By RICHIE HALL
The Carmel boys track and field team was a close state runner-up last season, and the Greyhounds have several of those athletes returning in 2024.
Carmel has many reasons to take that one step up the podium for this year’s campaign, and one of those reasons is to give the Greyhounds’ coach one final triumph. Coach Ken Browner is retiring after this season.
Browner took over as Carmel head coach in 2011. He has created a standard of excellence over the past 13 years: the Greyhounds have won four team state championships (2015-16-17-21), finished as state runner-up twice (2014-23) and also claimed 13 individual and two relay state titles.
Browner is a four-time winner of the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association’s Coach of the Year award and was inducted into the Indiana Association of Track & Cross Country Coaches Hall of Fame in 2017.
Asked about this season, Browner said: “It is always exciting to start a new season as you have many questions about who to place where in certain events. The team has put in a lot of work over the summer and fall to get prepared for the upcoming season.”
While Carmel had several key graduations from last year, there are still enough returners to help the ‘Hounds make some noise this season. A big name coming back is senior Tony Provenzano, who finished fourth in the 3200 run at the state meet last year, behind Carmel’s now-graduated Kole Mathison. Provenzano, headed to Indiana University in the fall, was the state runner-up in cross country in 2023.
Another returning senior is Adom Quist, who placed fifth at state in the 110 hurdles and also qualified for state in the 300 hurdles. Quist is already having success in the early season, as he is sixth in the 60 hurdles qualifying list for the Hoosier State Relays, which take place March 23 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Quist ran the event in 8.22 seconds at the Indiana Wesleyan HSR Qualifier #3 last Saturday.
Two more seniors are Cole Taylor and Gabe Laboyteaux, who ran on the Greyhounds’ fifth-place 4×100 relay. Carmel also brings back half of its third-place 4×800 relay. Thomas Biltimier and Drew Grogan are both returning; Biltimier was a top 25 finisher at the state cross country meet.
“I enjoy the preparation of the athlete for their events,” said Browner. “Trying to get them to peak at the right time is a challenge but so enjoyable when you get it right.”
Two juniors are also in the HSR mix when it comes to the shot put. Theo Thurmond tossed 52 feet at the IWU HSR Qualifier #2, placing him 10th on the list. Ozzy Pollard threw 49 feet, 5.5 inches at the IWU Qualifier #3. Carmel’s 4×800 relay team is presently fifth (8:10.68) and the 4×400 relay team is currently 11th (3:31.14).