Kokomo Tribune - Thursday, May 22 2008

The venue might look familiar but the mood will definitely not be the same when area athletes return to Kokomo High School’s Walter Cross Field today for the IHSAA Boys Track and Field Regional.

No longer competing at the all-in sectional level, regional competition includes only the top 16 runners, jumpers and throwers in a region — from Russiaville to Middlebury, and from Summitville to Walkerton — all vying for just the top three spots in each event, those guaranteed a berth in the state finals next week at Indiana University.

Field events, the 4x800 relay and running trials begin at 6 p.m., with running finals set for 7:15.

“Oh, it’s another world,” says Eastern coach Paul Nicholson, who will have seven Comets compete, including two of the top six pole vaulters.

“The atmosphere, when you walk into that place, it’s so different. Kids are not giggling and laughing like [sectional]. Those people are [at regional] because they intend to get to Bloomington.”

Senior Cody Swisher and sophomore Kevin Jackson carry some of the best hopes of anyone from the area wishing to advance. At 14 feet in winning the Kokomo Sectional, Swisher is seeded fourth while Jackson is fifth at 13-6.

“The two vaulters will have to vault well,” Nicholson said. “They’ve got to bring their ‘A’ game or it won’t happen. But they have that ‘A’ game and I just hope they have it with them when they come.”

Swisher and Jackson are not new to this level. They both were regional qualifiers in 2007 and this spring both placed in the top eight for classes 1A-3A at the Hoosier State Relays indoor meet at IU.

The winner that day was NorthWood’s James Reynolds, who shares the No. 1 seed today with Peter Roach of Elkhart Memorial at 15 feet.

Swisher and Jackson have been teammates for two seasons, with each being an invaluable aide and inspiration to the other.

“They are all about helping each other be the best they can be,” said Nicholson. “In fact, Jackson corrected the standards to help Cody clear the winning height [last week]. They’ve been like brothers for three or four months now, but when they get up on the pole they are on their own.”

After those two comes Northwestern junior Brock Ford in discus, another regional returnee who is seeded sixth. He placed eighth a year ago.

Peru’s Aaron Garretson is No. 7 in the 800 meters and No. 8 in the 1,600. Teammate Jairus Burt is No. 5 in high jump while the Kokomo 4x800 relay team of Matt Wyss, Brandon Sheline, Devin White and Ian Holtson is No. 8.

Even Western, the runaway winner of the Kokomo Sectional, has just three No. 8 seeds. They are Jerel Hall, a four-time winner last week, in the 100; senior Patrick Lennon in the 110-meter high hurdles and the 4x100 relay team of Ryan Elmore, Indy Mathew, Lennon and Hall.

First-year Panthers coach Marvin Boswell wants this meet to be the springboard for future Western teams, which will be better equipped to excel at the regional and state levels.

“It’s going to come down to us doing some different things in the offseason strength-wise as well as some training techniques,” said Boswell, who took 14 girls to the Bremen Regional on Tuesday but failed to get any out.

“Just knowing where we have to be will help me put some things in perspective for the offseason,” he said. “It’s also going to help us make some changes in our schedule so that we will see some better competition. That will be a big factor in us being able to compete at this level.”

Boswell hasn’t given up hope someone like Lennon or classmates Alex Sigler or Kyle Young can come up with lightning in a bottle this evening.

“I’m hoping those guys can raise their level up and find that competitive spirit and find a way to win,” Boswell said.

Whether the season ends tonight or next week, this should be the last week Boswell is in charge of both teams. Girls coach Heather Yentes is expected back next season after a one-year hiatus.

“She is planning to come back,” said Boswell. The last local coach who pulled double duty was Northwestern’s Pete Schroer in 2006.

“I’m sure I’ll still be working with [the girls], but when she comes back to take over next year, she’s going to have a wonderful team to build on and she’ll do an excellent job.”