GIRLS TRACK: Howard County season preview

Slowed by bad weather, girls track season gets moving

By Mark Saluke
Tribune sportswriter
 

Spring is in the Indiana air and has proved true to form as April showers have turned to sleet, snow and back to rain again this past week. Throw in some strong winds and it's been less-than-stellar weather to start the Howard County girls track and field season.

"You know, it's discouraging, because you really want to get outside and see all the hard work pay off," Northwestern coach Mary Clem said.

While the early schedule has been cluttered with postponements, Eastern and Taylor each got in a meet at the Tipton triangular this week. Northwestern and Western are still patiently waiting for their first action of the season and both will hopefully host meets Tuesday.

Kokomo, which was on spring break this week, got in an outdoor meet when it hosted Anderson March 29. The Kats are back in action on Tuesday, weather permitting, at Western.

"When we get back, it's going to go right into two meets a week for several weeks," Kokomo coach Jay Karp said.

Following are looks at each of the area teams, in alphabetical order.

EASTERN

The Comets came half a point shy of winning last season's Northwestern sectional and while Avery Ewing graduated, the other two main components from that squad remain.

Distance runner Carly Jones returns for her senior season while junior Renna Ewing brings a strong hurdles performance back to the mix.

"We've got some strong individuals, but don't have a lot of depth," said first-year coach Ben Cox, who brings more than a decade of coaching experience to the mix. Cox has been the Eastern cross country coach for two seasons and spent the past six seasons as a track assistant to former coach Michael Goodspeed.

"We're not as strong as a few years ago and that's okay," Cox said. "Those past teams became so strong from doing the best they could in practice and then whatever happens happens. We've got a lot of kids who haven't run track before so we have a lot to teach. There's only so much you can teach without actually getting out and competing."

Jones and Renna Ewing combined for five wins as the Comets took second in their season opener, a triangular at Tipton. Jones was first in the 1,600 as well as helping the 4x400 and 4x800 relays to wins. She'll split time in those events as well as the 800 and 3,200 while Renna Ewing, who took first in the 100 and 300 hurdles, will anchor the hurdle events.

"Renna is such a strong hurdler, she's definitely our most experienced sprinter and kind of the de facto leader in the sprint group, we need to develop more hurdlers," Cox said. "Carly is a very strong distance runner and I think we have a little more depth there. Middle distance and distance is where we have the most experience. We have some good sprinters, we're just still learning what some of them can do."

Cox pointed to junior Sydnie Hill and freshman Molly Hapner as strong distance runners. Hill will run the 400 and 800.

"Sydnie's been running for a long time," Cox said. "The 4x800, the open four, the 800 and the 4x400, those are the events she'll be strongest in."

Hapner, who ran cross country in the fall and is new to track, ran a 6:26 mile in the season opener.

Also for the Comets, sophomore Cassie Williams will look to put up points in the 300 hurdles and some sprint events, as well as the long jump. Freshman Cassie Bryan will also compete in the long jump, sprints and hurdles, and sophomore Hailey Holliday will be a go-to in shot put and discus.

With only 18 girls out, Cox knows the Comets will have their work cut out for them, but still sees a squad that can be competitive in its first season of the Hoosier Heartland conference.

"I think we'll be competitive in the conference, I think we can compete solidly and positively," Cox said. "I'm looking forward to it. All the training, all the hard work. I'm just looking forward to letting the kids turn it loose."

KOKOMO

Seniors Taylor Coram, Deju Miller, Nabria Richardson, Kirsten Frey and Su Lee anchor a solid returning cast for the Kats.

"Those five absolutely are a special group of young ladies, incredibly gifted on the track and have shown tremendous leadership early this season," Karp said. "Taylor had the most points on the team last year and was also a regional qualifier so we expect big things out of her."

Coram, who earned Most Valuable honors from the Kats in 2015, earned a regional berth in the 300 hurdles and long jump while Miller qualified in the high jump.

Junior Lana Pham joins Miller in the high jump, forming a duo that are "both potential state qualifiers," according to Karp. Junior Taylor Sparger and sophomore Joneisha Hall are also working on the high jump.

