
Senior staff writer
Eight Southside high schools will be represented in the girls and boys track and field state championships Friday and Saturday at Indiana University Bloomington.
The girls and boys meets will be held Friday and Saturday, respectively, with field events at 3 p.m. and running events at 4:15 p.m. each day.
Center Grove won the team championship at the Franklin Regional last week with five individual winners, including defending state discus champion Cameron Tidd, who had a toss of 172 feet, 9 inches. Teammates Nathan Fill (800 meters), Jackson Hohlt (300 hurdles), Josh Hall (pole vault), Christian Goins (high jump) and the 1,600 relay squad, which featured Logan Bontrager, Tyler Boyer, Zak Smith and Hohlt, also claimed first-place honors.
The Trojans dominated with 112 points; Franklin Central was second with 61.
Franklin Central senior Andrew DeRidder won the 100-meter dash in 11.12 seconds and 200 in 21.96 seconds. The Flashes’ 400 relay team edged Center Grove.
Girls regionals
Franklin Central senior Brooke Talhelm won the 800-meter run at the Ben Davis Regional in 2:15.38, finishing nearly three seconds ahead of her closest competitor. Talhelm also was on the winning 3,200 relay with junior Kayla Hoover and freshmen Jada Reedus and Shayla Traas. Janea Bell won the high jump for the Flashes, which finished second to Warren Central.
Perry Meridian junior Alexis Hill won the shot put with a heave of 41 feet, 10.5 inches., and sophomore teammate Sadie Hill captured the discus by 9 inches with a throw of 132 feet.
State qualifiers (* indicates regional champion)
Boys
Beech Grove: Vilis Vuskalns, pole vault.
Center Grove: Grant Mason, 200; Nathan Fill, 800*; JT Hodges, 3,200; Jackson Hohlt, 300 hurdles*; 400 relay (Titus McCoy, Zak Smith, Mason, Russ Yeast); 1,600 relay* (Logan Bontrager, Tyler Boyer, Smith, Hohlt); 3,200 relay (Christopher Jones, Zane Libke, Fill, Reed Sauter); Christian Goins, high hump*; Josh Hall, pole vault*; Cameron Tidd, discus*.
Franklin Central: Andrew DeRidder, 100*, 200*; Raekwon Wilkins, 110 hurdles; 400 relay* (DeRidder, Kain Idele, Travon Padgett, Robert Ritter); Blake Settles, high jump.
Greenwood: Ethan Pine, 1,600.
Perry Meridian: John Liam Tansy, 1,600; Dean Fraker, discus.
Roncalli: Gabe Otley, 400; Justin Saylor, long jump.
Southport: Andrew Mappes, 200.
Girls
Beech Grove: Cameron Cardenas, 400.
Center Grove: Valerie Clark, 1,600; Haley Goins, 100 hurdles.
Franklin Central: Brooke Talhelm, 800*; 1,600 relay (Madison Day, Kaylor Hoover, Jada Reedus, Talhelm); 3,200 relay* (Reedus, Talhelm, Shayla Traas, Hoover); Janea Bell, high jump*.
Greenwood: Hanna Anderson, 200; 400 relay (Anderson, Victoria Harper, McKenzie McClarney, Jae Taft); Olivia Weston, high jump.
Greenwood Christian: Alexandra Dalton, 3,200.
Perry Meridian: Alexis Hill, SP*; Sadie Hill, discus*; Heather Orr, high jump.
Roncalli: Paige Saylor, long jump; Katie Carson, shot put.
Southport: Erin Sullivan, 800, 1,600, 3,200 relay * (Kayla Sharpe, Heather Blankenbaker, Delaney Bucker, Sullivan).