Area boys track athletes relish chance to cement legacy

Kokomo Tribune - Friday, June 03, 2011

— From 1990 to 1995, Kokomo High School boasted the state champion long jumper five times in six track and field seasons.

John Alsup Jr. has a chance to join that list of immortals, a list that includes his father, John Alsup Sr., and three-peat champion Frankie Young.

Alsup Jr. is the top seed in the long jump heading into today’s IHSAA state track and field finals at Indiana University with a distance 23 feet, 2.25 inches. He’s the only jumper seeded with a distance above 22-6.

The Kokomo senior is hoping to leave a lasting impression on the community.

“It would bring back a lot of confidence for Kokomo High School,” Alsup Jr. said of the idea of winning a state championship. “It would be a good thing to show kids that even though you weren’t the best at the beginning of the track season, you can still be the best and do wonderful things.”

Alsup Jr. is one of seven Wildkats participating in today’s finals at the Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex at 3 p.m., joining 110-meter hurdlers Taylor Killings and Robert Lancaster, distance runner Adrian Glover, and the 4x100 relay team of Alsup, Harvey Lenoir, Armon Bridgeforth and Michael Clifton. Jaylin Waldon is an alternate for the 4x100.

Alsup, Clifton, Lancaster and Glover are all repeat state qualifiers, a fact that has to work in Kokomo’s favor.

“The kids are excited about the chance to run at the state meet,” Kokomo coach Tom Byrnes said. “They’re hoping to do well, and are excited about the opportunity we have before us.

“I think the experience of being here before helps a little bit, the fact that they’ve been there and they understand how the state meet works and how crowded it is. We just need to go out and run our best times of the year and just focus on what we can do. We can’t worry about what anyone else does. We just have to focus on what we do well.”

Killings is seeded 10th in the 110 hurdles with a time of 14.68 seconds, and Lancaster is seeded 17th at :15.00. Glover is seeded 14th in the 1,600 run in 4:21.83, and the 4x100 team is seeded 21st at :43.97. Lancaster finished 18th last year in the 110 hurdles, while Glover qualified for the finals in the 800, but did not place.

Although Alsup is the heavy favorite in the long jump, Byrnes feels a conservative approach is best, at least out of the gates. Alsup, who took fifth in the long jump last season at 22-2, is hoping to not only win the title, but break Young’s area record of 24-10, set in 1994. Alsup’s season best is 23-8.

“John just needs to stay relaxed, and get in a nice, solid, safe first jump — something we know is going to get him into the finals,” Byrnes said. “Then we can get a little more aggressive, because we know that if we get a good, safe jump to get into the finals, that gets us three more jumps. That gives us an opportunity to get a little more aggressive.”

Also representing Howard County will be Eastern’s Blake Donson and Western’s Matt Riley.

Donson placed sixth a season ago in the discus with a heave of 169-2, and enters today seeded eighth at 168-1 despite nursing a sore ankle that has given him trouble on his turns most of the season. Donson is tied for the area record in the event at 177-5, along with Demetris Gaines, who set the standard at Western in 1979.

Donson, a Grand Valley State recruit, said he isn’t concerned about where he ends up place-wise today, but did offer that in order to do as well as last season, he will need to land the disc somewhere in the 180-foot range.

“It’s not exactly where I place that’s important, it’s that I get better,” Donson said. “I have to let it all out because that’s my last meet of the season. So, I might as well give it all I got.”

Riley was able to qualify for the 400 despite the soggy, cold, windy weather at last week’s Kokomo Regional. He is seeded 25th at :51.22, but his PR is nearly a full second faster than that.

“The experience to run against the best in the state — having that opportunity feels really good,” Riley said. “I’ve got to improve my start time. The weather last week was a big factor, and it’s supposed to be warm [today], so that shouldn’t be a factor. I didn’t see myself making state as a sophomore. My goal was to make it through sectionals, and I did that, so that’s a big opportunity for me.”

Maconaquah’s Brenner Stage and Cass’ Jake Rouch also earned nods to the state meet. Stage is seeded 25th in the 300 hurdles at :40.43, breaking the school record in the regional with that time. Rouch is seeded 15th in the discus at 156-1.