TRACK REGIONAL: Area girls seek state berths

Kokomo Tribune - Tuesday, May 26, 2009

To the victors go the spoils, and for the sectional-winning Kokomo girls track and field team, that means being well-represented at today’s Bremen Regional.

The Kats will send 12 athletes to the next round of the IHSAA state tournament, beginning at 6 p.m., but among that group of girls, only three have any regional experience.

That can be a huge factor if any of the Wildkat or other area runners, jumpers or throwers hope to be among the top three finishers in each event to earn an automatic berth in the state finals June 6.

“I think last year we kind of just got our eyes opened up,” said Western coach Marvin Boswell after his girls finished second to Kokomo at the Madison-Grant Sectional last Tuesday.

The Panthers, who won their only sectional title a year ago, will send 13 girls to Bremen. Eight of them were there in 2008, including seniors Cara Earlywine, Nikki McCracken and Jenn Elliott — all of whom will make their fourth regional appearance.

“Some of [our girls] are looking that they can go up there and be competitive, especially Cara and Nikki,” Boswell said. “Once you’ve been there a time or two, the experience factor will play into it.”

One girl who opened the eyes of others last year was Kokomo senior Ashley DeWitt, who in her first year of track and field went to Bremen and uncorked a school record toss of 43 feet, 3/4 of an inch to win shot put.

DeWitt has since shattered her own record, throwing an incredible 45 feet, 5 inches at Madison-Grant last week. She’s the top seed today by nearly seven feet.

“Ashley is just Ashley,” says Wildkats coach Dave Barnes. DeWitt is also seeded No. 3 in the discus. “She’s right there where she needs to be. We just want to keep her going and give her a legitimate shot at being a state champion. She’s working so hard.”

More surprising have been the performances of DeWitt’s teammates Kelly Hopkins and Clarissa Woodard, both first-time regional qualifiers.

Hopkins, a sophomore, is seeded No. 3 in shot put with a personal-best 38-0 3/4 last week, and Woodard, a junior, is No. 5 in discus, also with her personal-best 110 feet a week ago.

“Yeah, we knew [Hopkins] was good, but all of a sudden there’s a window there where we’ve got a shot at her going to state too,” Barnes said. “That would be great if it happened.

“Clarissa, who knows? That was the best throw of her life at sectional. She’s so determined, it could happen.”

Hopkins and Woodard are symbolic of the infusion of talent that has fueled the Wildkats this year. Annika Taber and Brielle Bonnafon are two others.

Taber, just a freshman, captured both the 1,600-meter run and the 800 meters at sectional. Because she’s been slowed by an injury this spring, Barnes will have Taber focus solely on the 800 at Bremen.

Bonnafon, a sophomore, wasn’t even on the team as a freshman but won the sectional with a long jump of 17 feet, 1 inch, which makes her the No. 4 seed today.

“We knew [Bonnafon] was a great athlete. We knew that,” said Barnes. “It was just getting the confidence, getting the techniques.

“Long jumping has so many intricacies, like getting the steps, but she was right there on the board [at sectional]. Long jump is one of those things that when it comes together, it comes together.”

Bonnafon also is the No. 5 seed in the 300-meter low hurdles, where teammate Whitney Weir is No. 8 and will run her third regional as a junior.

For Western, Earlywine is seeded No. 3 in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.85 seconds. She also runs legs of the 4x100 and 4x400 relays.

Last year, Earlywine tried to double in the regional 100 and 200, scratching the finals of the 100 and placing sixth in the 200. This year, she scratched the 200 after finishing second at sectional.

McCracken is one of three girls seeded No. 3 in pole vault with sectional heights of 10 feet, although McCracken has cleared 11 feet this year.

McCracken has finished sixth at regional both her sophomore and junior years, clearing 9-6 each time.

“I think they know [that] what [experience] they have going into [regional] will make them that much more competitive,” Boswell said. “We’re looking for the girls to come out and be a little bit more competitive this year and hopefully get good results.”

Northwestern senior Ashley Miller is the No. 7 seed in pole vault.

Eastern sophomore Zoe Wolfe is another athlete who chose to concentrate on just one event, the high jump, where she is the top seed with a state-standard height of 5 feet, 4 1/2 inches at sectional.

Wolfe, who finished fourth at Madison-Grant in the 300-meter low hurdles to earn a spot, scratched that race for the regional due to mid-season illness, which robbed her of valuable track time.

Wolfe placed sixth at Bremen in both events a year ago. Her best height this year is 5-6.

“She’s been really strong mentally, which is what it’s going to take [today],” Comets coach Michael Goodspeed said of Wolfe. “She’s just been good all year.”

• Also from the Madison-Grant Sectional, Cass junior Kassy Sprinkle is seeded No. 2 in the shot put between DeWitt and Hopkins. Peru sophomore Shyann Szabo is No. 3 in the 400-meter dash and Maconaquah freshman Kyrsten Gustafson is No. 8 in the 200.

• Competing at the West Lafayette Regional today, Tipton’s Sammi Hawkins was third in the 100-meter high hurdles at the Noblesville Sectional and teammate Lindsay Nichols was second in the 300 hurdles.

Tri-Central’s Kelly Walter was the Noblesville Sectional champ in high jump.

• Also competing at the West Lafayette Regional, Clinton Central’s Kelsey Neal was second at the Harrison Sectional in the 800-meter run, Amy Walker was fourth in the 400 and Hadley Orr was third in high jump. The Bulldogs’ 4x400 relay team was third.

Carroll’s Ashley Bordner was fourth at the Harrison Sectional in the 3,200.