Several Area Athletes Excel At Hoosier State Relays
Posted
Staff Report-
WEST LAFAYETTE – Five Times-Union area schools were represented in the finals of the Hoosier State Relays on the campus of Purdue University on Saturday. Warsaw’s Lady Tigers had the best finish of any local team, completing the day with 20 points, good for 12th place overall in the large-school division. The Lady Tigers were most successful with their relay teams. The 4x800 quartet of Hannah Dawson, Dayton Groninger, Brooke Rhodes and Kenzie Martz set a school record with a time of 9:40.34, good for fifth place. Both the 4x200 team (Audrey Rich, Samantha Alexander, Abbi Curtis, Maygan Bellamy) and the distance medley relay (Anna Craig, Angie Sanchez-Vigil, Allison Miller and Mia Beckham) ran the second-fastest time in school history in their events, and each finished seventh overall. The top eight finishers in each event earned All-State honors. The 4x400 relay team of Bellamy, Alexander, Beckham and Rich was 13th. Alexander earned all-state honors with a fourth-place finish in the long jump with a leap of 17 feet, 11.75 inches. Beckham was ninth in the 3200 with a time of 11:13.90 and Miller was 17th in 11:29.10. Beckham’s time was a personal best and the thir-fastest in Warsaw history. Warsaw’s boys were represented by three student-athletes; Brock Riley was 13th in the high jump (6-2), Tommy Hickerson was 18th in the long jump (19-9.25) and Dylan Childers was 19th in the shot put (45-5). Manchester’s Rae Bedke was fouth in the small school division girls 3200 (11:31.67), and Colin McNeeley was fourth in the 60 (7.06). Tommy Rohr was 12th in the boys 3200 (9:54.66). The Lady Squires distance medley relay team of Bedke, Alyssa Peyton, Sarah Rohr and Jaelyn Webb earned all-state honors with a seventh-place finish in 13:53.8. The boys 4x200 relay team of McNeeley, Lance Bennett, Elisiel Guerrero-Davila and Nick Wagner was 14th in 1:38.44. “Everyone bettered their seeds and times,” said Manchester head track coach Julie Cassel. “We had a great day.” Whitko teammates Walker Hobbs and Gavin Howard finished third and fourth, respectively, in the shot put. Junior Alex Morales earned all-state recognition with an eighth-place finish in the 60 hurdles (8.84). Alex Wilson was 12th in the 60 (7.41). Tippecanoe Valley senior Lexi O’Connell earned all-state status with a fourth-place finish in the 60 hurdles, completing the distance in 9.38 seconds. Makayla Ruiz was 17th in the shot (30-6) and Valley’s 4x200 relay team finished 21st. Wawasee’s Katlyn Kennedy was 18th in the shot put with a throw of 35-6. “Katlyn battled and had a very promising warm-up. She threw over 39 feet in warm-ups,” said Wawasee head coach Scott Lancaster. “I know she was disappointed with the competition result, but coach Scot McDowell was pleased with Katlyn’s warmup. “She demonstrated that her best throws are ahead of her and sh’s very close to putting it together.”
