By RICHIE HALL
INDIANAPOLIS – Hamilton Southeastern girls track & field coach Julie Alano got some surprising news after her 4×400 relay team won a state championship.
HSE’s Elizabeth Butler won the Mental Attitude Award, the first Royals track athlete to do so. (Mike Kepner)
The Royals’ 4×4 squad was the only Hamilton County team – boys or girls – to win an individual state championship this year. Southeastern’s team ran away with the event, which clinched a team runner-up finish for the Royals at the IHSAA state meet last Saturday at North Central.
Southeastern scored 46 points for its highest finish at state since winning it all in 2018.
The HSE relay consisted of Chloe Senefeld, Addison Smith, Ciara Kepner and Anissa Lamie, who finished the race in 3 minutes, 46.26 seconds. Alano said all four runners ran their best time splits in the race.
“We considered changing the lineup,” said Alano. “But we just decided, we couldn’t win the meet at that point, and so why not just leave the team that had run all along. They all stepped up.”
Southeastern picked up six medals at state, including all three relays. Kepner and Lammie joined Catey Campbell and Elizabeth Butler to take third in the 4×800, while Elia Blackmore, Senefeld, Laila Ehrgoff and Kaleah McCarter finished ninth in the 4×100.
“All the relays were so fast tonight,” said Alano. She said the Royals’ 4×100 time of 47.44 seconds would have won state last year, as would the 4×800 time of 9:01.45.
“Everybody is moving up,” said Alano. “I’m just really happy that we were able to secure second after being third last year.”
Southeastern’s other points came from the hurdle races. Senefeld was the runner-up in the 300 hurdles, while Blackmore made the podium in both events, taking fourth in both the 100 and 300 hurdles.
The Royals received an important award at the end of the meet when Butler was named the Mental Attitude Award winner. Butler is the first HSE girls track student-athlete to receive the award.
“I was completely not expecting it at all,” said Butler. “But it’s great to be the first person from HSE to do that.”
Butler is committed to Purdue University, and enjoyed her successful Royals career in both cross country and track.
“I’m just so grateful to have had the opportunity and the coaching to be where I am today,” said Butler.
Huskies medal twice, Hamilton 3rd in pole vault
Hamilton Heights picked up two medals at the state meet.
Waverly Woolever continued her success in the high jump, placing fifth by clearing 5 feet, 6 inches. That’s a one-inch improvement for Woolever at state; she cleared 5 feet, 5 inches and tied for seventh in 2024.
Norah Reiger made the podium in her first try at state. Reiger placed seventh in the 400 dash, clocking in at 56.86 seconds.
Westfield’s Alexandra Hamilton tied for third place in the pole vault. She cleared 11 feet, 6 inches in that event.
Hamilton Heights’ Waverly Woolever high-fives her father and coach, Ryan Woolever, after clearing 5 feet, 6 inches in the high jump. Woolever placed fifth in that event. (Richie Hall)
Heights’ Norah Reiger placed seventh in the 400 dash. (Richie Hall)
Westfield’s Alexandra Hamilton tied for third in the pole vault. She is pictured with Shamrocks head coach Josh Horowitz and pole vault coach Matt Lemieux. (Richie Hall)
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