Kokomo Tribune - Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Who says coaching the hottest girls track and field team around is easy?

Just ask Eastern mentor Michael Goodspeed, whose Comets haven’t been beaten since March and recently captured their first Howard County and Mid-Indiana Conference titles in school history.

With another first-ever milestone on the horizon today, when all five county squads along with Lewis Cass, Logansport, Maconaquah, Oak Hill, Peru and Pioneer travel to the Madison-Grant Sectional, the anticipation is starting to get to Goodspeed.

“I’ve been losing sleep,” he said, “so I’m ready to get it over with.”

Assuming rain doesn’t tamper with the schedule, Goodspeed won’t have much longer to wait. Trials and field events begin at 5 p.m. The pole vault competition was to have taken place Monday at Kokomo High School, weather permitting.

Standing in Eastern’s way is perennial champion Kokomo, winners of 14 of the past 16 sectionals.

CROWDED PACK: Eastern freshman Bethany Neeley, left to right, Lewis Cass junior Ashley Baber, Western junior Corianne Myer and Eastern freshman Sarah Wagner compete in the 1,600-meter run during the Mid-Indiana Conference meet last week. Next up for the local athletes and teams is tonight’s Madison-Grant Sectional.

Longtime coach Dave Barnes’ Wildkats claimed their third straight runner-up finish to Huntington North May 7 at the North Central Conference meet without the services of junior Brielle Bonnafon, who’s seeded No. 1 in long jump if she’s able to go.

“We were afraid it was the ACL,” Barnes said of Bonnafon’s injured knee. She hasn’t competed since jumping 17 feet, 6 inches earlier in May. Barnes has opted to pull Bonnafon from the 300 hurdles in favor of the 200-meter dash, where she’s seeded first.

“She would have been the No. 1 seed in the 300 hurdles but the doctor said if she had a misstep, that would be really hard on that knee. So I’m not going to [risk] that.”

Goodspeed has made yet another lineup change with his superstars, freshman twins Bethany and Brittany Neeley.

Perhaps taking a page from Barnes in last year’s sectional, Goodspeed will take both Neeleys out of the 4x800 relay in order to have both in three individual events.

Bethany Neeley is seeded second in the 100 hurdles and the 1,600 as well as first in the 800 but she won’t long jump. That falls on Brittany, who is a 16-foot long jumper in her own right.

Brittany Neeley is seeded No. 1 in the 400 and No. 2 in the 200. Both Neeleys will run the climactic 4x400 relay.

Junior Zoe Wolfe also figures prominently as the No. 1 seed in the 300 hurdles and co-No. 1 with Cass’ Emily Beckley in high jump. Wolfe also runs a leg of the top-seeded 4x400 team.

Goodspeed says it’s a tug-of-war between going for the team title and putting individuals in position to vie for a top-four finish, which qualifies for the Bremen Regional in one week.

“We’re trying to balance those two goals,” he said. “It would be great to be able to do both but we understand Kokomo is the reigning champion 14 of the last 16 years and we know it’s a David-versus-Goliath kind of situation.

“We’re going to take our best shot. We’re going to score some points. We know that.”

Both Eastern and Kokomo could lock horns in several events. Neither has a top-eight seed in the 100 but they come back with Bonnafon vs. Brittany Neeley in the 200, then Neeley in the 400 vs. No. 2 Madi Cassidy.

In the 1,600 Bethany Neeley and defending champ Annika Taber will clash, as well as in the 800. In the 300 hurdles senior Whitney Weir is No. 3 behind Wolfe and defending champ Baleigh Deitrich of Logansport.

Second runners like Emily Wilcox and Sarah Wagner for the Comets and Kellie Miles and Courtney Gilman for the Kats become all-important.

“We know we have to score twice in just about every event and be near the top in all the relays,” said Barnes. “That’s what we’re trying to do.”

Down but not forgotten is the Northwestern team that last beat Eastern in a dual meet March 30. But illness and injuries, such as the one that kept hurdler Courtney Silvey out of last week’s MIC meet, have slowed the Purple Tigers.

Silvey is the No. 5 seed today in the 100 hurdles.

“We’re hoping for another day of rain so we can get [Silvey] back,” coach Mary Clem said with a laugh. “I think everybody else is rested up.

“I haven’t run everybody. Having just a couple top runners out makes a big difference. My goal is to have them ready for sectional.”

Senior Kara DeFabritis has won back-to-back long jump crowns at the county and conference meets and is seeded second to Bonnafon there and third in the 100-meter dash behind teammate and No. 1 seed Amanda Kuffel and Oak Hill freshman Danielle Thompson.

Western, the 2008 sectional champion and last year’s runner-up, has one No. 1 seed in MIC champ Corinna Cottingham, who cleared 10 feet in pole vault last week.

“I’m not really even looking at the team score,” said coach Marvin Boswell. “I’m looking at our individuals and some relays and trying to put our best people in there for advancement.”