Coram, who also puts up points in the pole vault and relays, leads a group of talented hurdlers that includes Frey, junior Corinth Oglesby, sophomore Nicole Erny and freshman Liesl Elkin.

Richardson and Miller have the bulk of experience on an otherwise inexperienced group of sprinters. Junior Brooke Smith joins them in bringing back three quarters of a solid 400 relay squad. Hall, along with fellow juniors Jayda Andrews, Isis Hayes, Ja'Lynn Thompson and freshman Shelbi Corlett are competing for varsity spots.

"Jayda Andrews could be a nice surprise for us," Karp said. "She'll be a sprinter in the 100 and 200 as well as a long jumper. Brooke Smith, she'll do a little bit of everything for us. She can do everything from the 100 to the 400 and she's versatile. She's kind of like our wild card."

Sophomore Aaryan Morrison, who Karp said was voted Kats newcomer of the year last season, will run the 400.

Junior Cinnamon Andrews leads a young distance crew.

"We don't have a lot of experience there outside of her," Karp said. "We don't have many numbers in the distance. We won't have many expectations."

Lee will be a leader among a group of throwers that includes junior Brittany Reynolds, sophomores Keaira Fowler, Tayana Hinton and Sydney Murphy, and freshman Brianne Jones.

NORTHWESTERN

Tigers veteran coach Clem likes the numbers she's seeing to counter several graduation losses that included Tearsten Munson and Kaitlyn Daanen, who anchored Northwestern's sprinters.

"That was one of our worries, but we've got a couple freshmen that have come in right where they left off," Clem said. "The numbers are looking really good, we're at 42 all together. It's a great thing to have quality runners but makes it a very difficult job for the coach. There's going to be girls battling for positions, which is nice."

Among the Tigers strong core of freshman in the mid-distance and sprints are Kaylee Watson and Kailyn Devault in the 400 and Olivia Eddington and Catelyn Wilson in the 100.

It's in the distance runs that Northwestern seems poised to make the most noise. Returning for her sophomore season, Kate Bilkey will run "anything from the 800 to 1,600 to 3,200," Clem said. "She's been running all year. She hasn't stopped since cross country. She's looking really good and I'm excited for her.

"Right now I'd say our distance team, for the first time ever, is where we're strongest," Clem added. "These girls are looking strong and usually, that's always been our weak spot. We have a new distance coach in Robin Pagington and she has these girls looking strong. She's really pushing these girls to be their best."
File Photo | Kokomo Tribune
DISTANCE RUNNER: Western's Reagan Ritchie runs in a distance event during last season's Kokomo Relays. Back for her junior season, Ritchie looks to be factor into the 800 for the Panthers.

A pair of seniors, Rebecca Sims and Jensen Freeman, will run the 3,200. Sims will run the 1,600 as well. Junior Nicole Crocker is also pegged as a distance runner, and Clem pointed to freshmen Madison McGriff and Casey Lechner, who both ran cross country, as two more names looking to make noise in distance events.

Junior Sam Pepka will be a strong hurdler along with freshman Jenna Goodspeed. Goodspeed's father, former Eastern girls track coach Michael Goodspeed, brings his experience to the mix as hurdles coach.

Two more seniors, thrower Brooke Treadway and high jumper Michelle Hunkeler, add to Northwestern's depth. Treadway posted top-three sectional finishes in shot put and discus in her sophomore and junior campaigns. Hunkeler will also see time in the 400.

Junior Abby Olsen is back at pole vault for the Tigers, who are ready to roll into a Hoosier Conference loaded with the likes of West Lafayette ahead of the sectional, which Western will host this season.

"I'm actually excited for the conference," Clem said. "I told the girls that you get better when you run against the best and they know they have their work cut out. And I think we're looking pretty good for sectional."

TAYLOR

Distance runner Cami Hansen returns to lead Taylor in her senior campaign.

"She is definitely our main performance leader," Taylor coach Nick Weicht said. "She leads simply by the way she just goes about business. She's always putting in the work.

