High school girls track preview

<p>Heading into last year’s postseason meets, Isabella Jackson had a fairly modest set of expectations for herself. Earning a medal at state wasn’t a part of that.</p><p>She got one anyway. Now, the Whiteland sophomore is thinking bigger.</p><p>After qualifying for the state meet in the 300-meter hurdles and the high jump as a freshman, finishing fifth in the former, Jackson comes into this season with an eye toward the top of the podium.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]<p>Whiteland coach Brandon Bangel is looking in that same direction.</p><p>“She’s so much stronger than she was a year ago,” Bangel said of Jackson. “She’s more confident in herself as an athlete than she was a year ago, and I think her mindset — and I know my mindset coaching her — is to try to win the state in the 300 hurdles this year.</p><p>“I don’t think there’s any reason why she’s not at least in the mix when we get to Bloomington in June.”</p><p>Especially not if she can make the same kind of progress that she did in the final weeks of her rookie campaign. Coming in with a regular-season best of 47.29 seconds, Jackson ran the 300 hurdles in 46.40 at the sectional, finishing second. She was third a week later at the regional, running a 45.98, and then lopped more than a second off of that time with a 44.81 in Bloomington.</p><p>That performance helped make Jackson realize what she is capable of.</p><p>“It gave me an extra boost to help give me some confidence that I can get up there even higher this year and do even better,” she said.</p><p>Jackson made similar strides in the high jump. After barely getting out of the sectional with a top height of 4 feet, 10 inches, she cleared 5-6 at the regional and then went 5-5 at state to finish 13th there.</p><p>Bangel, who said that he saw the high jump as Jackson’s strong suit when she entered high school, believes that she can be a state podium finisher in that event as well with a couple of small technical changes. He’s also hopeful that she can qualify for state in the 100 hurdles after placing fifth in the regional last spring.</p><p>The soft-spoken Jackson has also pushed her teammates to make improvements just by setting an example with her own efforts in practice.</p><p>“Anytime we’ve had that real elite athlete, it seems like the team has followed suit,” Bangel said. “Whether that was with Ryder (Emberton) in 2016 and ‘17, Djimmon (Ogega) back in the day, anytime we’ve had those kids, it seems like it’s raised the level of expectation for the team. And with Bella being so young, it’s going to be exciting to see how that builds over the next three years.”</p><p>To win the 300 hurdles this year, Bangel estimates that Jackson will have to run close to, or even under, 43 seconds. The returning champion, Chatard senior Beth Barnes, won with a 43.76 last June.</p><p>Given that Jackson knocked almost two and a half seconds off of her personal best during the last three meets of her freshman season, Bangel isn’t taking any possibilities off the table for her this year and beyond.</p><p>“I’m not betting against her with anything,” he said, “because she’s really one of the hardest workers we have, and talent-wise, she’s as talented a girl as I’ve ever coached. It’s exciting.”</p>[sc:pullout-title pullout-title="Scouting the county" ][sc:pullout-text-begin]<p><span>Center Grove Trojans</span></p><p>Coach: Wes Dodson</p><p>Last season: Won county and sectional titles, second at regional, 17th at state meet</p><p>Top returnees: Stephanie Embree, Nina Fujii, Julia Riley and Riko Williams, seniors; Gabrielle Harrell and Kiyah Yeast, juniors; Taylor Jarosinski, Makensie Kramer, Brooke Lee, Ella Rasche and Sadie Schemmell, sophomores</p><p>Key newcomers: Hudson Gilstorf, freshman</p><p>Outlook: With one of the state’s top sprinters in Yeast, a versatile star in Riley and a rising young pole vaulter in Jarosinski, the Trojans should again be a force. Dodson feels confident that his team can retain its county and sectional titles and perhaps challenge Warren Central for regional supremacy. Rasche, who missed much of last season due to injury, could make an impact in the throws, and Center Grove is again deep in the distance races.