Can Carmel’s long distance make them winners?

Hounds aiming to repeat as team champions, Royals hold three top seeds

The REPORTER

If the Carmel girls track & field team can go the distance, the Greyhounds could repeat as state champions.

The performance lists for Friday’s IHSAA girls track state finals came out on Wednesday, compiling the results of all eight regionals that took place across the state on Tuesday, May 26. Based on the seedings, Carmel appears to be favored to defend its team title at the North Central track complex.

This year’s state meet features at least 30 qualifiers in each event, up from 27 in years past. Several events have more than 30 participants as multiple athletes bested the state standard in their events.

The Greyhounds have one top seed: Annabel Pollert in the 3200 run. She won that race at the Lafayette Jefferson regional in a time of 10 minutes, 30.35 seconds.

Sadie Foley holds two high seeds: she is rated second in the 1600 run and fourth in the 800 run. The top nine finishers in each event score points; the winner receives 10 points, with second place getting eight points, on down to ninth place receiving one point.

Kaitlyn Oshimura is seeded second in the 800 run. Larkin Taylor holds the third seed in the 1600 run and the 10^th seed in the 800, so she could move up in the latter event and get the Hounds some extra points.

While Carmel is favored based on the seedings, Hamilton Southeastern is within striking distance. The Royals hold three top seeds: Anissa Lammie is rated first in the 400 dash (54.73 seconds at regional), Chloe Senefeld is the top seed in the 300 hurdles (41.91 seconds) and Southeastern’s 4×400 relay is also seeded No. 1 (3:48.56). The Royals won the 4×400 relay last year, the only county individual event win.

The small schools will be well-represented. Guerin Catholic’s Amelia Smith is seeded No. 1 in the pole vault after her regional-winning leap of 13 feet, 1.5 inches. Hamilton Heights’ Norah Reiger holds the third seed in the 400 dash, with Waverly Woolever capable of moving up to score points in the high jump.

Noblesville’s Ainsley Meinerding could score points in multiple events. She is rated fourth in the long jump and eighth in the 200 dash.

Fishers’ Mia Tobias has top-nine seeds in both throwing events: fifth in the shot put, seventh in the discus.

Westfield’s Ella Jenkins holds the Shamrocks’ highest seed, as she is rated sixth in the pole vault.

A complete list of Hamilton County state participants follows, along with their regional times and distances. Seed positions are based on the IHSAA’s performance list, which can be found here.

4×800 relay: 4. Carmel 9:16.40, 7. Hamilton Southeastern 9:19.37, 10. Westfield 9:22.25, 14. Guerin Catholic 9:25.82.

100 hurdles: 22. Katelyn Eblen (W) 15.08, 24. Jenna Rhodes (W) 15.08.

100 dash: 16. Kaleah McCarter (HSE) 12.18, 28. Ainsley Meinerding (Noblesville) 12.38.

1600 run: 2. Sadie Foley (C) 4:58.69, 3. Larkin Taylor (C) 4:59.20, 13. Ansley Applegate (N) 5:04.27.

4×100 relay: 6. Hamilton Southeastern 47.78, 8. Fishers 47.88, 27. Carmel 49.17.

400 dash: 1. Anissa Lammie (HSE) 54.73, 3. Norah Reiger (Hamilton Heights) 55.47, 4. Gabriela Grande Rosas (C) 56.12.

300 hurdles: 1. Chloe Senefeld (HSE) 41.91, 7. Eblen (W) 44.57, 8. Devyn Day (F) 44.64, 10. Rhodes (W) 45.00, 11. Waverly Woolever (HH) 45.00, 21. Maija Gilhooly (C) 45.95.

800 run: 2. Kaitlyn Oshimura (C) 2:11.09, 4. Foley (C) 2:12.06, 10. Taylor (C) 2:13.89, 11. Katie Kolb (GC) 2:14.83.

200 dash: 6. Zinnia Pineda (F) 24.86, 8. Meinerding (N) 24.98, 16. LeBraya Warren (W) 25.29.

3200 run: 1. Annabel Pollert (C) 10:30.35, 5. Zoe Gebhart (HSE) 10:41.06, 7. Allie Bushey (HH) 10:42.97, 10. Lilly Higgins (HH) 10:49.11, 17. Caitlin Hawkins (F) 11:00.16.

4×400 relay: 1. Hamilton Southeastern 3:48.56, 5. Carmel 3:53.66, 6. Hamilton Heights 3:54.45, 16. Guerin Catholic 3:59.18, 19. Westfield 3:59.93, 21. Noblesville 4:00.67.

Discus: 7. Mia Tobias (F) 139-10, 8. Ellie Cooley (C) 139-9, 13. Amelia Kring (N) 134-0.

Shot put: 5. Tobias (F) 43-0.

Long jump: 4. Meinerding (N) 18-4, 24. Rylan Bell (N) 17-4.25.

High jump: 11. Woolever (HH) 5-4, 16. Gracie Czubik (W) 5-4, 23. Kylee Black (F) 5-3.

Pole vault: 1. Amelia Smith (GC) 13-1.5, 6. Ella Jenkins (W) 12-0, 14. Livi Miller (C) 11-0, 15. Zoe Travelsted (GC) 10-9, 20. Kate Hammond (C) 10-9, 23. Riley Williams (HSE) 10-9.