Hansen won the 1,600 in last year's Mid-Indiana Conference meet and went on to take first at the Northwestern Sectional in the 1,600 and third in the 3,200, advancing to the Warsaw Regional in those two events. She also had a fourth-place sectional showing in the 800.

"She set our school record in the 1,600 at the conference meet last year, and I think she would like to leave with the school marks in the 800 and 3,200 as well," Weicht said. "She and I kind of talked about what we see this year. Obviously we want her to win everything she can at the sectional meet and go into regional ready to compete where she is strongest. She just barely missed going to state in cross country."

Two other seniors will join Hansen as anchors on a Titan squad that has 15 out, slightly more than last year but a similar number according to Weicht.

Paige Welsh will transition from the 1,600 to more of a mid-distance runner in the 400 and 800 and Kynzie Rails returns as a thrower in the shot put and discus.

"Those three seniors have been really strong leaders for us with good attitudes, no complaints, just girls who come out and work," Weicht said. "Page is really kind of our verbal vocal leader. She gets people going and goes about her business in practice. Kynzie has already had her personal best throws in her first meet this season. She's really another one who has put in the effort and is starting to see a payoff now."

Freshman sprinter Brooke Morris has "a lot of natural ability and a lot of drive to do well," according to Weicht. "We're excited about what she's going to bring this year."

Morris will run in the 100, 200 and also see some time in the 4x400. Sophomore Aiden Richter, a thrower for much of last year, is making the transition to a runner, and freshman hurdler Audia Anders is showing promise in both the 100 and 300 hurdles.

"That core group is the girls who will contribute a lot of points," Weicht said. "As far as the field events, we have quite a few new faces and girls new to track. It's fun to see them learning and figuring out what they're capable of doing. This is a fun group of girls to be around. As far as goals, we want to make a strong showing in the new [Hoosier Heartland] conference at the conference meet. We know we have a small number but think we can be successful individually. We're pretty excited about that."

WESTERN

Four seniors are gone as well as a key junior from last year's squad, leaving the Panthers needing to reload in many spots.

"It's going to be tough shoes to fill that can and need to be filled and we've got some girls very capable of doing it," second-year Western coach Brandon Shawhan said. "What I really like about this group of girls is they have a fighting mentality and are ready to compete. I think we'll do a lot of great things. We are very capable of being sectional contenders this year."

Western will have the edge of playing host to the sectional as the Panthers hope to improve upon last season's ninth-place sectional finish.

"It's always about improvement," Shawhan said. "We're still a fairly young team. We see a lot of improvement coming out of them. It's a good group of freshmen coming in and we're just trying to constantly lay the foundation of the program."

Shawhan will turn to returning senior Ellie Rush to anchor the Panthers. Shawhan calls Rush one of the biggest returnees after a bout with sickness and pneumonia weakened her for the final half of last season.

"She's come back a lot stronger," Shawhan said. "She'll be one of our major point-getters. The long jump and 100 hurdles are her bread and butter. She'll also see time at a leg of the 4x100 and the 300 hurdles. She's one of our team leaders, that's for sure."

Other returning seniors who hope to pick up points for Western are throwers Kimberly Miller, Azhane Beard and Liz DeWitt, and pole vaulter Taylor Nunan.

Junior Allison McMinn and sophomore Grace Sullivan look to factor into mid-distance runs in the 400.

Returning sophomore Bronwyn Getts will be in on the mix in the 800, while junior Reagan Ritchie will also run the 800. Freshman Natalie Nicholson will be one of the top distance runners as well.

The hurdle group will be made up of sophomore Madie Singer running mainly the 300, sophomore Mallory Winger at the 100 and foreign exchange student Yenny Kim adding depth to the hurdles.

"It's definitely a new look," Shawhan said of the switch to the Hoosier Conference. "The Mid-Indiana Conference was pretty good, so I don't see it as a huge jump. West Lafayette is definitely a state-caliber school. So even though there are some changes, there's still some familiarity. We'll look forward to the newness and take it as it comes."