Trojans win sectional track championship
Senior staff writer
No. 7 Center Grove’s boys track team won its fourth straight sectional track championship and 13th overall May 19 at Columbus North.
The Trojans won eight events and two relays. Sprinter Grant Mason captured the 100- and 200-meter races and was on the winning 400-meter relay. Center Grove dominated the meet, winning by nearly 90 points over runner-up Franklin.
Franklin Central was second at Whiteland to the host Warriors 127-121.5. The Flashes won six events, including Andrew DeRidder’s triumphs in the 100 and 200 dashes.
Perry Meridian was third at Ben Davis.
Qualifiers from Southside high schools from Columbus North and Whiteland compete in the Franklin Regional, and qualifiers from Ben Davis compete at North Central. Field events start at 5 p.m. Thursday.
In the girls sectionals, Franklin Central’s Brooke Talhelm set an 800-meter record of 2 minutes, 16.09 seconds, breaking the 2012 record held by FC’s Meredith Jackson. The Flashes finished second to sectional host Warren Central 192-123.5.
The depth of Center Grove’s girls team paid off in the Franklin Sectional, where the Trojans defeated Franklin 142-106. Greenwood was third with 91.5 points.
The Trojans won only two events; Greenwood won four.
At Decatur Central, Perry Merdian and Southport were third and fourth, respectively. The Falcons won four individual titles and qualified all three relay teams for the regional. Southport’s Erin Sullivan won the 800- and 1,600-meter runs.
Girls regionals were held Tuesday with Southside qualifiers competing at Ben Davis and Warren Central.
Regional qualifiers
Boys (*indicates sectional champion)
Beech Grove – Walter Ballinger, 200; Vilis Vuskalns, pole vault.
Center Grove – Grant Mason, 100*, 200*; Russ Yeast, 200, long jump; Zak Smith, 400*; Logan Bontrager, 400; Nathan Fill, 800*; Reed Sauter, 800; J.T. Hodges, 1,600, 3200*; Christian Goines, 110 hurdles, high jump; Jackson Hohlt, 300 hurdles*; 400 relay *(Titus McCoy, Smith, Mason, Yeast); 1,600 relay (Logan Bontrager, Tyler Boyer, Smith, Hohlt); 3,200 (Christopher Jones, Zane Libke, Noah Rhoten, Reed Sauter); Josh Hall, pole vault*; Cameron Tidd, discus*.
Franklin Central – Andrew DeRidder, 100*, 200*; Michael Parrish, 1,600; Robby Lawson, 3,200*; Raekwon Wilkins, 110 and 300 hurdles; Malachi Quarles, 300 hurdles*; 400 relay*; Blake Settles, high jump*; Kendall Kendrick, discus.
Greenwood – Ethan Pine, 1,600*; Hunter Smith, 3,200; 3,200 relay* (Lucas Oskins, Smith, Conner Terhune, Pine).
Lutheran – Jake Watkins, high jump.
Perry Meridian – Christian Buchanan, 110 hurdles, long jump; John Liam Tansy, 1,600; Dean Fraker and Charles Bowman, shot put.
Roncalli – Justin Saylor, long jump*; 1,600 and 3,200 relays.
Southport – Charlie Stroub, 300 hurdles; Michael Crook, 3200; Kyle Raisor, pole vault.
Girls
Center Grove – Olivia Rassel, 100, 200; Julia Riley, 100, long jump; Ashley Wheat, 200; Taylor Hickey, 800*; Valerie Clark, 1,600; Haley Goines, 100 hurdles, high jump; 400 relay (Goines, Rassel, Riley, Wheat); 1,600 relay (Kyle Falcone, Riley, Brooke Wellington, Wheat); 3,200 relay* (Rachel Chan, Taylor Hickey, Alexa Kovacs, Morgan Wright); Kylie Falcone, pole vault; Alysha Cheek, shot put.
Franklin Central – Adrienne Jackson, 200; Brooke Talhelm, 800*(record); Jada Reedus, 800; Kathryn Matthies, 1,600; Geneva Baumberger, 1,600; Emily Welch and Jennifer Comastri, 3,200; Chessa Mitchell, 300 hurdles; 400 relay (Emma Coney, Jackson, Emily Walker, Lydia Waters); 1,600 relay (Madison Day, Kaylor Hoover, Jackson, Grace Miller); 3,200 relay* (Miller, Reedus, Talhelm, Shayla Traas); Janea Bell, high jump*.
Greenwood – Hanna Anderson, 100, 200; McKenzie McClarney, 200*; Taylor Neely, 400*; Victoria Harper, 100 hurdle*; 400 relay* (Anderson, Harper, McClarney, Jae Taft); 1,600 relay (Anderson, McClarney, Neely, Maddy Renfro); 3,200 relay (Victoria Byrne, Neely, Renfro, Krista Robinson); Allyson Montgomery, shot put.
Greenwood Christian – Alexandra Dalton, 3,200.
Perry Meridian – Bailey Webber, 300 hurdles*;400 relay (Tyunna Gayden, Terrancia Gayden, Gabrielle Person, Iyanla Hunter); Hather Orr, high jump; Kaitlynn Kunkel, pole vault*; Melody Johnson, long jump; Alexis Hill, shot put, discus; Daiva Wilson, shot put; Sadie Hill, discus*; 1,600 relay (Johnson, Webber, Ty Gayden, Iyanla Hunter); 3,200 relay (Johnson, Sarah Jones, Madeline Michael, Kayla O’Brien).
Roncalli – Marisa Bryans, high jump; Annie Richardson, pole vault; Paige Saylor, long jump*; Katie Carson, shot put*.
Southport – Erin Sullivan, 800*, 1,600*; Delaney Bucker, 3,200; 3,200 relay (Ola Awosanya, Heather Blankenbaker, Bucker, Katie Cox).