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BOYS TRACK: Howard County 2022 preview

NW, Kokomo hope to overtake Western locally

Kokomo Tribune - Tribune Apr 7, 2022

In 10 months since last season’s sectional, the boys track and field landscape has changed a great deal.

Western surged to the title of the Kokomo Sectional last season, racking up a dominant 126 points to win by 48 points. Meanwhile, Northwestern and Kokomo were second and third respectively, just a point apart. Eastern was fifth, 14 points behind the Kats.

Now, Western is retooling and Eastern rebuilding, whereas Northwestern and Kokomo are riding veteran squads. Taylor, as well as the Comets, are getting up to speed with new coaches. Below are looks at the squads, and some of the individual pace-setters, as the new season begins.

WESTERN
The Panthers were represented in four events at the state meet last season. Two of that group return as seniors in Evan Kretz, who was 25th in discus at state, and Pete Bradshaw, who was the only non-senior on the 4x800 relay team that took 17th.

“Looking at what we lost from a year ago, and what we have coming back, we’re not necessarily at the bottom of the barrel,” Western coach Gary Jewell said. “Obviously we lost a lot, but we have some there. We have Pete back. Pete is a state finalist in two different sports — cross country and track. He’ll be in the mid-distance events.

“Evan Kretz is back. He has some pretty big goals he wants to achieve for this year. He’s the kind of athlete that fulfills a lot of roles. Last year, obviously one of the best throwers in the state in discus. In the county meet he comes and high jumps for the first time in two years and jumps 5-8. He also does the 200-meter dash for us and is the 4x100 relay. He also long jumps for us.”

In distance events are Bradshaw, juniors Charlie Conkle and Seth Baker, sophomores Aden Yeary and Evan Kallio and freshman Lincoln McKillip.

In speed spots are senior Taylor Rathbun in hurdles, senior Jethro Parado in sprints, and sophomore Ashton Justice in sprints. Rathbun was a regional qualifier in the 300 hurdles and 4x400 last season. Sophomore Grayson Neer is in the longer sprints.

Jumpers are Kretz, senior Dylan Collins, junior Simon Aaron and sophomore Logan Nelson. Throwers include Kretz, senior Rhett Berryman and junior Patton Sanders. Senior Brady Parks is pole vaulting.

Jewell said key veterans include Rathbun, Parado and Berryman. Returning athletes accounted for just 37% of Western’s points last season. Newcomers expected to make an impact are Collins, Kallio, Baker, Neer and Conkle.

“I would like to think that we could finish someplace in the top three at sectional,” Jewell said. “That’d be a good goal, but it’s going to require some kids to grow up, step up, move up and accept the part that they’re capable of a lot more than they think they are.”

NORTHWESTERN

The Tigers are excited to get started. They opened by more than doubling Western in winning a dual meet on Tuesday.

“Being able to be sectional runner-up last year behind a very good Western team left the boys hungry,” NW coach Alex Pier said. “We only graduated four last year so they are going crazy waiting for competition season. I am over the moon with the hard work the boys show day in and day out at practice, in the weight room, and studying the sport.

“It makes them all better when they want it that bad. We had a strong showing indoors this year and we look to grow on that as we head outside.”

The Tigers have some strengths where they expect to generate a lot of points.

“Our throws and distance will be our anchors, but not far behind them will be our much-improved sprint corps,” Pier said. “We feel we have a very balanced roster this spring.”

The sprint group includes seniors A’Marion Conyers, Caden Gaier, Tyler Lake, Shanden Bradley and Miles Leep, juniors Clayton Griswold, Matthan McGriff, Devon Spicer and Eric Binder, and freshmen Michael Groves, Braxton Devault, and Peyton Tarh.

Conyers was the sectional champ in the high jump last season. He and Gaier were on the winning 4x400 relay team. Gaier was a regional qualifier in the 300 hurdles. And, Gaier, Leep, Lake and Conyers reached the regional in the 4x100 as an all-junior team.

Senior Ethan Haynes features in the throwing events after reaching the regional in both discus and shot put last season.

Distance runners include seniors Caden Lechner and Isaiah Kanable, juniors Colin Feazel and Gunnar Lashure, and sophomores Matthew Mitchell and Jacob Bumgardner.

“We look to get better each and every week,” Pier said. “Hard work pays off and the guys know it. We want to be in the conversation for as much hardware as we can muster this season.”

KOKOMO

The Wildkats have a crew of 35-40 athletes and a lot of experience in that group as the team tries to get into contention for postseason hardware.

“Our strengths might be a little all over the place,” Kokomo coach Jordan Ousley said. “We’re deeper this year I think in a lot of events. We return pretty much the whole team from last year. We’ve added several new bodies in as well, so it’s going to give us some options as we progress throughout the season this year about who can do what, and hopefully we can spread them out so we don’t have to have kids do four events every meet.

“Hopefully we can be fresh and that depth will pay off by the end of the season.”

In distances, Jordan Ousley said the top runners are senior Collin Keesling, who made the semistate in cross country this past fall, juniors Gabe Booher and Parker Cage, and freshman Kelton Serra.

The field events feature a lot of experience. “Basically, everybody who competed in a field event for us last year is back this year,” Jordan Ousley said. The pole vaulters include senior Isaac Elkin, a regional qualifier last season, junior Cameron Harris and freshman Gabrial Newland.

