Brown, Gilbert set records at Kokomo Relays

By Tribune Sports Staff
Mark Saluke April 29, 2018

A two-year hiatus only made the Kokomo Relays better.

Postponed each of the past two seasons due to foul weather, the 94th edition of the renowned track and field meet didn't disappoint, with four event records falling at Walter Cross Field on Saturday while the Noblesville girls squad tallied the highest team score ever recorded at the meet.

Kokomo's Tionna Brown and Western's Tyler Gilbert represented the local contingent well with eye-popping numbers on record-setting days.

Brown officially broke two records on the day, topping former Wildkat and Howard County Hall of Fame member Lashonda Davis' 2003 100 meter dash time of 12.24 with a 12.15 run in the preliminaries. Brown then broke that mark with a smoking 11.87 to win the 100 finals by more than a second.

Gilbert, the defending state discus champion, launched a 183-01 toss that shattered his previous best of 177-01 at last year's Kokomo Sectional by six feet. The throw toppled a 30-year old Kokomo Relays record of 180-07 set by Fort Wayne Snider's Tony Luenberger in 1988. It also broke the Western school record as well as setting an all-time area best as Gilbert earned the Walter Cross Outstanding Male award.

"One of his goals was to break our school record," Western coach Gary Jewell said. "That’s what we thought he could do all along. Actually, we’re pretty sure he can do a lot better than 183.

"He’s so smooth coming around," Jewell added. "When he lets go of that thing it really takes off. And this wasn’t necessarily a day that you’re going to overpower it, because we had a pretty strong wind out of the northwest. But if you know how to handle that you’re going to get a great throw. He had to throw a little lower than normal but now he has a meet record, a school record and an all-time area best."

Noblesville's girls team score of 173 was the best ever recorded at the meet on the boys or girls side by more than 10 points. Junior Shelby Tyler helped lead the Millers' charge as a quadruple winner, earning the Walter Cross Outstanding Female award.

Miller recorded a Kokomo Ralays record high jump of 5-08, took first in pole vault (9-6), ran a leg of the winning distance medley relay (9:42.57) and also ran in the winning sprint medley relay (3:01.16).

Her showing helped Noblesville pull away from second-place Northwestern down the stretch. The Tigers logged the best finish out of area teams with a score of 114, giving Noblesville a strong chase much of the day, led by a pair of wins and several second-place finishes.

"The girls had a great day. I couldn't have asked for more," Northwestern coach Mary Clem said. "Makala Pfefferkorn broke the school record in the 100 hurdles [Saturday]."

Pfefferkorn turned in a 16.69 preliminary time in the high hurdles for a Northwestern record before finishing fourth (17.11) in the finals.

The Tigers were strong in field events, where Jaimy LaLonde took first in shot put with a 34-01.75 throw, and Joan Easter logged a 16-02.75 first-place long jump, with teammate Hope Braun right behind her in second at 16-01.5.

Easter took second in the 100 (12.93). She and Tiger Rachel Mast tied for second in the high jump at 4-10.

Northwestern was also second in a pair of relays with Catelyn Wilson, Sasha Jocius, Kaylee Watson and Casey Lechner finishing the distance medley in 10:19.27, and Madison Prifogle, Pfefferkorn, Yael Townsend and Catie Smith logging a 1:12.95 in the shuttle hurdles.

"The girls were pretty excited at the end of the day," Clem said. "It pumped them up with conference and sectionals coming up."

Warsaw was third as a team (86), Mt. Vernon fourth (58), Kokomo fifth (39), Chesterton sixth (38), and Western seventh (13).

On the boys side, Crown Point took the top spot (137.33) with Nick Ryan logging a record 24-0.75 long jump.

Noblesville took second (97), Chesterton was third (88), and Mt. Vernon took fourth (69).

Kokomo finished fifth with a score of 64.

Quincy Armstrong took second in the 110 hurdles (15.32) for the Kats. Other second place individual finishes went to Steven Edwards in the 100 (10.98) and Drake Blackburn in the pole vault (11-06).

"Quincy Armstrong had a pretty decent race in the hurdles," Kokomo coach Jordan Ousley said. "And Steven Edwards at second in the 100, he's really starting to come on for us. He had a good day overall."

Kokomo also took second in the shuttle hurdle relay, with Armstrong, Julian Walalce, Andra Nash and Nathaniel Elkin logging a time of 1:07.62.

"It was really good to see that tough of competition, and competition we don't see very often," Ousley said. "It gets us ready for the level of competition were going to see in the [North Central] Conference meet next Friday, and it shows us how far we still have to go to reach where we'd like to get."

Rounding out the boys' scores were Ben Davis (37), Western (32), and Northwestern (19.66).