Boys track and field: Royals win first regional title in 11 years

THE REPORTER

For the first time in over a decade, the Hamilton Southeastern boys track and field team is a regional champion.

The Royals claimed their first regional trophy since 2013 Thursday at the Lafayette Jefferson regional. Southeastern scored 89 points, won three events and also qualified 12 on to next Saturday’s (June 1) IHSAA state finals at Indiana University.

Christian Ortiz was part of two Royals victories. He won the open 400 dash in a time of 48.44 seconds, then finished the meet by joining Hunter Hoeft, Jaxson Wanza and Michael Griffith to win the 4×400 relay. The foursome finished in a time of 3 minutes, 16.48 seconds.

Out in the field, Josiah Bird won the discus with a top throw of 177 feet, 8 inches. Southeastern also got an outstanding performance in the long jump, with three athletes qualifying for state in that event.

A school can enter three athletes in a post-season event as long as they all bettered the state standard during the regular season. The Royals’ Dylan James, Blake Braden and Griffith all did just that, and they will all be advancing to state. James placed second with a best leap of 22 feet, 3.75 inches, Braden was fourth with 22 feet, 2.25 inches, and Griffith placed fifth with 22 feet, 2 inches. (The state standard is 22 feet, 0.25 inches.)

The top three athletes in each event, plus those outside the top three who reach the state standard, advance to state. Southeastern’s Mason Alexander took third in the 100 and 200 dashes. Mason Schmitz placed second in the 800 run, Elijah Adams was third in the 300 hurdles and Connor Langsford took third in the pole vault. HSE’s 4×100 relay team of Silas Newton, Chandler Weston, Liam Boyd and Alexander placed fourth but ran under the standard and will head to state.

Fishers was the team runner-up, scoring 73 points. The Tigers had five event wins, led by Tyler Tarter. The senior continued his hurdles dominance by winning the 110 race in 14.00 seconds and the 300 race in 36.17 seconds.

Matthew Kim paced the 800 run, winning in 1:52.77. Joel Gates was first in the shot put with a best throw of 62 feet, while JonAnthony Hall was the long jump champion with a best leap of 22 feet, 7.5 inches.

Gates also placed fourth in the discus, but was above the standard and qualified for state. Fishers also got all three relays on to state: Tarter, Kim, Leo Morrow and Makell Wiggins were second in the 4×400, Declan Mohr, Wiggins, Bryson Slagle and Kim placed third in the 4×800, and Joe Syrus, Carsen Eloms, Hall and Tristan Capps were fifth in the 4×100, but ahead of the standard. The Tigers have nine qualifiers to state.

Carmel finished sixth as a team with 49 points. The Greyhounds got a 1-2 finish from Tony Provenzano and Kyle Grove in the 3200 run; Provenzano won the race in 9:00.35, with Grove clocking in at 9:02.95.

Carmel had seven qualifiers for state. Adom Quist placed second in the 110 hurdles while Theo Thurmond placed third in the discus. The Hounds had three more qualify by the state standard: Cole Taylor was fourth in the 400, the 4×800 relay team of Provenzano, Cooper Szotek, Kiefer Jay and Max Meisner were fifth, as was the 4×400 relay team of Taylor, Gabriel LaBoyteaux, Andrew Moss and Drew Grogan.

Noblesville got three qualifiers on to state, including two in the 1600 run. Caden Click won that event, finishing in 4:15.94, while Jack Strong took third place. The Millers’ 4×800 team of Bradyn Livingston, Banner Barnes, Jack Shinneman and Jude Naville finished fourth but were under the state standard.

Westfield got two relays on to state. The Shamrocks’ 4×800 squad of Maxim Poirier, Caleb Haney, Jack Loiselle and Will Snedeker took second place, while the 4×100 team of Caleb Terril, Deacon King, Cade Parker and Cato June finished sixth, but with a time of 42.30 seconds, under the state standard of 42.45 seconds.

Sheridan’s Damon Winston won the high jump with a best leap of 6 feet, 6 inches, qualifying him for state. Hamilton Heights’ Peyton McQuinn is also headed to state after winning the pole vault. McQuinn cleared 14 feet, 6 inches.

Team scores: Hamilton Southeastern 89, Fishers 73, Avon 65, Harrison 56, Brownsburg 55, Carmel 49, Zionsville 39, Noblesville 35, Plainfield 22, Danville 20, Westfield 19, Mooresville 16.5, Hamilton Heights 15, Sheridan 10, McCutcheon 9, West Lafayette 8, Southmont 6, Twin Lakes 6, Carroll 5, Tri-West 4, Clinton Prairie 4, Crawfordsville 4, Lebanon 3.5, Cascade 2, Lafayette Jefferson 2, Frankfort 2, Delphi 1.

