Up for grabs: Girls track sectional preview

Kokomo Tribune - Tuesday, May 18, 2016

Last year, Peru’s girls track and field team broke through to win its first sectional title since 1983. The Bengal Tigers edged Eastern by a half-point and Maconaquah by 3 1/2 points in a razor-thin finish.

Peru’s title continued a trend of breakthrough winners in the local sectional. Northwestern won its first sectional title in 2014. Eastern won its first in ‘12 and repeated the following year. Going back a little farther, Western and Taylor were first-time winners in ‘08 and ‘05, respectively.

That trend could continue tonight when Western hosts the sectional. Pioneer is one of favorites in the 13-team field.

“We ran against Pioneer at our invitational earlier this year and they were very strong. I’d expect them to do very well,” Eastern coach Ben Cox said.

Three Rivers Conference champion Maconaquah is another possible title contender and several other teams are capable of making some noise as well.

“I think it’s going to be a tough sectional this year,” Northwestern coach Mary Clem said. “I think it’s going to be close with four or five different teams. I think every school has a couple good athletes. It’s going to come down to who has the depth and who can bring in two places in events. Hopefully we can do something.”

Eastern, Kokomo, Northwestern, Taylor, Western, Tipton, Tri-Central, Maconaquah, Peru, Cass, Logansport, Pioneer and Madison-Grant make up the field. The top three finishers in each event advance to next week’s Kokomo Regional.

“It should be a fun meet to watch,” Kokomo coach Jay Karp said.

In the 2015 sectional, Pioneer won four events — and the Panthers return all of those athletes. Madison Kiser won the 100-meter dash and 800 run, Maci Morris won the long jump and Kiser anchored the winning 4x400 relay team.

In this year’s sectional, Kiser owns the top seed times in the 100 dash, 400 dash and 800 run, teammate Darby Stanton owns the top seed mark in the long jump (Morris has the No. 4 mark), Stanton is No. 3 in pole vault and Pioneer has the No. 1 seed times in the 4x100 and 4x400 relays.

Maconaquah looks strong in relays with the top seed time in the 4x800, the No. 2 time in the 4x100 and the No. 3 time in the 4x400. In addition, freshman Bailey Hays is No. 2 in the 400 dash, sophomore Raygan Plothow is tied for the No. 2 in the long jump and senior Maysie Hewitt is the defending champion and No. 2 seed in pole vault.

Northwestern’s top individuals include senior Brooke Treadway (No. 1 seed mark in discus and No. 3 in shot put) and freshman Kaylee Watson (No. 3 in the 400 dash). Last year, Treadway finished runner-up in discus and third in shot.

Clem likes what she has seen from her squad.

“They’ve worked hard and they’re hungry for it, but we have to remember that we’re a young team. We’re going to go out and give all that we can give,” she said.

“Coming off our conference meet, where I thought we ran as well as we’re capable of running, with 66 percent of the team setting season bests, it gives us a lot to look forward to,” Karp said. “We are hoping to be at full strength. We’re running about as well as we’re capable of running right now and we really look forward to being competitive [tonight].”

Western and Taylor athletes also look poised to challenge for individual titles and regional berths. Western senior Ellie Rush has the No. 1 seed time in the 100 hurdles and is tied for No. 2 in the long jump, Western’s 4x800 relay team has the No. 2 time and Taylor senior Cami Hansen is No. 2 in the 1,600 run, which she won last year.

Cass freshman Miah Martin has the No. 1 times in the 1,600 and 3,200 runs. Cass’ 4x400 relay team also has a top seed time. Tri-Central junior Erin Leonard is No. 1 in the 300 hurdles. Tipton senior Jessica Sprinkles is No. 2 in the 800 and 3,200 runs. Tipton senior Carly Werner is No. 2 in discus. And Tipton senior Brooklin Shrock has the No. 2 time in the 200 dash and the No. 3 time in the 100.

Eastern is led by senior Carly Jones and junior Arienna Ewing. Jones owns the No. 4 seed time in the 1,600 run. Ewing is No. 4 in the 100 hurdles and also the 300 hurdles.

Cox noted his squad is coming off a second-place showing in the Hoosier Heartland Conference meet.

“They’ve worked really hard and I think it showed,” he said. “I think it was the kind of performance you want to see from them late in the season. You want them to be at their best and they seem to be there.”

Kokomo’s strength is in the high jump and the 100 and 200 dashes. In the high jump, senior Deju Miller and junior Lana Pham are tied for the No. 1 seed mark after finishing 1-2 in the North Central Conference meet. In the dashes, junior Jayda Andrews is No. 1 in the 200 and No. 2 in the 100. Also, the Kats are No. 2 in the 4x400.

GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD SECTIONAL

• WHEN: 5:15 p.m. today

• WHERE: Western

TOP SEED TIMES AND MARKS

4x800 relay: Maconaquah, 10:28.27

100 dash: Madison Kiser (Pioneer), :12.40

100 hurdles: Ellie Rush (Western), :16.01

200 dash: Jayda Andrews (Kokomo), :26.35

1,600 run: Miah Martin (Cass), 5:24

4x100 relay: Pioneer, :50.80

400 dash: Kiser (Pioneer), :58.30

300 hurdles: Erin Leonard (Tri-Central), :50.35

800 run: Kiser (Pioneer), 2:15.60

3,200 run: Martin (Cass), 11:12

4x400 relay: Cass, 4:04

Long jump: Darby Stanton (Pioneer), 18-0

High jump: Deju Miller (Kokomo) and Lana Pham (Kokomo), 5-3

Discus: Brooke Treadway (NW), 116-5

Shot put: Savannah Leas (Madison-Grant), 38-9

Pole vault: Emily Pomasl (Logan), 10-9