BOYS TRACK: Regional

By Tribune Sports Staff
Kokomo Tribune May 25, 2018

Four Tribune-area athletes reached the Boys Track and Field State Finals via the Warsaw Regional on Thursday night, led by Western’s Tyler Gilbert and Kokomo’s Quincy Armstrong, each of whom posted victories.

Gilbert, the defending state champion in discus, topped the discus field with a throw of 177 feet, 10 inches. Armstrong won the 300 hurdles in :38.62.

Also qualifying for state were Northwestern’s Tayson Parker, who was third in the long jump at 22 feet, 4 inches, and Kokomo’s Steven Edwards, who was third in the 100 in :11.21.

Gilbert ended any doubt about a return to state early, meeting the state standard on his first throw of 176-3 before bettering that as the competition went on.

Western coach Gary Jewell called Gilbert “Superman. He qualified for state with his first throw. Everybody who was standing there said ‘wow,’ they were just amazed at how technically good he is.”

Armstrong nearly qualified in two events, finishing fourth in the 110 hurdles in 15.13, just .11 behind the third-place runner.

Edwards, in his first season of track, edged Northwood’s Brandon Yoder by 4 hundredths of a second to take the last advancing spot in the 100. Edwards was also sixth in the 200 at 23.5.

Parker continued his impressive debut track season with his third-place finish in long jump.

“The young man really has come a long way trying to learn how to do this in his first year of track so we’re really happy for him,” Northwestern coach Dave Stevens said. “[Thursday] was the next level [of competition] and he came through it all right.”

Parker also ran the 100 dash. He was fifth with a time of :11.37.

“Now we get to the weekend and relax a little bit. We’ll look to polish up a few more long jump things,” Stevens said. “At state, he only has to focus on long jump, he doesn’t have to worry about leaving to run trials and then coming back and then leaving to run finals.

“It’s something new for me — he’s my first long jumper to go to state. We’re excited for the opportunity.”

Also for Western, the Panther 4x800 team of Andrew Granfield, Nate Nicholson, Brayden Curnutt and Tyler Lechner took 10th in 8:38.65.

“Best time of the season by eight seconds,” Jewell said. “They just came out and ran a great race. Tyler Lechner anchored it with a six-second PR. Three of those guys are seniors. It’s a great way for those guys to go out. That’s the best time they ran all year and that’s when you want to run your best.”

Curnutt, a freshman, was also 13th in the 3,200 at 10:52.48.

Kokomo’s Julian Wallace was ninth in the 800 in 2:01.37. Maconaquah’s Shemar Austin was sixth in the 400 in :51.31. Northwestern’s Austin O’Neal competed in high jump. He cleared 5-8 before being eliminated.