Trojan sprinter Yeast kicking into another gear

<p><strong>T</strong>he scene at the Columbus North Invitational earlier this month was one that has become familiar to local track fans these past few years — Kiyah Yeast pulling away from the field and coasting to an easy victory.</p><p>Those victories seem to be coming more easily than ever. The area’s top sprinter since she was a Center Grove freshman, Yeast is moving even faster at the start of her junior season.</p><p>Her 100-meter dash time of 11.94 seconds in Columbus was just off the school record of 11.90 that she set with a fourth-place finish at last year’s state meet. In the 200, Yeast finished in 24.69, a quarter of a second faster than her sixth-place state time.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]<p>Seeing times that fast this early in the season has Yeast excited about what could happen over the next two months.</p><p>“I didn’t really touch anywhere near those times until sectionals last year,” she said, “so running them first meet out just shows I really have the potential to make my goals this year. I’m really starting out fast, so there’s no telling where I’m going to end up by the time state comes around.”</p><p>Yeast has also made improvements in the 400, a distance she usually only runs on the Trojans’ final relay team. Her split of 58.0 seconds at Columbus North would comfortably qualify her for state as an individual, but with Center Grove expected to contend for a state medal in the 4×100 this year, coach Wes Dodson isn’t likely to put Yeast in a third individual event.</p><p>The time that Yeast has knocked off over the past year can be largely attributed to the gains she’s made in the weight room.</p><p>“She’s just getting stronger,” Dodson said. “It’s such a big deal to get in the weight room and get stronger, and she’s so much stronger. I think also just getting used to it and understanding what’s expected. She just looks great.”</p><p>Yeast has noticed improvements in her endurance as well, noting that she “can carry my speed through my races longer this year.”</p><p>With only a handful of meets this spring likely to present her any serious challenges, Yeast often has to find motivation from within to keep herself going at top speed. The big push right now comes from trying to solidify her future.</p><p>For athletes with dreams of competing at a high level in college, junior year is usually the most important. Yeast, who wants to run for a school in the ACC, Big Ten or SEC, knows that she needs to stay in top form to attract those coaches’ attention.</p><p>“Coaches will be looking at my times,” Yeast said, “so I know that if I want to earn a scholarship I’m going to need to be running fast times no matter the competition.”</p><p>At season’s end, the competition will be much stiffer. Yeast is one of four girls who return after finishing in the top six of both the 100 and 200 at last year’s state meet, along with reigning 100-meter champ Semira Killebrew of Brebeuf, 200-meter winner Tionna Brown of Kokomo and conference rival Mikeisha Covington of Warren Central, who was also first in the 400.</p><p>Yeast believes that anyone in that group is capable of winning on a given day — herself included.</p><p>“There are a lot of good girls in this state, and we’re all pretty close together, so I feel like when we get to state it’s just a matter of who’s going after it that day.”</p><p>With her focus on earning scholarship opportunities this season, Yeast isn’t going to try expanding her repertoire at all, save for maybe a stray 400-meter run in a dual meet or two. But that hasn’t stopped her from teasing Dodson about it here and there.</p><p>“She was messing around the other day, telling me she’s going to long jump next year,” Dodson recalled, “and I said, ‘I know you’d be really good at it, but there’s probably no way that I’d want to risk anything like that.’”</p><p>Not yet, at least.</p><p>“Maybe next year, if I’m signed already, I might do it as something fun other than running,” Yeast said.</p><p>Her competition on the track would likely welcome such a reprieve.</p>[sc:pullout-title pullout-title="If you go" ][sc:pullout-text-begin]<p><p><strong>Johnson County meet</strong></p><p>Where: Whiteland High School</p><p>When: 4:30 p.m.</p><p>Defending champion: Center Grove (boys and girls)</p>[sc:pullout-text-end]