Tigers win sectional title

Kokomo Tribune - Wednesday, May 21, 2014

— FAIRMOUNT — Stars rarely align by chance.

And Northwestern’s girls track and field team took full advantage, combining quality across the board with good fortune to reach heights never before enjoyed in the program’s 30-plus year history.

The Purple Tigers advanced individuals in 12 events in Tuesday’s IHSAA sectional at Madison-Grant, boasting five champions over the course of the night to nab their first sectional title, topping runner-up Kokomo 108-86.

“My emotions are very high right now,” Northwestern coach Mary Clem said. “I’m very excited, very happy for all the girls. It’s been a rough year with the weather, but the girls have worked hard and stayed healthy. Once we got to the Howard County meet and won it and then [won] the MIC [meet], our girls were determined — they wanted the sectional win. They wanted to end the year there. Now, we’re going to the regional and hopefully to Bloomington [for the state finals].”

In a 13-team meet such as the sectional, teams’ depth in numbers tend to get diluted by the field. Northwestern’s superior athleticism was able to shine through nonetheless.

Senior Taryn Thor outclassed the field in the long distance events, taking top honors in the 1,600- (5:25.08) and 3,200-meter (11:42.53) runs to set the Purple Tigers on the winning path.

Northwestern also shined in the sprints and field events.

Junior Kaitlyn Daanen defended her sectional title in the 100 dash in a state-standard time of :12.31, and finished second in the 400. Classmate Tearsten Munson finished second in the 200.

Senior Amber Miller took top honors in the long jump with leap of 16-10 ¾, and finished second in the pole vault, clearing 9-0. The pole vault was contested Monday at Northwestern.

Junior Hannah Ballard was sectional champion in the high jump at 5-2, while sophomore Brooke Treadway held her own in the throws, finishing second in the shot put and third in the discus.

The Tigers also advanced a pair of relays, taking third in the 4x400 and fourth in the 4x800, and were a shaky exchange away from a top finish in the 4x100 before scoring a fifth-place finish.

“Amber Miller and Taryn Thor have led us for four years,” Clem said. “Daanen and Munson carry us in the sprints. They didn’t take first in every event but they brought in a lot of points. And you can’t forget to mention Ballard and Treadway. All of the girls were determined to do well and move on to the regional. The 4x1 girls were very disappointed, but the 4x8 team really put it together to advance.”

Kokomo was left of thoughts of what might’ve been.

Senior thrower Summer Blackamore, the defending sectional champion in the shot and disc, was sidelined midseason with a broken ankle. And, with other misfortunes Tuesday, the Wildkats settled for runner-up honors for a third consecutive year.

The Kats did boast a sectional champion. The 4x100 relay team of Jania Eddintgon, Nabria Richardson, Deju Miller and Quaynika Merriweather sped to victory in :51.72 to keep its stranglehold on the sectional title in that event.

“I asked the girls to go out and fight, and that’s what they did,” Kokomo coach K.O. Jackson said. “That’s all you can do. You ask them to go out and fight, and they went out and fought. ... “I’m really proud of our 4x1 team. That’s the fourth

PANTHER: Western junior Nicole Hampshire competes in the 3,200 run. She took second in that event, and helped the Panthers win the 4x800 relay.

time in a row we’ve come here and won. This was a brand new 4x100, so a new generation of kids. The next step for them is going to be Bloomington.”

Brianna Lancaster added a second-place showing in the 300 hurdles after taking third in the 100 hurdles.

Lana Pham was second in the high jump, while Deju Miller finished third.

Merriweather added a third-place finish in the long jump, and Anh Pham took third in the pole vault for the Kats.

Western finished in third place as a team with 70 points, followed by Peru (67.5), Maconaquah (54) and Eastern (53.5) to round out the top six.

The Panthers’ 4x800 relay team of Emily Mullins, Nicole Hampshire, Reagan Ritchie and Erin Knepley opened the meet with a victory in 10:13.66.

Ellie Rush added a sectional title in the 110 hurdles in :16.29, and finished third in the 300 hurdles.

Knepley earned runner-up honors in the 800 and 1,600, and Hampshire finished second in the 3,200 for the Panthers.

“I’m 100-percent pleased,” Western coach Chrystal Campbell said. “Not only did we out-compete a lot of great athletes, but we got better personally. We had a lot of personal records [Tuesday], and I can’t ask for anything more than for them to do better than they were yesterday.”

Eastern sophomore Jessie Sprinkles has been sidelined for most of the year with blood pressure issues, but returned a couple weeks ago, and Tuesday made up for lost time. She glided to a sectional title in the 800 in 2:23.84.

Freshman Arienna Ewing finished third in the 100 hurdles, while sister Avery Ewing was third in the 800. Sophomore Carly Jones added a third-place finish in the 3,200, while the team of Sydnie Hill, Kaylie Forgrave, Jones and Avery Ewing finished third in the 4x800 relay.

Taylor will also be represented at the regional level next week, as Cami Hansen finished fourth in the 1,600 for the Titans.