2021 BOYS STATE TRACK & FIELD STATE MEET PREVIEW
100 Meter Dash
Top 5 Predictions:
1. Connor Czajkowski, 11, Harrison (WL) 2. Kameron Gethers, 10, Lake Central 3. Esau Haynes, 12, Michigan City
4. Jasiah Rogers, 10, Park Tudor
5. Hayden Nelsen, 10, Mississinewa
Czajkowski has been the most consistent top performer in the state this year, and he’s tied for the second seed based on regional performance. In an event typically dominated by older athletes, three of the seven best performance in this event so far this season have come from sophomores, which makes this year’s field very interesting.
200 Meter Dash
Top 5 Predictions:
1. Connor Czajkowski, 11, Harrison (WL) 2. Thomas Hogan, 12, Lafayette Jeff
3. Zaimar Burnett, 12, Marion
4. Layman Fly, 12, Michigan City
5. Kameron Gethers, 10, Lake Central
Czajkowski is clearly the class of the field here, much more so than in the 100. Michigan City has two great sprinters that flip between the events with Fly better in the 200 and Haynes’ specialty the 100. There is surprisingly little cross over between the top of the fields here other than Czajowski and Gethers.
400 Meter Dash
Top 5 Predictions:
1. Keefer Soehngen, 11, Fishers
2. Owen Schafer, 12, Carmel
3. Nayir Newash-Campbell, 10, Plainfield
4. Darrius Sanders, 12, FW Northrop
5. Trent Jones, 11, Southmont
Soehngen has been the top runner in the state all season in this event, but he was defeated by Schafer at the regional last week in a race that produced the state’s top four times this season. Schafer will have the advantage of being fresh without 4x8 duty for his team, a luxury that Soehngen does not enjoy. This is also an event with a surprising number of younger athletes among the top: only four of the top ten seeds are seniors this year.
800 Meter Run
Top 5 Predictions:
1. Jaylen Castillo, 12, Fishers 2. Andrew Anderson, 12, Noblesville 3. Brett Otterbacher, 12, Valparaiso 4. Reese Kilbarger-Stumpff, 11, Columbus North 5. Justin Healey, 12, Franklin Central
This is a tough event to call with some athletes doubling back from previous races. Kilbarger-Stumpff has Indiana’s top performance, a high 1:52 from a dual meet in mid-April. Castillo won this race at the state’s most competitive regional, a race where the top four seeds competed last week. Anderson has perhaps the most experience of anyone in the field in the open 800 and beat Castillo in the Hamilton County meet a week before the tournament began. Otterbacher, who has an All-State performance over 400 meters in his past, is an interesting darkhorse.
1600 Meter Run
Top 5 Predictions:
1. Reese Kilbarger-Stumpff, 11, Columbus North 2. Lucas Guerra, 12, Highland 3. Camden Marshall, 12, Corydon Central 4. Cole Raymond, 11, LaPorte 5. Ezra Burrell, 10, Brebeuf
This might be the most interesting race of the night. Guerra held off a fast-charing Kilbarger-Stumpff in the annual showdown of top distance runners at the Flashes Showcase in mid-April. Both have been successful since, though Kilbarger-Stumpff has been pushed harder through his tournament path. Marshall had an interesting decision to make as he’s equally competitive over 3200 meters, but he’s going to give it a go here and could factor into the title chase. The top four seem separated from the rest here, and in a race with 27 top distance runners, chaos could reign supreme further down the field.
3200 Meter Run
Top 5 Predictions:
1. Izaiah Steury, 11, Angola 2. Will Jefferson, 12, Whiteland 3. Kole Mathison, 10, Carmel 4. Lucas Guerra, 12, Highland 5. Travis Hickner, 12, Noblesville
This is another re-run of an April race, the famed 8 laps in 9 minutes at the Carmel Showcase in which Steury outleaned Mathison in 8:55 with Jefferson just a second back, all of which were top 15 all-time performances. Steury and Jefferson both scratched the 1600, signaling their intention to focus on this race. Mathison, a star on the state’s top team, will be coming back from 4x8 duty.
110 Meter Hurdles
Top 5 Predictions:
1. Zach Cox, 12, Carmel 2. Paul Goins, 12, Lawrence Central 3. John Colquitt, 11, Brownsburg 4. Luigi Rivas, 12, Leo 5. Garrett Sauter, 12, Angola
Goins has the best time this season, Colquitt had the best regional performance and Cox has been the most consistent performer including beating Goins at the MIC meet in late April. This is a real toss-up between the three of these athletes.
