.”
The 2024 girls track and field schedules for Bartholomew County schools:
Columbus East
March 30 at Bloomington South, 10:30 a.m.
April 2 at Seymour, 5 p.m.
April 6 at Columbus North Invitational, 11 a.m.
April 9 at Shelbyville, 5:30 p.m.
April 11 vs. Jennings County, 5 p.m.
April 16 vs. Bloomington North, 5:30 p.m.
April 18 vs. Columbus North, 5 p.m.
April 26 at East Central Invitational, 5 p.m.
April 30 vs. Brown County, 5 p.m.
May 7 in Hoosier Hills Conference at New Albany, 6 p.m.
Columbus North
April 2 vs. Bloomington South, 6 p.m.
April 4 at Jeffersonville, 5 p.m.
April 6 in North Invitational, 11 a.m.
April 9 at Brown County, 5:30 p.m.
April 12 at Franklin Central Showcase, 6 p.m.
April 18 at Columbus East, 5 p.m.
April 20 at Pike Invitational, 10 a.m.
April 20 at Brown County Talon Relays, 10:45 a.m.
April 24 vs. East Central, 5:30 p.m.
April 26 in Conference Indiana at Bloomington North, 5:30 p.m.
May 3 at Ben Davis Invitational, 6 p.m.
May 7 at Franklin, 5:45 p.m.
Hauser
April 1 at Crothersville (with Trinity Lutheran), 5:30 p.m.
April 4 vs. South Decatur and Morristown, 5:30 p.m.
April 9 at Indianapolis Lutheran, 5 p.m.
April 15 at Waldron (with Triton Central), 5 p.m.
April 19 at Edinburgh Lancer Relays, 5 p.m.
April 23 at Batesville (with North Decatur and Jac-Cen-Del), 5 p.m.
April 26 vs. Indy Genesis, 5:30 p.m.
May 2 at Southwestern (Shelby) (with Indian Creek), 5 p.m.
May 7 in Mid-Hoosier Conference at Waldron, 5 p.m.
