Western boys sprint away from pack
By CHRIS GARNER
— RUSSIAVILLE — With just two seniors on the varsity roster, coach Dana Neer has to rely on someone not graduating in a month to fill leadership roles on the Western track and field team.
Junior Alex Sigler has become one of those leaders for the Panthers, both on and off the track.
Sigler won two individual medals and was second in the high jump at the 56th annual Howard County Boys Track and Field Meet here Wednesday to lead the Panthers to their sixth consecutive title.
Western topped the four-team field with 91 points, followed by runner-up Northwestern with 71, Eastern 49 and Taylor 29.
"Alex is our leader, there’s no doubt about it,” Neer said, "a vocal leader, a leader by example and he’s Mr. Track and Field. He could do eight or nine events.
"When he had mononucleosis early in the season we missed his leadership. When he came back we began to mature quickly, so we count on him heavily.”
Sigler scored victories in his specialty, the 400 meters (:53.2), and the 200 (:23.31), which he ran for the first time this season due to the mono.
"I just do what I love to do, and I love running and competing,” said Sigler, who is the defending sectional champion in the 400. "I love the 200. It’s just a great race.”
Sigler helped the Panthers dominate the sprints as teammates Kyle Gann and Kyle Brown finished first and second, respectively, in the 100 meters, Brown was second to Sigler in the 200, and Kyle Young placed third in the 400.
"Going 1-2 in the 100, 1-2 in the 200 and 1-3 in the 400 were big for us,” said Neer. "Kyle Young is a first-year runner who has really developed.”
Then there was the pole vault, where Western swept the top three spots, aided by meet rules that allow three athletes in the field events and the distance races.
Gann, a University of Louisville recruit, was tops with a meet-record vault of 15 feet, 3 inches. Dean Shepherd was second and Chris Harter third.
Those same rules allowed the Tigers to give Western a stiff challenge as Northwestern won the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 races and grabbed three of the top five spots in two of them.
Jeremy Robison won the 800, Chase Kaufman won the 1,600, and Kory Kennedy won the 3,200 for the Tigers, who also got wins from Cameron Bannon in the 300-meter hurdles, Brock Ford in discus, and the 3,200 and 1,600 relay teams.
In that 1,600 relay, anchor Josh Gallaway took the baton third but beat runners from Eastern and Western to the line.
"Winning the 4x4 there at the end was big,” said Northwestern coach Dave Stevens. "The distance guys showed their form [Wednesday]. We scored tons of points in all the distance events.
"A lot of other guys snuck up and got fourths and fifths and that was the secret to us having a very good day. ... We came out and competed with everybody and I couldn’t be happier with the boys.”
Comet senior Austin Roark eased past the long jump field with a leap of 19 feet, 11 1/4 inches. He was also third in both the 100 and 200 dash races. Teammates Ethan Flick won high jump and Kyle Land won shot put.
"[Roark] wasn’t hitting the board real well [Wednesday] and it didn’t feel comfortable to him, but it was enough to win,” Eastern coach Paul Nicholson said. "He’s a senior whose been out there beyond 21 feet before.”
Nicholson was happy with the 1,600 relay team that finished second. It features two freshmen, a sophomore and a junior.
"We’re young,” he said. "We’re going to lose [Roark], but we’re young. We really are.”
Taylor’s only win was the 400-meter relay, which clocked a :46.64. The Titans were hampered when Zsan Black pulled a hamstring while finishing second in the long jump.
"We aren’t very deep and we didn’t come in here thinking we were going to win,” said Taylor coach Steve Hanlon. "I can’t fault any of my kids’ efforts. We’re out here getting after it.”
Thursday, May 03, 2007