Columbus North’s, from left, Lily Miller, Emerson Chambers, Avery Johnson and Sierra Newell won the 4x100-meter relay at Tuesday’s Bloomington North Regional to lead the Bull Dogs to a runner-up overall team finish.
Ted Schultz | The Republic
Columbus North qualified for the Girls Track and Field State Finals in eight events, and Columbus East and Hauser broke long state qualifying droughts at Tuesday night’s Bloomington North Regional.
The Bull Dogs finished second, and Columbus East took fifth in the team standings. Bloomington South won with 122 points to 108 for Columbus North, 37.5 for Bloomington North, 33 for Edgewood and 32 for the Olympians.
“We scored over 100 points, and that will win almost every regional around the state,” Columbus North coach Rick Sluder said. “We just ran into a really good Bloomington South team.”
The Bull Dogs won two events, including the 4×100-meter relay, where sophomore Avery Johnson, junior Lily Miller, senior Sierra Newell and sophomore Emerson Chambers ran a school-record 49.47 seconds.
Chambers also won the 100 hurdles in a personal-best 14.62, avenging a loss to South Ripley’s Alexa Yeomans from last week’s Columbus North Sectional. Chambers had the second-fastest time in the 100 prelims at 12.85, but finished fifth in the finals in 13.02 just five minutes after the 100 hurdles final.
“I just try to have faith in myself and run my race and see where it took me,” Chambers said. “It’s definitely nerve-racking because all the times are super similar to each other, but I just tried to stay focused in on what I had to do.”
Junior Carys Glyn-Jones, who was the only Bull Dog to qualify for last year’s state meet, finished second in the 800 in 2:13.07. She also anchored two relays to runner-up finishes, teaming with Hazel Sasse, Kyleigh Wolf and Macy Eaton in the 4×800 (9:31.30) and Reece Peeples, Natalie Rohm and Sasse in the 4×400 (4:07.73).
“I’ve had a bit of a tough season this year with sickness and and an injury scare,” Glyn-Jones said. “I feel like I’m back in the game with racing. I’m just happy I trusted my training and am happy to make it back.”
Two Bull Dog freshman also punched their tickets to the state meet. Emma Haston finished second in the high jump at a personal-best 5 feet, 4 inches.
“I was feeling pretty confident the last two practices,” Haston said. “I was getting my curve right and everything. I think it was two of the best jumps I’ve ever had.”
Sydni Schiefer qualified by the slimmest of margins in the shot put. Her 39-4 3/4 toss was a quarter-inch farther and Silver Creek’s Sophia Scott for the third-and-final state-qualifying spot.
“I’m very happy that I made it,” Schiefer said. “I definitely was not expecting this. It’s a lot of fun.”
Newell also will be making her first state appearance after finishing third in the pole vault at 9-0. She narrowly missed with a fourth in the long jump (16-6), but will go to state in the pole vault and 4×100.
“It’s super exciting because I haven’t gotten to qualify for state, so being able to do it my senior year is pretty special,” Newell said. “I just came out here and did my best and am going to go have fun at state. I’m really excited for the state meet.”
The Bull Dogs had a few other near-misses. Tristan Works (5:12.15) and Emma Lowther (5:21.80) finished fourth and sixth in the 1,600, Rohm took fourth in the 300 hurdles (47.93), Peeples was fifth in the 400 (1:02.30), Eaton placed fifth in the 800 (2:23.22), Miller finished fifth in the 100 hurdles (15.86) and Johnson was fifth in the long jump (16-1 3/4).
“We had tons of PRs,” Sluder said. “Emerson Chambers had a great night. Sierra Newell had a wonderful night. Sydni Schiefer in her first year in high school track is going to state. Emma Haston, another freshman, with a PR is going to state. Carys is right back to where she was at this point last year with her 2:13. We got all three relays. We had a really good night, and I just couldn’t be more proud of these girls and our coaches.”
Carsyn Schlehuser
Meanwhile, East senior Carsyn Schlehuser and junior Kai Scott became the first Olympian girls to qualify for state in more than a decade. Scott finished third in the 300 hurdles (47.18).
Schlehuser placed second in the 100 (12.72) and third in the 200 (26.60).
“I am so excited,” Schlehuser said. “I can’t believe I did it. I put in the work and everything, and my coaches pushed me through every single step, and when we looked at the times, it looked like I had a really good chance. I just had to walk in and put in the work that I’ve been training for this whole season and put it all out on the track. I really thought for sure I’d make it in the 200, but the 100 was just the cherry on top. It was amazing.”
East finished fourth in the 4×400 relay (4:15.05) and seventh in the 4×100 relay (51.25). Sophie Glick took sixth in the 400 (1:02.43), and Grace McMahon was seventh in the discus (112-9).
Addyson Russell
Hauser freshman Addyson Russell became the first Jet girl ever to qualify for state in track. She broke her own school record in finishing second in the 200 in 26.40.
Russell just missed making the finals in the 100, taking ninth in the prelims (13.19). She was 15th in the long jump (13-10).
“I thought my best (chance) was in the 200,” Russell said. “My 200 is usually the event I’m most confident about. I was hoping if I got to state in anything, it would be the 200. I’m very proud of all the work I put in to get here.”
Jennings County had a couple of near misses. Aylah Belding finished fourth in the high jump (5-1), and Sariah Hifo took fourth in the 200 (26.62).
Trinity Lutheran’s Bailey Bonde finished seventh in the shot put (35-9). South Decatur’s Madisyn Danforth took ninth in the prelims of the 200 (27.45). Brown County’s Charly Eddins was 18th in the high jump (4-8).
