INDIANAPOLIS
Photo finishes are fast becoming second nature to Center Grove sprinter Brandon Wheat.
The junior has already been part of three this season, with two of them taking place Friday night at the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference meet at Pike.
Not long after taking second in the 100-meter dash by the narrowest of margins to Warren Central senior Ahijah Sandifer — 10.748 seconds to 10.750 — Wheat was back to anchor the Trojans’ 4×100 relay.
This time around, his lean was good enough to lead Center Grove to first in 42.55 seconds compared to Carmel’s 42.58.
“(Sandifer) and I raced a week ago at the Southport Relays. A 10.90 for both of us,” said Wheat, who joined forces with Connor Delp, Micah Coyle and Drew Wheat in the 4×100 and later claimed the 200 title in a time of 22.10. “It’s always fun racing against him.”
Both the girls and boys squads featured their share of conference champions in cold, windy conditions. Due to the meet running late, final team scores weren’t available in time for the Daily Journal’s deadline.
Senior Makensie Kramer blazed a time of 14.81 in the girls 100 hurdles for what is now the state’s best clocking this season. Trojans junior Skylar Sichting placed second in 15.51 seconds.
“I was just focusing on my own race and go fast and win,” said Kramer after picking up her first MIC title. “It feels pretty awesome. I enjoy the competition because it pushes me to have good times and be better.”
Center Grove pole vaulter Taylor Jarosinski, the state runner-up two seasons ago, shortened her approach due to the weather and still cleared 12 feet, 3 inches to win her specialty.
“Wind is such a mental thing,” Jarosinski said. “Obviously, it does affect your pole drop, but we came in today expecting wind and tried to accommodate for that, so we started from a three-step and pushed it back to a four.
“At that point, it’s, like, okay, let’s get a short-approach PR and do what we can and just try to win the meet.”
Center Grove went 1-2 in the girls shot put as sophomore Shelby Wingler’s best of 40-10 edged out the 39-2 of senior Ella Rasche. Wingler finished runner-up in discus with a best toss of 117-9. Bella Hodges also picked up a win for Center Grove, winning the 800 in 2:20.57.
“Carolyn Schott got second in the high jump, and that was a nice bonus,” Trojans girls coach Wes Dodson noted.
The first boys race of the night went to Center Grove as the 4×800 relay consisting of Raef Sauer, Christian Antal, Kyle Montgomery and Jarret Rockwell held off Carmel to win in a time of 8:19.78.
“I knew that backstretch was going to have a lot of wind coming at me, and I could tell after we came across that first 400 that (Carmel runner) was starting to break down a little bit,” said Rockwell, who ran the anchor leg.
“I knew on that backstretch is when I needed to start to make a move. We hit that 700 mark, 100 meters to go and I just knew that I could get him. I had to make sure I had the will to do more than he did.”
Rockwell concluded his night with a second in the 800, running a 1:58.95 to finish just behind North Central’s Nate Killeen.
