By Colin Altevogt
Girls Coordinator
For track fans across Indiana, this weekend will be like Thanksgiving and Christmas back-to-back with the girls’ track & field state finals on Friday followed by the boys.
This year’s girls’ track & field state finals will very much be a battle of track vs. field and a tale of one city. Pre-meet favorite and defending champion Lawrence North, who leads the seedings with 56 points, boasts a plethora of hurdlers and sprinters. Lawrence Central, just five points behind the Wildcats with 51 points, has potential individual champions in four of the five field events. Perennial contender Warren Central, who is looking to make it four titles in five years, is carried by sprinters Logan Hayes who will compete in three individual sprinting events.
To call it a showdown would be a bit misleading. Athletes from the top three contenders will meet head-to-head on the track very infrequently during the meet. In fact, potential scorers from LC, LN or WC will only see each other in a race in the 4x100, open 400, 300 hurdles and 4x400. The meet could be close heading into the final event, however, which would be entertaining as all three have a relay in the fast heat of the 4x4.
The following is a preview of the track events and team race for the girls’ track & field state finals in Bloomington on June 4…
4x800
Last year’s 4x8 came down to the last few steps as Carmel passed Indianapolis Chatard just before the finish line. These two teams also have the top times thus far. The Greyhounds, who bring back three of four, enter as the top seed. The Trojans also return three of four but just missed qualifying for the fast heat based on regional performance. Three other schools (Munster, Fort Wayne Carroll, Fort Wayne Concordia) return at least three runners from last year’s podium relays, although they may not run the same girls this time around. Watch out for Carroll, who has yet to run its full-strength squad, and Brownsburg, who is holding girls out of individual events to take a shot in the relay. If Franklin Central runs Dani Sullivan, the Flashes could be a challenger as well.
Predictions
1. Carmel
2. FW Carroll
3. Noblesville
4. Brownsburg
5. Indianapolis Chatard
6. Franklin Central
7. Lake Central
8. Warsaw
9. Hamilton Southeastern
Mike Slaubaugh
Carmel
Steve Bain
Carmel
Katie Cahillane
Carmel
100 Hurdles
Lawrence North’s Ashley Spencer will look to start her hurdle dominance in the 100s, where she has the state’s best time by .17 of a second. Spencer has the top performance in the state and the best seed coming into the meet. Demetra Taylor of Fort Wayne Northrop has the second best time in the state at 14.50, which she ran in the regional round. Taylor finished seventh last year and is the second best returner behind Munster’s Whitney Freeman. Westview’s Skylar Carpenter, who could win three individual events, will take her shot first in the high hurdles.
Predictions
1. Ashley Spencer, Lawrence North
2. Demetra Taylor, FW Northrop
3. Saymah Kollison, Southport
4. Skyler Carpenter, Westview
5. Brittany Housel, Columbus East
6. Amani Morgan, SB Adams
7. Whitney Freeman, Munster
8. Frederica Rodgers, Harding
9. Crissy Day, Columbus North
Mike Slaubaugh
Ashley Spencer, Lawrence North
Steve Bain
Ashley Spencer, Lawrence North
Katie Cahillane
Ashley Spencer, Lawrence North
100
Shanice Gholson of Jeffersonville is the defending champion, and she has the third best seed entering the meet and fourth best time of the season. The best time in the state comes from Pike’s Morgan Yeadon who ran 12.03 at the Marion County meet, and the top seed is Indian Creek sophomore Katie Wise, who ran 12.16 to edge out Warren superstar Logan Hayes by .01 at the Shelbyville regional. Four medalists return from last year. Between Hayes and Shannon Parker, the Warriors could get a great start on their way toward reclaiming their team crown. Lawrence Central needs Lauren Cowden to make it through to the finals to grab precious team points.
