Whiteland boys win Mid-State track title

<p>There truly was no place like home for the Whiteland boys track and field team on Tuesday evening.</p><p>The host Warriors ran away with the team title in the Mid-State Conference meet, finishing with 154.5 points to outdistance runner-up Plainfield (128).</p><p>Whiteland’s girls finished second behind Perry Meridian, getting outpointed 139 to 123.</p><p>&quot;Tonight was a great meet, for our boys and our girls team,&quot; Whiteland coach Brandon Bangel said. &quot;Across the board, the kids competed really, really well, a lot of personal bests, and they just competed at a high level and outscored where we were probably supposed to. I’m really, really pleased.&quot;</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery<p>The Warrior boys got a big day out of Will Jefferson, who hit the line first in both the 1,600 and 3,200 meters. Alec Given was a surprise winner in the 200-meter dash and took second in the 100, and Logan Beers was the winner in the discus. Whiteland also won the 4×100 relay, was second in the 4×800 and got runner-up finishes from Joey Brock in the 110 hurdles and Dalton DeBaun in the long jump.</p><p>Isabella Jackson and Reagan Emberton were double individual winners for the Warrior girls. Jackson set a new meet record in the 300 hurdles (45.37 seconds) and winning the high jump while also placing third in the 100 hurdles. Emberton was first in both the shot put and the discus, outdueling rival Emily Bonser of Greenwood.</p><p>&quot;It makes me want to practice more,&quot; Emberton said of her regular duels with Bonser. &quot;I do like having the competition; it makes me want to come and perform well.&quot;</p><p>Taylor Leytham ran a strong final leg as Whiteland’s girls overtook Plainfield to win the 4×800 relay. The Warriors also got a solid day out of Gabrielle Allen, who was second in the 100 hurdles and third in the 100 and 200. Erika Walling was second in the 3,200.</p><p>Lillian Lacy pulled away from the pack to win convincingly in both the 1,600 and 3,200 meters to lead Franklin’s girls, who wound up fourth in the team standings. Addison Utterback and Jaclyn Boardman finished 1-2 in the pole vault.</p><p>Greenwood’s girls, who finished sixth as a team, got an individual victory from Ava Leininger in the 800. Bonser was second in the discus and the shot.</p><p>Franklin’s dominated the boys 4×800 relay on the way to a third-place finish overall. Matt Frazier was the Grizzly Cubs’ top individual finisher, taking second in the pole vault.</p><p>Greenwood’s boys wound up fourth as a team but picked up some individual hardware. Nick Patton ran away with the 110 hurdles, finishing with a time of 15.17 seconds, and surged late to win the 300 hurdles as well. The senior teamed with Nick Willham, Zachary McCauley and Lex Logan to win the 4×400 relay.</p><p>&quot;I was coming over that second to last hurdle and I was just like, ‘This is my senior year; I’ve got to finish strong,’&quot; Patton said of his late rally in the 300 hurdles.</p><p>McCauley added another individual win for the Woodmen in the 800, and Logan was second in the 400.</p>