IHSAA SECTIONAL RECAP!

SECTIONAL RECAP

The 32 sectional rounds were completed in non-ideal conditions, with many locations delaying until Wednesday for the girls. We round up important storylines with less than two weeks to go in this track season.

BREAKOUT DISTANCE RUNNER

Northridge junior Baylor Miller surprised many with his sixth-place finish in the state cross country meet, one that led his team to an equally unanticipated fourth-place finish ahead of traditional powerhouses Fishers, Columbus North and Carmel. His track season has extended that success, including a 1:51 performance in a loaded 800 field to finish second to prohibitive state meet favorite Caleb Winders. In the sectional last week, Miller’s 4:11 finished seven seconds ahead of perennial All-State contender Max Malloy of Elkhart and six seconds ahead of anyone in the field. A potential showdown against 1600 (and 3200) favorite Noah Bontrager of Westview at the regional could set the stage for a battle for the state championship the next week.

LONG-TIME STATE RECORD IN JEOPARDY?

Gary West’s 4x400 meter relay mark of 3:13.66 has stood the test of time, so much so that it could reach its 45th birthday this June. Both North Central and Chatard have their sights set on that mark, though, and the two have run the fastest performances in more than a decade. Sharing a tournament path, NC and Chatard will meet three times in just a little over two weeks. North Central took the first round with a 3:17 to beat Chatard by exactly a second. NC’s Denhm Holt (400) and Chatard’s Phoenix Boyer (300 hurdles) also had the top times in their respective events at the sectional round.

DEFENDING CHAMPIONS

No individual champions return from 2024 on the boys’ side, though there are four girls who won an event last spring competing in this year’s tournament. Heritage Christian senior Kya Crooke figures to be the most probable to defend her title in the high jump as she’s held the top mark in the United States at times both indoors and outdoors. Pendleton Heights senior Ava Jarrell figures to be in for a battle in the 3200, not just from cross country state champion Mallory Weller but from Jarrell’s freshman teammate Anya Zoeller who beat Jarrell in the 1600 and 3200 at the sectional round. Zoeller had the top time in the 1600 in the state in the sectional round, an event that Jarrell may elect to drop for the state finals to concentrate on the 3200. 

In the sprints, two returning state champions look capable of mounting a strong defense of their titles. Last year’s 200 champion De’Janay Layne of Evansville North had the top time in that event and was the only athlete under 25 seconds in the first round of the tournament. She figures to be challenged by Fort Wayne Carroll sophomore Nadia Ford and Carmel senior Emily Norris, among a host of others. In the 400, Zionsville senior Omema Anyanwu has a strong chance to win again, though she is behind Hamilton Southeastern sophomore Anissa Lammie in sectional performance as well as overall mark this spring. Anyanwu also had the sixth-best times in the 100 and 200 from the first round.

4X8 INTRIGUE

On the boys’ side, Bloomington North has won the past two years and enters the tournament a heavy favorite for the first three-peat in state history in this event. Juniors Caleb Winders and Caelan D’Onofrio give Cougars a formidable duo, though BN does not have quite the depth of previous years and could be counting on younger and less experienced runners to keep  Winders in the race. Noblesville with its trio of 800 stars could mount a serious challenge while looking to avenge a close loss to the Cougars at the state cross country championship in November. The Millers may elect to let four other athletes go for the podium while keeping sophomore star Banner Barnes fresh for an individual event. Columbus North and Westfield might have the depth to push Bloomington North as well, at least until the anchor leg. Concord holds the best time in the outdoor season (7:50) and Center Grove ran the fastest of any school in the sectional (7:56), though teams often cut massive chunks of time in the last two weeks against great competition. Carmel (7:53) and Warsaw (7:54) pushed Bloomington North and HSR Finals; both could be holding back until this week or even next to put together their four best and take another swing at the champs.