</p><p><span>Edinburgh Lancers</span></p><p>Coach: Alex Jackson</p><p>Last season: Finished 11th at Franklin Sectional</p><p>Top returnees: Elle Dayton, Marsha Vandiver and Malkia Willard, sophomores</p><p>Key newcomer: Trisha Kramp, freshman</p><p>Outlook: With most of last year’s team gone, first-year coach Jackson will try to start the building process with a small group of underclassmen. Dayton and Willard will compete in the throws, while Kramp and Vandiver will run middle distance.</p><p><span>Franklin Grizzly Cubs</span></p><p>Coach: Ray Lane</p><p>Last season: Second at sectional, seventh at regional</p><p>Top returnees: Chloe Selking, Rachel Simmons, Addison Utterback and Lia Vawter, seniors; Mikayla Zoellner, junior; Cami Kelsay and Lillian Lacy, sophomores</p><p>Key newcomers: Macy Doublin and Jenna Newton, freshmen</p><p>Outlook: Leading the way for a deep Grizzly Cubs team are a pair of 2018 state qualifiers in Kelsay and Simmons, who head a strong group of sprinters. Lacy and Newton, both All-County cross country runners in the fall, lead the distance crew, with Utterback (pole vault), Vawter (high jump) and Zoellner (throws) expected to excel in the field.</p><p><span>Greenwood Woodmen</span></p><p>Coach: Blaine Williams</p><p>Last season: Fifth at sectional, 10th at regional</p><p>Top returnees: Emily Bonser, Janae Johnson and McKenzie McClarney, seniors; Julia Arruda, Mallory Watson and Riley Weber; Siena Halfaker, Ava Leininger and Isabella Zekalo, sophomores</p><p>Key newcomers: Lauren Brown, Ruby Olston, Lauren Pritchett, Madison Ramsey and Belle Roscoe, freshmen</p><p>Outlook: Last year’s top point scorer, Hanna Anderson, graduated, but Williams is hoping that he can make up the difference with depth. Bonser was a state qualifier in the throws, Arruda, Leininger and Watson headline a solid distance group, and Halfaker, Johnson and Weber are expected to be strong in the hurdles. If a few stars can emerge from that group, Greenwood could be a factor in the conference and sectional meets.</p><p><span>Greenwood Christian Cougars</span></p><p>Coach: Joe Slater</p><p>Last season: Finished 10th at Franklin Sectional</p><p>Top returnee: Anna Subris, senior</p><p>Key newcomers: Hannah Farley and Ashtyn Witte, sophomores; Kirsten Carlson and Whitney Smith, freshmen</p><p>Outlook: Slater has a strong centerpiece in Subris, a three-time regional qualifier in cross country who hopes to make it at least that far in the 800 meters. Smith could also make a splash in the middle distances, and Slater feels good about putting together a good enough 4×400 relay team to break the school. The Cougars don’t have enough depth to contend for team titles, but they should be able to score some points at the county and sectional meets.</p><p><span>Indian Creek Braves</span></p><p>Coach: Brady Devine</p><p>Last season: Eighth at sectional, 25th at regional</p><p>Top returnees: Shaelyn Biddle, Marissa Smith and Bailey Woods, seniors; Tessa Alexander and Lissy Vanette, juniors; Luci Woodrum, sophomore</p><p>Key newcomer: Amanda Ulerick, freshman</p><p>Outlook: The Braves don’t have the depth to compete with the area’s big dogs from a team standpoint, but Devine believes he has some individuals who can contend at county and sectional and perhaps make some noise at a state level. Biddle is probably the best hope to make such a splash, especially in the 800-meter run. Woods (hurdles) and Woodrum (distance) should also have strong seasons.</p><p><span>Whiteland Warriors</span></p><p>Coach: Brandon Bangel</p><p>Last season: Fourth at sectional, fifth at regional, tied for 41st at state meet</p><p>Top returnees: Reagan Emberton, senior; Taylor Leytham, junior; Gabrielle Allen and Isabella Jackson, sophomores</p><p>Key newcomers: Katia Olmstead and Gabrielle Vargo, freshmen</p><p>Outlook: With a pair of returning state qualifiers in Emberton (throws) and Jackson (300 hurdles and high jump), a versatile budding star in Allen and a solid distance contingent, the Warriors may have their best team in recent memory. Bangel expects his girls to be in the mix for the Mid-State Conference crown, and the top-end performers should enable the team to score well in the postseason.</p>[sc:pullout-text-end]