300 Meter Hurdles
Top 5 Predictions:
1. John Colquitt, 11, Brownsburg 2. Zach Cox, 12, Carmel 3. Colton Parker, 12, Carmel 4. Braden Bixler, 12, South Adams 5. Luigi Rivas, 12, Leo
Colquitt and Cox both posted top 25 all-time performances last week at the regional, running each other to the line. They are clearly the class of the field here. Carmel could use this event to cement their state title run with two top individuals in this event.
4x100 Meter Relay
Top 5 Predictions:
1. Carmel 2. Merrillville 3. Center Grove 4. Warren Central 5. Lafayette Jeff
Carmel is the only team under 42 seconds this season, though Merrillville, Center Grove and Warren have been close. While Carmel figures to be the team to beat here, it is worth noting that Center Grove beat the Greyhounds at the MIC several weeks ago.
4x400 Meter Relay
Top 5 Predictions:
1. Carmel 2. Bloomington North 3. Lake Central 4. Fishers 5. Center Grove
This has been a down year for the 4x4, though Carmel has been consistently great all season. Bloomington North is within fractions of a second from Carmel based on regional performance, and many of Carmel’s runners will be on their third race of the evening. A potential sub-48 split from Keefer Soehngen should keep Fishers competitive in the last event of the night.
4x800 Meter Relay
Top 5 Predictions:
1. Fishers 2. Carmel 3. Westfield 4. FW Concordia 5. Harrison (WL)
Keefer Soehngen and Kole Mathison duked it out on the anchor leg at the Lafayette Regional, and we expect a repeat of that performance here with Westfield also in the mix. Those three are clearly the top three relays. With Soehngen and Castillo, Fishers could potentially approach the state meet record if they can get a good race from Carmel.
High Jump
Top 5 Predictions:
1. Kamyren Garrett, 12, Lawrence Central 2. Brion Stephens, 11, Warren Central 3. Eli Crouch, 11, Roncalli 4. Bode Gilkerson, 10, Plainfield 5. Christian Collins, 12, Danville
Garrett is one of the top high jumpers in the country and should win easily here, though Stephens has cleared seven feet this season. With many young athletes at the top of the field, this should be a very competitive in the future.
Long Jump
Top 5 Predictions:
1. Stephen Sydnor, 11, Hamilton Southeastern 2. Devin Mockobee, 12, Boonville 3. Ja’raylan Johnson, 11, New Albany 4. John Colquitt, 11, Brownsburg 5. Piere Hill, 11, Portage
The most difficult event to predict, many of the state’s top performers this season won’t be competing in this event. We deem Sydnor as having the most potential to pop off a great jump, but this is a wide open field.
Pole Vault
Top 5 Predictions:
1. Will Staggs, 12, South Knox 2. Riley Johnston, 12, Hobart 3. Cody Johnston, 10, Hobart 4. Grant Gogel, 12, Heritage Hills 5. Cade Priddy, 12, Zionsville
Staggs has been the best vaulter this season, but Riley Johnson could push him here and end the season as the state champion. Cody Johnston is clearly the future of this event that has been dominated by seniors this season.
Shot Put
Top 5 Predictions:
1. Tucker Smith, 11, Columbus North 2. Leo Maxwell, 11, East Central 3. Bram Arnett, 12, Morgan Township 4. David Lara-Gonzalez, 11, Ben Davis 5. Jasiah Green, 12, North Central (Indy)
Smith is the top shot putter in the United States, and his best toss this year is more than nine full feet ahead of the next closest competitor. Arnett and Maxwell are the other two competitors whose best throws have eclipsed 60 feet. There are quite a few juniors in the field this season.
Discus
Top 5 Predictions:
1. Leo Maxwell, 11, East Central 2. Bennett Decoursey, 12, Zionsville 3. Keon Perkins-Sullivan, 12, Warren Central 4. Cristian Rios, 12, Highland 5. Mason Murphy, 12, Bellmont
This isn’t nearly as clear cut as the shot put with a handful of athletes capable of winning this event. Maxwell has the best throw of the year, Perkins-Sullivan had the top regional performance and Decoursey may have been the most consistent through the season.
Team Competition
Top 5 Predictions:
1. Carmel 2. Fishers 3. Warren Central 4. Harrison (WL) 5. Brownsburg
Carmel is just too good and too deep for anyone to keep up this year, especially after Brownsburg suffered some losses along the tournament. The ‘Hounds have three contending relays and ten individual competitors, including two qualifiers in four different events (300 hurdles, 400, 1600, 3200). The race here is for second with Brownsburg still in a good position along with Fishers and Warren Central. Even though only competing in five events, Harrison has a lot of big-point potential to get up to 30 total.