Predictions
1. Shanice Gholson, Jeffersonville
2. Logan Hayes, Warren Central
3. Katie Wise, Indian Creek
4. Morgan Yeadon, Pike
5. Shannon Parker, Warren Central
6. Nikita Owens, Evansville Central
7. Lauren Cowden, Lawrence Central
8. Jasmine Perry, FW Wayne
9. Avante Newsome-Gunn, SB Washington
Mike Slaubaugh
Shanice Gholson, Jeffersonville
Steve Bain
Morgan Yeadon, Pike
Katie Cahillane
Logan Hayes, Warren Central
1600
Last year’s race was a showdown between Fort Wayne Canterbury’s Kate DeSimone and Culver’s Waverly Neer. DeSimone won that by running away from Neer, a three-time state runner-up in track, over the final lap. Neer is the only runner to have broken five minutes this season, which she did all the way back in March at the Nike Indoor Nationals. She also won the Miracle Mile at Franklin Central by leading wire-to-wire. DeSimone, however, brings in the top performance after running 5:02 at the regional round in a lightning fast race that produced three of the top five seeds. This year’s race should be a repeat of last season’s, although Decatur Central senior Sutton Knapp, who has gotten better and better with each round, could foil that plan. Lawrence Central freshman Maddy Roach could grab big points for the Bears in this race.
Predictions
1. Waverly Neer, Culver Academy
2. Kate DeSimone, FW Canterbury
3. Sutton Knapp, Decatur Central
4. Katelyn Devries, Valparaiso
5. Jordan Chester, Boone Grove
6. Maddy Roach, Lawrence Central
7. Rachael Sollman, Columbus North
8. Annie Shank, FW Luers
9. Katie Sommer, Valparaiso
Mike Slaubaugh
Kate DeSimone, FW Canterbury
Steve Bain
Waverly Neer, Culver Academy
Katie Cahillane
Waverly Neer, Culver Academy
4x100
Pike has three individual finalists in the open 100 and still does not have the state’s top time. That belongs to Fort Wayne Northrop who ran 47.25 at its conference meet. Pike, however, has gotten faster as the season has progressed, running its two best times at the sectional and regional. The three team favorites are all in the fast heat so this event could be a major turning point in the team race. Lawrence North’s best time is over a second faster than Lawrence Central’s and a half-second quicker than Warren.
Predictions
1. Pike
2. FW Northrop
3. Lawrence North
4. South Bend Adams
5. Warren Central
6. Lawrence Central
7. Homestead
8. Fort Wayne Wayne
9. SB Washington
Mike Slaubaugh
Pike
Steve Bain
Pike
Katie Cahillane
Pike
400
If Warren is to win the team championship, they will most certainly look back on the 400 as a favorable turning point. Hayes is the defending champion, but the question is how much she will have at this point after prelims in the 100 and 200 as well as finals of the 100. Hayes’ regional time of 56.33 is one-tenth faster than the next best, which belongs to Lawrence North’s Ahlivia Spencer. The Warriors have the top ten returners in this event with Hayes and senior Latisha Martin. A 1-2 finish by the Warren duo would go a long way to beating LC and LN.
Predictions
1. Logan Hayes, Warren Central
2. Latisha Martin, Warren Central
3. Ahlivia Spencer, Lawrence North
4. Taylor Morrison, Ben Davis
5. Alli Kanning, FW Concordia
6. Makelle Skelton, FW Northrop
7. Emily Toennies, Homestead
8. Megan Van Winkle, Union County
9. Savannah Newsome, SB Adams
Mike Slaubaugh
Logan Hayes, Warren Central
Steve Bain
Logan Hayes, Warren Central
Katie Cahillane
Logan Hayes, Warren Central
300 Hurdles
Skyler Carpenter set the state’s best time in her blazing 43.06 at the regional last week. The top returner is Lawrence North’s Ashley Spencer, who runs for a school with a long line of proud hurdlers. These two are more than a second faster than the next closest 300 hurdler. While Carpenter’s time was eye-popping, there are only three things that I can place complete faith in: the PPM program for distance runners, Reggie Miller in the last 30 seconds of a basketball game and Lawrence North 300 meter hurdlers. Lawrence Central has two hurdlers on the borderline of scoring, and a few unexpected points here could be huge.
Predictions
1. Ashley Spencer, Lawrence North
2. Skyler Carpenter, Westview
3. Whitney Freeman, Munster
4. Demetra Taylor, FW Northrop
5. Brittany Housel, Columbus East
6. Ariana Ware, Lawrence Central
7. Meghan Czarnecki, SB St. Joseph’s
8. Montayla Holder, Lawrence Central
9. Lacy Raef, Wapahani
Mike Slaubaugh
Skylar Carpenter, Westview
Steve Bain
Ashley Spencer, Lawrence North
Katie Cahillane
Skyler Carpenter, Westview
800
All signs point to defending champion Abby Farley of Park Tudor running away with this race once again. Farley holds the state’s best time by over two seconds, and her next closest competitor will be competing in the 100, 200 and 400 but not the 800. Terre Haute North freshman Tapring Goatee knows about flying under the radar, which she did before winning her individual state championship in cross country. It will take a mammoth effort to dethrone Farley, who comes from a family of state championships and may be looking to take a shot at the state meet record.