4×800 relay: 2. Westfield (Maxim Poirier, Caleb Haney, Jack Loiselle, Will Snedeker) 7:53.89, 3. Fishers (Declan Mohr, Makell Wiggins, Bryson Slagle, Matthew Kim) 7:54.33, 4. Noblesville (Bradyn Livingston, Banner Barnes, Jack Shinneman, Jude Naville) 7:54.43, 5. Carmel (Tony Provenzano, Cooper Szotek, Kiefer Jay, Max Meisner) 7:65.03, 8. Southeastern (Ian Ross, Deagan Baker, Will Henning, Mason Schmitz) 7:58.67, 10. Guerin Catholic (Wesley Street, Ben Grissom, Johnny King, Max Fish) 8:10.75.

110 hurdles – Finals: 1. Tyler Tarter (F) 14.00, 2. Adom Quist (C) 14.43, 9. Elijah Adams (HSE) 15.51. Prelims: 11. Harold Williams (HSE) 15.89.

100 dash – Finals: 3. Mason Alexander (HSE) 10.88, 7. Dario Torres (N) 11.24. Prelims: 11. Cameron Wilson (N) 11.23.

1600 run: 1. Caden Click (N) 4:15.94, 3. Jack Strong (N) 4:18.94, 9. Liam Powers (C) 4:28.71, 10. Jonah Kaul (C) 4:28.71, 12. Ian Porter (W) 4:30.40, 13. Andrew Smith (HSE) 4:33.42.

4×100 relay: 4. Southeastern (Silas Newton, Chandler Weston, Liam Boyd, Alexander) 41.55, 5. Fishers (Joe Syrus, Carsen Eloms, JonAnthony Hall, Tristan Capps) 42.10, 6. Westfield (Caleb Terril, Deacon King, Cade Parker, Cato June) 42.30, 7. Noblesville (Torres, Austin Donahoe, Angel Wilson, C. Wilson) 42.57.

400 dash: 1. Christian Ortiz (HSE) 48.44, 4. Cole Taylor (C) 48.91, 10. Livingston (N) 50.31, 11. Andrew Moss (C) 50.34, 12. Michael Griffith (HSE) 50.56.

300 hurdles: 1. Tarter (F) 36.17, 3. Adams (HSE) 39.62, 9. Jack Huisden (W) 40.90, 14. Quist (C) 43.37.

800 run: 1. Kim (F) 1:52.77, 2. Mason Schmitz (HSE) 1:52.89, 5. Luke Mumaw (N) 1:55.80, 6. Drew Grogan (C) 1:55.85, 9. Alec Moor (N) 1:56.23.

200 dash – Finals: 3. Alexander (HSE) 21.71, Torres (N) DNF. Prelims: 4. Torres (N) 22.58, 10. Brian Shaw (University) 23.01, 11. C. Wilson (N) 23.09.

3200 run: 1. Provenzano (C) 9:00.35, 2. Kyle Grove (C) 9:02.95, 4. Sam Rinker (N) 9:19.33, 8. John Libs (N) 9:39.04, 10. Riley Schamp (HSE) 9:47.62, 13. Nick Vega (HSE) 10:00.78.

4×400 relay: 1. Southeastern (Hunter Hoeft, Jaxson Wanza, Griffith, Ortiz) 3:16.48, 2. Fishers (Tarter, Kim, Leo Morrow, Wiggins) 3:17.26, 5. Carmel (Taylor, Gabriel LaBoyteaux, Moss, Grogan) 3:22.59, 8. Westfield (Terril, Haney, Cade Parker, Snedeker) 3:24.81, 13. Guerin Catholic (Nick Bauman, Grissom, Robert Sorensen, Street) 3:29.52.

Discus: 1. Josiah Bird (HSE) 177-8, 3. Theo Thurmond (C) 172-6, 4. Joel Gates (F) 169-8, 7. Teddy Miller (HSE) 158-3, 8. Ozzy Pollard (C) 154-1, 11. Hayden Pentecost (W) 140-6.

Shot put: 1. Gates (F) 62-0, 7. Miller (HSE) 46-11.75.

Long jump: 1. Hall (F) 22-7.5, 2. Dylan James (HSE) 22-3.75, 4. Blake Braden (HSE) 22-2.25, 5. Griffith (HSE) 22-2, 10. Gabriel Davis (C) 20-9.75.

High jump: 1. Damon Winston (S) 6-6, 4. Tyler Runyan (HH) 6-2, 7. Robert Campbell (W) 6-2.

Pole vault: 1. Peyton McQuinn (HH) 15-6, 3. Connor Langsford (HSE) 14-6, 4. Alex Wilson (W) 14-3, T14. Colin Swain (F) 12-0; Lucas Bland (W) 12-0.