The girls’ race could produce a new state record, though team considerations could impact lineups in an event that starts the meet on the track. Bloomington South did set the indoor record when the Panthers beat Carmel in a race that went down to the wire. Like their cross-town counterparts, Bloomington South enjoys the undisputed best 800 runner in the state in Ellie Barada and also has a star number two in Lexi Kollbaum. It is possible that Bloomington South wins this race going away, though at least three other schools could mount a serious challenge. The question is if they will. Fort Wayne Concordia won this event last year, and though the Cadets graduated half of that relay, they return superstar Mallory Weller and add her sister Daphne who ran 2:11 in an open 800 earlier this season. Concordia has the mix of depth to stay with South as well as the only athlete in the state even close to Barada over 800 meters. Weller also has the state’s best times over 1600 and 3200 this season, which has to be taken into account. Carmel and Hamilton Southeastern both have relays capable of running under 9:00 but hold an imperative to maximize team points, a goal which could be hostile to going all in for the 4x8.

ANYONE’S GUESS FOR BOYS’ TEAM TITLE

Less than two weeks remain, but the circle of contenders for the boys team title is still very large. Avon is probably the best overall track team with its mix of sprints, jumps and throws but the track & field state championship isn’t about depth. The Orioles are hoping for a big day from senior sprinter Marcus Townsend as well as two scorers in the long jump and shot put. If Avon gets that, it will be hard for anyone to hang. 

Merrillville has potential for high points in several explosive events and, like Avon, could put two long jumpers onto the podium. Seniors Jaylen Ramsey and John Peters give the Pirates a strong chance to contend, but their individual track events are seeing all-time strong years. Senior Adam Camphor could be as high as third in the shot put but might also end off the podium in an event that could go a long way to determining the team champion.

Bloomington North won the HSR Finals in a close race over Avon, though the format of that indoor championship is dramatically different than the outdoor state meet. In addition to the aforementioned distance stars, the emergence of two possible All-State hurdlers keeps the Cougars in title contention. A championship team getting more than half of its points from the four distance events is an uphill battle; Carmel got 36 of its 50 from distance in 2023, but ultimately finished five points behind champion Brownsburg. 

Lawrence North is another serious contender, though it isn’t apparent just looking at sectional results after the Wildcats sprinters ran just hard enough to advance. Senior Damario Moore is a contender in two individual events, sophomore Monshun Sales is in the mix in the 200 and the ‘Cats have one of the best 4x100 relays of all-time (currently number two ever). Emerging distance runner Conrad Schumacher could grab points in the 1600 to put LN over the top.

North Central has emerged late in the season and set its lineup in the sectional to mirror what the Panthers plan to run at the state meet. If the winning total is closer to forty rather than fifty points, then NC could be in the mix behind star sprinters Denhm Holt and Antonio Smith.

Warsaw and Franklin Central still hold dwindling hopes. Hamilton Southeastern had some casualties in by far the state's most competitive sectional and probably doesn't have the state meet points needed to finish in the top two.

CARMEL AND HSE STILL CIRCLING EACH OTHER FOR GIRLS’ CHAMPIONSHIP

Carmel has been the favorite all season and flexed its muscle at the HSR Finals with 86 points, easily outdistancing rival Hamilton Southeastern who finished second with 52. The Greyhounds sure would like for relays to count double outdoors as well as Carmel is a contender in all three. The 'Hounds also dominated its sectional, beating HSE by 33 points. What seemed a foregone conclusion in March is now a lot closer to 50/50. Southeastern is nearly Carmel’s equal in the relays and while Carmel has a trio of star distance runners, HSE can offset a lot of those points with seniors Elizabeth Butler and Ciara Kepner back from podium finishes last season. The regional could shape each team’s chances heading into the ultimate showdown on June 7. With team scores projecting so close for state, a dream meet that comes down to the 4x4 is in play.

If both teams really stumble down the stretch in the last two meets, Fort Wayne Carroll could be in a position to pick up the pieces. The Chargers could get to forty points on a great day, though based on sectional performances it looks like most of Carroll’s potential scorers did just enough to advance to the next round.