Predictions
1. Abby Farley, Park Tudor
2. Tapring Goatee, Terre Haute North
3. Taylor Wiley, Evansville Central
4. Meredith Jackson, Franklin Central
5. Shelby Higgenbottom, North Central (Farmersburg)
6. Bre’anna Smith, Westfield
7. Christine Kirby, Indianapolis Chatard
8. McKenzie Carney, Lawrence North
9. Kate DeSimone, FW Canterbury
Mike Slaubaugh
Abby Farley, Park Tudor
Steve Bain
Abby Farley, Park Tudor
Katie Cahillane
Abby Farley, Park Tudor
200
So many athletes hit the standard that the field has bloated from the usual 27 athletes to 31 this year. The top returner is Pike’s Lauren Ford, though she isn’t even seeded to advance to the finals. The best performance, using only automatic timing, is Northrop’s Whitney McDonald, who is also the only athlete to break 25 seconds FAT. Pike’s Morgan Yeadon had the best regional performance, but Avante Newsome-Gunn of South Bend Washington and Nikita Owens of Evansville Central, another returning medalist, are just .05 behind. With many athletes in multiple events and the 200 being so late in the meet, fresh legs could prevail in this race. Warren has three girls in this race so getting all three to the finals would do wonders to swinging the momentum late in the meet to the Warriors.
Predictions
1. Nikita Owens, Evansville Central
2. Morgan Yeadon, Pike
3. Katie Wise, Indian Creek
4. Logan Hayes, Warren Central
5. Avante Newsome-Gunn, SB Washington
6. Elise Hunter, FW Wayne
7. Lauren Ford, Pike
8. Shannon Parker, Warren Central
9. Chloe Brooks, Concord
Mike Slaubaugh
Morgan Yeadon, Pike
Steve Bain
Morgan Yeadon, Pike
Katie Cahillane
Morgan Yeadon, Pike
3200
Waverly Neer is the top returner and has finished second in this race the past two years. Fort Wayne Carroll’s Brianna Johnson looks primed for this race, though. Johnson will not run on the Chargers’ 4x800 relay and has been the only runner under 11 minutes. In fact, Carroll has a shot to go 1-2 as Johnson and teammate Kaylee McClanahan have the two best times this season. Neer, who ran 11:00 at the sectional, is certainly a threat as well. Seven girls have run between 11:00 and 11:02 this season.
Predictions
1. Brianna Johnson, FW Carroll
2. Dani Sullivan, Franklin Central
3. Kaylee McClanahan, FW Carroll
4. Waverly Neer, Culver
5. Maddie Webster, Brownsburg
6. Dana Payonk, Lake Central
7. Brooke Morgan, Hamilton Southeastern
8. Jasmine Al-Anzi, Franklin Central
9. Jessica Richardson, Columbus North
Mike Slaubaugh
Brianna Johnson, FW Carroll
Steve Bain
Waverly Neer, Culver
Katie Cahillane
Brianna Johnson, FW Carroll
4x400
If the meet is close heading into the final event, we could certainly see some fireworks. Warren Central, Lawrence Central and Lawrence North all have teams in the fast heat. Lawrence North, the defending champion, is the heavy favorite, having run 3:49 this year. Warren holds the number two time of 3:52, but that was run at the Flashes Showcase where all runners will be fresh. Most of the top mile relays will be using their athletes in their third, fourth or even sixth races, and that could certainly impact the event.
Predictions
1. Lawrence North
2. Indianapolis Chatard
3. Ben Davis
4. FW Northrop
5. Lawrence Central
6. Warren Central
7. Franklin Central
8. Pike
9. Fishers
Mike Slaubaugh
Lawrence North
Steve Bain
Lawrence North
Katie Cahillane
Lawrence North
TEAM RACE
This will certainly be a tight race, but my predictions give the following scores…
1. Lawrence Central 57
2. Lawrence North 51
3. Warren Central 48