
Senior staff writer
Ask Greenwood distance runner Alexandra Dalton what makes her run and she replies readily with two words.
“My faith.”
Dalton, who prefers her full first name rather than nicknames, is humbled by her success as one of the nation’s more prominent schoolgirl distance runners.
“I am blessed; God gave me a gift to glorify him,” said Dalton, who comes from a family of runners.
She won the 800-meter run (5 minutes, 17.01 seconds) and 3,200 run (11:34.05) handily and ran on the record-setting 4-by-800 relay (9:37.03) with Kayla Rance, Madison Renfro and Taylor Neely in the Mid-State track and field championships May 5 at Franklin Community High School.
Greenwood’s 4-by-400 relay lowered the conference record by nearly five seconds (4:04.82) with Hanna Anderson, Rance, Renfro and Neely.
Dalton’s oldest brother, David, won the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 races in last year’s Mid-State championships. He runs for Purdue. The Daltons’ parents and younger sister also run.
“Running is hard; there’s nothing easy about it,” Alexandra said. “When I don’t do well I get stressed, but I try not to get too down. I set some really high goals, and when I don’t reach them I get upset.”
She began running competitively in the fourth grade and was allowed to run in selected middle school cross-country meets.
Greenwood’s girls team finished second to Mid-State champion Plainfield 161-129. The Woodmen won four races and swept the three relays but could not match the Quakers’ depth.
Anderson, a freshman, captured the 100 (12.87) and 200 (26.52) dashes.
Greenwood senior Joe Sheryak was a double winner in the 100 (15.78) and 200 (40.84).
The team scores:
Girls – Plainfield 161, Greenwood 129, Franklin 94, Mooresville 88, Whiteland 58, Decatur Central 44.50, Martinsville 40.50.
Boys – Whiteland 174, Franklin 144, Plainfield 98, Greenwood 69.50, Martinsville 65.50, Mooresville 34, Decatur Central 23.