Tyreese Tucker is the top thrower with freshmen Jedaiah Beard throwing as well

Junior Devon Thomas, and sophomores Lukas Degraffenreid and Eric Thomas are high jumpers. Long jumpers are senior Ta’Shy Stewart, a regional qualifier last season, and freshman Elijah Moore.

The Kat coach said the sprint group may have the most depth. That includes Elkin in both hurdle events after reaching the regional in both last spring, senior Plez Lawrence, who was 15th at state in the 200 last season, Devon Thomas, sophomores Rondell Green, Eric Thomas, Degraffenreid, Tracy Dowling, and Jamaree McClinton, who will also hurdle, as well as Moore and junior Shayne Spear, who will also be in the throws.

“I’m hoping they build off their season last year. Last year there were a lot of meets we really overachieved. We had a really young squad last year,” Jordan Ousley said. “Our goal is obviously that top half of the NCC. And then at sectional, we obviously won it a couple years previously and last year we fell back a little ways, so our goal is to try and get back and win the sectional, and then advance as many people to regionals, and then see once we get to regionals what happens there.

“Obviously guys like Plez and Isaac and Collin and Ta’Shy as seniors, getting to state, that’s their goal. We think they have a shot to make it depending on how their season goes.”

EASTERN

Former Comet athlete Blake Donson takes over as coach after previously serving as an assistant. His first squad features 24 athletes, most of whom face a steep learning curve.

“Definitely going to be a growing year for us,” Donson said. “We are sophomore- and freshmen-heavy. They make up probably 75 percent of our team. But we do have two four-year seniors who have been with the program since Day 1 of their freshman year: J.T. Webster and T.J. Weeks. Even though we’re young, we do have two really good role models and leaders on our team.”

With a little returning experience, the Comets have strengths to rely on.

“We have a really good sophomore sprinter Jayden Eagle,” Donson said. “He’s a four-event guy. We’re relying on him pretty heavily as well as the distance crew in general. They’re led by J.T. and T.J.”

In distance events are Webster, Weeks, junior Sam Duke, sophomores Kamp Miller and Dominique Smiley, and freshmen Jase Forgrave, Adam Webster, Obi Greene and Gavin Sonafrank. Donson called Webster, Weeks and Duke the “heavy hitters” of the distance group. Additionally, Forgrave has already had a surprise impact.

Duke will also mix in middle distances and specializes in the 800. Also in middle distances are sophomore Ty Kremer, and freshmen Kyan Hannah and Levi Ramer.

Eagle will be in the 100, 200, 4x100 and will likely add long jump to that mix. As a freshman, he was part of Eastern’s 4x100 relay which won the sectional. Also in the sprints are Ramer, senior Porter Brovont, who is out for track for the first time while also playing baseball, sophomores Chris Strong, Ryder DeYoung, Ian Hewitt, Blake Robinson, and freshman Stone Christy. Robinson is another splitting time with baseball.

“I’m really excited to see what [Eagle] can do this year,” Donson said. “He had an outstanding freshman year and I think he’s just going to keep on getting faster and stronger and hopefully we can see some big things this year, leading into next year.”

Senior Clayton Miller, juniors Nathan Rush and Tyler Wright, and freshmen Andrew Cavazos man the throws. Donson, a former thrower, said Rush has made up ground quickly last season and to start this season after missing a freshman campaign due to the COVID shutdown.

Weeks will also pole vault, and Hewitt may lend a hand in that event. Brovont is also an option for high jump. Hewitt and Ramer can take hurdle spots.

“My personal team goal is to be as competitive as we can with what we have — and the lack of experience we have — but still be able to compete,” Donson said.

TAYLOR

Josh Ousley takes over as new coach. He’d previously been an assistant, last coaching with the program in 2019 and the start of the 2020 season before the COVID shutdown. The Titans have 11 athletes this season.

“Of course it’s challenging when you have smaller numbers,” Josh Ousley said. “You move more toward the focus of the individual instead of worrying about relays. We have kids who are capable, who will good do things on their own.”

Throwers are seniors Dominick Durham and Austyn Galbreath, freshman Britten Dillon, sophomore Paul Lowery and junior Alex Lindley. Lowery may also pole vault.

Sophomore Chris Moore is in both jumps and sprints. Newcomer junior Mekhi McGee will high jump and may run longer sprints. Sophomores Francisco Macias and Angelo Anders are in the longer sprints, junior Brycin Cooks is in long jump and sprints. Freshman Javarion Young may also factor into sprints or hurdles.

“We’ve got a couple returners in Chris Moore, who did a lot of good things last year in the field events as far as long jump and high jump, and Angelo Anders, he did a lot of good things,” Josh Ousley said. “And then guys like Dominick Durham in the shot and disc, and Austyn Galbreath and Alex Lindley in the shot and the disc.

“One main newcomer is Mekhi McGee. I think he’s going to do a lot of good things. I’m not exactly sure where he’s going to slot in in everything because he’s never done track before, but I think he’s going to do some good things in high jump and hopefully the 400.”

He hopes to see the Titans at their best once the sectional rolls around.

“My biggest hope and prayer for this group is that they continue to get better and when they get to the sectional week, we put our best foot forward and do the best we possibly can,” Josh Ousley said.