Local teams compete in track and field regional

Kokomo, Eastern, Western all sending athletes downstate

Kokomo Tribune - Friday, May 28, 2010

Kokomo —That Kokomo finished second to champion South Bend Washington by a single point in Thursday’s IHSAA Boys Track and Field Regional at Walter Cross Field was almost an afterthought.

Qualifying four individuals in six events and one relay team for next week’s State Finals at Indiana University in Bloomington, the Wildkats turned in their best regional showing in years.

For a once-proud program with nine state championships — the third-most of any school in the state — and eight regional titles, the last coming in 1995, Thursday’s meet was like an oasis in the desert.

“We couldn’t have run any better than we did [Thursday] night,” said coach Tom Byrnes. “I’m almost speechless of how well the kids ran.”

The meet literally hinged on the final event, the 4x400 relay, as Kokomo led Washington 54-53 but the Panthers holding the No. 1 seed.

They led throughout the race while the Kats languished around the middle of the pack before John Alsup grabbed the baton for the third leg and moved up one spot to fourth.

Then Tony Moses ran the anchor leg of his life, passing teams from South Bend Adams and Concord to finish second in 3:25.36, with just 12/100ths of a second separating Kokomo from Washington and the championship.

“I honestly was choked up after that 4x400,” Byrnes said. “The kids just ran so hard and gave everything they had. I’m so happy for them and proud of them.

“Adrian Glover [who ran the second leg] was puking back here [before the race]. He said, ‘Coach, I can’t go.’ I got my alternate ready just in case, and [Glover] just ran so gutsy.”

Glover improved from the fifth-seed to finish second in the 800-meter run in 1:56.77 just minutes before the 4x400. Alsup was superb once again, winning long jump with a leap of 22 feet, 11 inches while finishing second in the 200 and third in the 100.

Alsup will scratch the 100 at the state meet in order to better concentrate on long jump.

“We came out here to compete and do our best,” said Alsup, whose father, John Alsup Sr., captured a state long jump crown for Kokomo 20 years ago. I’m happy we did our best to make it to state.

“I’m thinking about [the chance to win long jump next week]. It’s just that I have so many events to do. With all the back and forth [between trials and finals] it’s hard for me perform my best in long jump.”

Also qualifying for state was Robert Lancaster, who was third in the 110-meter high hurdles (15.20), and David Sirmons, who grabbed third in shot put (51-7).

Moses placed fifth in the 400 and seventh in the 200. Taylor Killings was fifth in the 110 hurdles.

Of all the Kats who placed Thursday, including sophomore Michael Clifton in the 4x400, only Sirmons is a senior.

“This is what we’ve got to do get their eyes open [to the possibilities],” said Byrnes. “It was a great night.”

And not only for host Kokomo.

Eastern, which had its perfect season ended by the Kats in last week’s sectional, collected a pair of wins in field events.

Senior Kevin Jackson, again hardly pushed by his competition, needed only one jump at 14 feet and one at 14-6 to win pole vault.

And Blake Donson, a junior who nearly qualified last season, came from a sectional throw of 152 feet, 4 inches to win discus with a heave of 177-5.

“Practice, practice, practice,” was Donson’s explanation for the tremendous improvement and a school record. “I struggled in sectional and I just got it this week. I just worked my butt off and it paid off.”

The Comets finished seventh with 32 1/2 points, including a fourth-place finish in the 4x800 relay — 3 seconds away from the third and final state berth — and fifth in the 4x400.

Senior Kelly Kingseed was seventh in long jump for Eastern and Braden Barnett tied for seventh in high jump.

Western was 15th with 15 points, thanks to seniors Trevor Buckalew and Austin Young.

Buckalew also took advantage of the ideal throwing conditions Thursday to uncork his best-ever throw of 168-10 to finish third in discus.

Young came from being unseeded to finish third in the 3,200-meter run in 9:42.21, close to the 9:41 he ran indoors earlier this year.

“I’ve been training a long time for this and I finally came through when it matters,” Young said. “It was good to get in a race with some fast people who could sort of pull me a long.”

Panthers senior Indy Mathew placed eighth in long jump and teammate Jeff Stout was seventh in pole vault while Northwestern’s Chris Vas was eighth in the same event.

Cass’ Matt Eckelbarger placed fifth in high jump and eighth in the 400. Maconaquah’s Jacob Bingham was eighth in the 1,600 and teammate Brenner Stage was fifth in pole vault.