By RICHIE HALL
INDIANAPOLIS – The Hoosier State Relays is the de facto indoor track and field state meet for Indiana high school teams.
It can also be a preview for the outdoor track season. If that’s the case, then this should be a very good year for Hamilton County after the performances at the HSR, which took place last Saturday at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
Three of the top five teams in the Large School girls division are from the county, including the top two. Carmel finished as team champion with 60 points, while Hamilton Southeastern scored 50 points to earn runner-up honors. Noblesville, the defending IHSAA outdoor track champion, was up there as well, placing fifth with 39 points.
Hamilton Southeastern’s girls team finished as runner-up. The Royals had two event victories, winning the 4×800 and 4×400 relays, both in new meet record times. (Mike Kepner)
The Greyhounds earned their victory by having all four of their relays finish in the top four, which is important because relays score double points at this meet. Carmel’s best relay result was second place in the 4×400 relay, the final event of the night, and that clinched the victory. Gabriela Grande Rosas, Audrey Ricketts, Kendall Wien and Emily Norris competed in that event.
It all added up to what ‘Hounds coach Aaron McRill said was “a really good day.”
“We’re still in the early phases of training,” said McRill. The coach said the team is looking to peak during the outdoor season, “but it’s always nice to win this thing. It’s just a good start to the season.”
Grande Rosas also helped out in the long jump with a fifth-place finish, while Rebecca Belanger followed her by taking sixth place. Both girls were part of the third-place 4×200 relay, along with Norris and Ashlyn Guerrant. Norris also was sixth in the 60 dash.
“This is not our main goal, but it sends a positive vibe out to the girls that hey, we’re a good team,” said McRill.
The Royals were fast in the relays, with two event victories. The team of ElizabethButler, Addison Smith, Maggie Powers and Ciara Kepner was a winner in the 4×800 relay, clocking in with a new meet record time of 9 minutes, 18.64 seconds. Southeastern then finished the meet with Kepner, Smith, Anissa Lammie and Chloe Senefeld taking the gold in the 4×400 relay with another new meet record time of 3:53.03.
“We really focused on the relays today since they count double,” said HSE coach Julie Alano. “We loaded up two of them and had meet records.”
Alano called the 4×4 relay time “unbelievable,” and said that all of the runners in that event still have room to improve. “And I know they’re already looking at our outdoor record, which is 3:45,” said Alano.
Southeastern’s other two relays earned medals, which go to the top eight in each event. The distance medley relay placed sixth and the 4×200 relay was seventh.
Noblesville’s Delaney Teachnor won the girls Large Division pole vault. (Richie Hall)
The Millers were led by Delaney Teachnor, who triumphed in the pole vault with a best leap of 12 feet, 6 inches.
“I was really emotional,” said Teachnor. “A few years ago I never thought I could even get into state, so the fact that I even won, it was overwhelming. I give God all the glory.”
Amelia Smith joined Teachnor in the top five by placing fourth. Hannah Alexander was the runner up in the shot put with a best throw of 45 feet, 6.25 inches. Noblesville also got a runner-up finish in the 4×800 relay.
Fishers placed ninth as a team with 19 points. Maya Taylor finished fourth in the 60 dash, then was part of the Tigers’ fourth-place 4×200 relay team, along with Mireya Benjamin, Zinnia Pineda and Brianna Geren. Macey Miller placed fifth in the shot put.
Westfield scored eight points to tie for 18th place. The Shamrocks’ 4×400 relay team of Maggie Naas, Lucy Hauser, Abbi Van Bibber and Jordyn Landrum took sixth, with Hauser placing seventh in the 60 hurdles.
The Hamilton Heights girls 4×200 relay team finished in first place at the Hoosier State Relays Small School competition. (Photo provided)
Huskies relay win
Hamilton Heights earned a top 10 finish in the Small Schools division, placing sixth with 30.5 points.
The Huskies picked up an event victory in the 4×200 relay. Norah Reiger, Lizzy Smith, Gracie Bortone and Waverly Woolever finished that race in 1:46.94. Woolever also tied for fourth in the high jump, with Macie Smith tying for sixth in that event. Heights’ 4×400 relay team took seventh.
Guerin Catholic scored six points to place 25th. The Golden Eagles’ 4×800 relay team of Eva Parr, Brinna Wolf, Katie Kolb and Claire Flannagan placed sixth.