Kokomo Tribune - Sunday, May 03, 2009

As Marvin Boswell watched the events of the 85th Kokomo Relays unfold at Walter Cross Field Saturday, the Western boys track and field coach — who also had to keep an eye on his girls team — almost forgot about his ace in the hole.

The Panther boys were locked in a tight team battle that saw no fewer than five teams bunched within 15 points of the top of the heap after 11 events. Not to worry, though, as the pole vault results were yet to be tabulated.

With Western’s Dean Shepherd and Chris Harter the only two vaulters over 13 feet, 6 inches (Shepherd won on faults), the Panthers sprinted to the 2009 title with 108 points, 20 better than runner-up Crown Point (88). Defending champion Marion (83) was third, followed by the host Wildkats (76.5), Northwestern (76), Richmond (55.5), Maconaquah (32) and Peru (20).

“I kept looking at [the score] and thinking, ‘Oh, we’re behind by five, we’re behind by four, we’re behind by six,’” said Boswell, “and then all of a sudden it was like, we’ve got 18 points over here. That and the high jump was a pleasant surprise.”

Aaron Van Auken won the high jump for the Panthers with a leap of 6 feet and John Capps was fourth. With Indy Mathew second in long jump and Bart Shepherd third in discus, Western scored 51 points in the field events to offset only one victory on the track.

The Giants won four races, including the medley relay, the sprint medley relay and the middle distance relay, but had only nine points in the field. Marion’s Devin Randle ran a leg of all three winning relays and was named the Walter Cross Award recipient by the Kokomo Tribune.

Van Auken, in addition to winning high jump, was third in the 110-meter high hurdles (with Mathew fourth) and teamed with Trent Lawlyes, Harter and Mathew to capture the shuttle hurdles relay in 1:06.75. Austin Young was second in the 3,200 meters.

“Aaron Van Auken winning the high jump, John Capps coming in fourth, that was huge for us to get 15 points out of that and 18 out of the pole vault,” Boswell said. “We knew we had a shot at [the team championship] and I just hoped that we had enough depth to prevail and we did. I was real proud of all the kids.”

Kokomo, which got wins from Cliff Burns (49 feet, 1/2 inch) in shot put and John Alsup (20-5 1/4) in long jump, would have fared better if not for a disqualification in the shuttle hurdles.

“The kids are disappointed and they’re pouting too much about it, but it’s just part of life and we’ve got to go on,” Kats coach Tom Byrnes said. “If we did what we’re supposed to do [in the shuttle hurdles], we’re ahead of Marion, and the last time I saw the state polls Richmond was 16th and Marion was 25th.

“We’re still on the young side, but we feel like we have something to show when it comes conference and sectional time.”

Kokomo’s Robert Lancaster was second in the 110 high hurdles and Alsup was seventh in the 100-meter dash. David Sirmons was second in discus and Jerell Johnson finished third in shot put.

Brock Ford led the Purple Tigers by winning the discus (142-6 1/2) and finishing second in the shot (48-11). Kory Kennedy won the 3,200-meter run in 9:59.84. Austin Finley was third in the high jump while Sam Freeman and Jeremy Robison finished 3-4 in the 1,000-yard run.

Peru’s Aaron Garretson easily won the 1,000 in 2:20.25.

RELAYS: Kats, Panthers finish 2-3 in girls meet

Warsaw won its fourth straight girls title and Ashley DeWitt became the first Wildkat female athlete since Lashonda Davis in 2003 to win the Walter Cross Award during Saturday’s 85th Kokomo Relays at Cross Field.

The Tigers surged late ahead of the field with a 1-2 finish by Cendall Ogle and Brooke Kline in the 1,000-yard run and a record-breaking run by Erica Ridderman in the 3,200 meters before sealing the victory with another meet record in the final event, the sprint medley relay.

Warsaw won with 128 points as Kokomo (102.5) edged Western (101) for second place. Marion and Northwestern tied for fourth with 67, followed by Richmond (33) and Peru (32.5).

DeWitt, a senior who only last season began competing for the Kats, threw a new meet record 39 feet, 2 inches to win the shot put and added a winning throw of 104-5 in the discus. She became only the fourth Kokomo girl to be feted with the award.

“All I want to try to do is get better,” said DeWitt, who burst onto the state scene with her put of 43 feet, 3/4 of an inch at the Bremen Regional a year ago. She made the finals at the state meet but failed to place.

“I want to win state and go on to college with it. “[I’m still working on] my speed, getting my speed down, and the technique. I just need to keep working and lifting weights.”

As pleased and happy as he was the Kats got past the Panthers, the defending Madison-Grant Sectional champions, Kokomo coach Dave Barnes said in no way should it have a bearing on this year’s sectional.

“We’re good in a meet like this where we have relays and boys [events] to rest, but when you get to sectional, I don’t know if we have the depth to do what you have to do,” said Barnes. “I was pleased with how the girls competed and that’s what it’s all about for us [Saturday].

“This is our showcase and we want to put on a good show for our fans, but we really wanted to get ready for the competition because we have conference and sectional coming up. It’s important to see them compete, and I think our girls did that [Saturday].”

Kokomo’s only other win came in the middle distance relay as Maddie Cassidy, Annika Taber, Whitney Weir and Kellie Miles won in 7:11.64. Taber had an outstanding leg, running second for 800 meters and handing a sizable lead to Weir.

Western’s Nikki McCracken gave DeWitt a run for the Cross Award. She snapped her own Kokomo Relays record by two feet, clearing 11 feet in pole vault, and in the process broke her own all-time best Kokomo Tribune-area high mark.

McCracken added second-place finishes in the 100 hurdles behind Peru’s Tiffany Raber and the shuttle hurdle relay.

“Nikki had an outstanding meet,” Panthers coach Marvin Boswell said. “It was so close there in the hurdles and then she came back in the hurdles relay. I’m just so proud of her.”

Cara Earlywine captured the 100-meter dash for the Panthers while Caily Tanner finished third in shot put and fourth in discus.

Like the Kokomo boys, the Western girls were disqualified in the 4x100 relay, helping the Lady Kats finish second.

The Purple Tigers, competing for the first time in the Kokomo Relays, finished 1-2 in high jump. Kylie Ballard and Stephanie Colter both cleared 5-1, with Ballard winning on faults. Ashley Miller was second in pole vault.

“Our first experience here was good,” NW coach Mary Clem said. “I think the girls enjoyed the competition and it was a beautiful day to get out and run.

“The girls had some [personal bests], which always makes me happy, and they know what they have to do to keep going. I was very pleased to be tied with Marion.”