IHSAA girls track and field: Cathedral hopes to repeat as state champs

2022-05-29 02:34:40 By : Wing Mo

INDIANAPOLIS – We’re not saying it will happen. Probably won’t.

But if Indiana track and field persists on its preposterous path, Cathedral is in let’s-give-it-a-shot mode in repeating as girls state champion.

“Last year, we weren’t expecting it. It happened,” Cathedral hurdler Reese Sanders said. “I think we’re just holding on. I’d say we’re trusting the process. We’re being patient. We want to peak at the right time, the right moment.

It is for the Irish.

Records fall all over the place:Vote for girls track top sectional performers

IHSAA girls track and field:In Indiana's toughest sectional, HSE emerges with title

Girls track and field sectional results:Team scores, top-3 finishers

Sanders won a sprint triple Tuesday night at the Lawrence Central Sectional, and Kailee Swart pole-vaulted into the Indiana lead with a school record of 12 feet, 4 inches.

Win those four events June 3 at the state meet, and it’s 40 points. Cathedral edged Warren Central 39-38 in a wild finish in 2021.

It could be wilder in 2022. Six or seven teams are in the hunt to score 40, although Cathedral surely would be stuck at 40.

One contender is obviously top-ranked North Central, which used Ramiah Elliott’s sprint quadruple to secure an eighth successive sectional title. The Panthers scored 141 points, Brebeuf Jesuit 88 ½, City champion Bishop Chatard 84 ½ and Cathedral 83.

Sanders won the 100-meter hurdles in 14.55 seconds, her fastest since finishing third at state last year. The Notre Dame signee repeated in the 300 hurdles, in which she is state champion, in 43.68.

Sidney Sanders, freshman volleyball player Kate Kubacki, Milani Kimble and Reese Sanders (56.66) clocked 3:59.53 in winning the 1,600 relay.

Swart, a junior, won indoor state at 11-9 but then missed three weeks after a pole broke in practice, cutting her left hand in webbing between thumb and index finger. It was less debilitating that what she once endured.

Swart was a gymnast from ages 3 to 14, but five hip surgeries knocked her out of that sport.

“I heard about pole vault because of one of the gymnasts at my gym started pole vaulting,” Swart said. “I thought I should try it.”

>> Elliott, a Florida signee, clocked 11.89, 24.90 (tying her sectional record) and 56.25 in sweeping the 100, 200 and 400 meters. Then her 55.50 anchor carried North Central to third in the 1,600 relay, qualifying for regional. She has not committed to a 100/200/400 triple at state, something she has never done. She has twice won a 200/400 double.

>> Park Tudor junior Sophia Kennedy ran her first 3,200 of the spring, winning in 10:49.63. After setting a state indoor record, she developed a stress reaction. Kennedy has been training on a stationary bike, elliptical machine and anti-gravity treadmill.

“This is definitely not where I hoped to be at this point in the season,” she said. “But this was a good rust-buster, my first race back.”

>> Park Tudor junior Gretchen Farley won a 1,600/800 double in 4:57.10 and 2:16.37. She was felled by a stomach virus two days before.

>> Heritage Christian freshman Kya Crooke qualified for regional in four events: first, high jump, 5-6 (she missed three attempts at 5-11); second, 100 meters, 12.24; second, 300 hurdles, 45.49; third, 400 relay, 49.52.

>> Lily Cridge did not enter the 3,200, so she will not defend her state title. She did advance on Chatard’s 3,200 relay.

Contact IndyStar reporter David Woods at david.woods@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.

Team scores – North Central 141, Brebeuf Jesuit 88 ½, Bishop Chatard 84 ½, Cathedral 83, Heritage Christian 64, Park Tudor 59, Herron 43, Lawrence Central 37, Indiana School for the Deaf 4.

100 – 1, Ramiah Elliott (NC) 11.89; 2, Kya Crooke (HC) 12.24; Malia Ennis (Breb) 12.36.

200 – 1, Ramiah Elliott (NC) 24.90 (ties own sectional record); 2, Janae Bailey (NC) 25.63; 3, Malia Ennis (Breb) 26.42.

400 – 1, Ramiah Elliott (NC) 56.25; 2, Carsyn Burdine (HC) 59.64; 3, Elise Smith (HC) 1:00.66.

800 – 1, Gretchen Farley (PT) 2:16.37; 2, Emma Vatnsdal (NC) 2:20.96; 3, Mary Edwards (NC) 2:22.59.

1,600 – 1, Gretchen Farley (PT) 4:57.10; 2, Kendall Martin (Breb) 4:59.46; 3, Kaelina Matthews (NC) 5:24.64.

3,200 – 1, Sophia Kennedy (PT) 10:49.63; 2, Kendall Martin (Breb) 11:13.68; 3, Sophia Tipmore (NC) 11:23.41.

100 hurdles – 1, Reese Sanders (Cath) 14.55; 2, Mary Bea Sowinski (BC) 15.42; 3 Pa’Shence Purnell (Her) 15.69.

300 hurdles – 1, Reese Sanders (Cath) 43.68; 2, Kya Crooke (HC) 45.49; 3, Mary Bea Sowinski (BC) 46.28.

400 relay – 1, North Central 48.52; 2, Bishop Chatard 49.50; 3, Heritage Christian 49.52.

1,600 relay – 1, Cathedral 3:59.53; 2, Bishop Chatard 4:00.21; 3, North Central 4:01.79.

3,200 relay – 1, North Central 9:47.24; 2, Bishop Chatard 9:58.52; 3, Cathedral 10:15.62.

High jump – 1, Kya Crooke (HC) 5-6; 2, tie, Anna Supe (PT) and Marissa Baker (Breb) 4-10.

Pole vault – 1, Kailee Swart (HC) 12-4; 2, Neva Harke (Her) 10-3; 3, Alise Price (Her) 10-3.

Long jump – 1, Emma Stapleton (BC) 16-10 ½; 2, Marissa Baker (Breb) 16-9; 3, Mi’Kya Bailey (LC) 16-7.

Shot put – 1, Savannah Nesmith (Breb) 39-3 ½; 2, Aliyah Moore (LC) 37-6 ½; 3, Amaya Chandler (NC) 33-11 ¼.

Discus – 1, Tracey Gooch (NC) 118-11; 2, Mckinzie Valasquez (NC) 108-2; 3, Sarah Wilcher 106-9.