NORTH VERNON — The Jennings County High School unified track team has done well this year, boasting a record of 18-2.
Head coach Roxanne Norton and assistant coach Beth Hamilton have been leading the program the last four years.
Over the last few years, the program has won two sectional titles. They also qualified for state during the 2018-19 season, where they finished eighth.
This year, the team has increased in numbers to 30 to 35 team members, including a team manager.
Unified track has three seniors this year in Joey Moran, Gavin Bateman, and Owen Bonesteel. All three also wrestled at JCHS, and plan to help coach the teams after graduation.
Bonesteel started unified track his freshman year, and said he likes it because he “can give people with different disabilities support and motivation to do more.”
At the conclusion of Bateman’s high school career, he will join the Army. He started unified track a couple weeks after wrestling was over.
“It’s a fun thing to do and I like helping out with the team,” Bateman said.
One of Batman’s favorite moments was during a unified meet in New Albany, where he said everyone had a great time and he found that he had done his best there.
During the wrestling season, Bateman and Moran both made it to semistate.
Moran has been participating in unified track for two years. Moran recalled many favorite moments, but his absolute favorite is winning sectionals this year with the team.
Moran said he loves the team, and has met many good people and friends from unified track.
The unified track team captured the IHSAA Sectional Championship at Floyd Central on May 22. Yesterday, they were scheduled to compete in the regional at Bloomington North.
