COLUMBUS
As long as trophies are handed out for winning boys track and field sectionals, anticipate Center Grove’s best possible effort.
On Thursday, the second-ranked Trojans dominated the Columbus North site on a variety of fronts, accruing 194 points to win their 16th title while assuring representation in 13 events at next week’s Warren Central Regional.
“I thought we came out and did the things tonight that we were supposed to do,” Center Grove coach Eric Moore said. “We had some really outstanding performances and outstanding performers. When it’s all said and done, it’s about team, and you do everything you can to get your team to advance in every event.
“It used to be about getting kids through, but there’s a trophy and someone’s going to be champion, and we want to be it.”
The Trojans excelled in many areas, particularly the sprints with sophomore Micah Coyle winning the 100-meter dash in 11.20 seconds to teammate Brandon Wheat’s 11.21 and the 11.40 run by Greenwood senior and third-place finisher Tanner Allen.
Wheat and Coyle reversed roles in the 200 with the former winning in 22.16 seconds. Coyle was runner-up and Whiteland freshman Matthew Wray third. The Warriors were third in the final team standings with 89½ points; Franklin’s total of 49 was good for fifth.
Whiteland senior Will Jefferson dominated the 3,200-meter run in a time of 9:31.86. Earlier in the evening, Jefferson led the first three laps of the 1,600, but Columbus North junior Reese Kilbarger-Stumpff impressed with his kick over the final 100 meters to win in 4:13.59 to Jefferson’s 4:14.44.
“That was really tactical,” said Jefferson of the duel in the 1,600. “I led basically the whole race, but he showed the better kick there, so props to him. We actually haven’t raced that much against each other, but he’s a really good miler.”
Center Grove freshman Kyle Montgomery also advanced in the 3,200, taking third in 9:38.58. Trojans senior Jackson Schott won the high jump with a best of 6-foot-2. He had the bar raised to 6-4, but narrowly missed all three attempts.
‘I’m definitely happy with how I did because it’s a win,” Schott said. “I’m still looking to improve, and hopefully, I want to hit 6-6. I’ve been trying 6-4 for the past couple of weeks, so we’ll just see how it goes.”
Schott also helped his squad go 1-2 in the long jump, his top effort of 21-3 1/2 falling just short of teammate Connor Delp, who soared 21-7 1/2. Moments later, Schott’s brother James, a junior, clocked a time of 15.64 in the 110-meter hurdles to best sophomore teammate Parker Doyle (16.22).
Delp’s night was far from done. He led off the victorious 4×100 relay and anchored the first-place 4×400 quartet. In between, he won the 300 hurdles in 39.62. Teammate Earl Ridlen was second and Franklin’s Gregory Hueston third.
The Trojans’ Amar Singh won the pole vault, tying his personal-best height of 14 feet. Center Grove soph Dylan Shelley was third, clearing 11-0. In the shot put, Whiteland sophomore Dalton Hughes had a best toss of 50 feet, 11 inches to qualify for regional with a third-place finish.
Greenwood junior Brayden Gardner also netted a third-place ribbon, qualifying for regional in the discus with a best toss of 153-0. Franklin’s 4×800 relay placed second in a time of 8:24.91. Also moving on was Center Grove’s third-place effort of 8:28.04.
“They ran solid. Hot weather. It wasn’t their best time, but a solid time,” Franklin coach Mike Hall said of his 4×800 group. “They ran, I thought, very intelligently and competitively.”
In the 800, Center Grove’s Raef Sauer and Franklin’s Ethan Pheifer took second and third, respectively. The Trojans coasted in the sprint relays, with the 4×100 and 4×400 clocking respective times of 42.37 seconds and 3:25.96. Whiteland’s 4×100 relay qualified by placing third
Johnson County finished 1-2-3 in the 400, with Zach Greller and Tayven Jackson of Center Grove along with Indian Creek senior Mason Britt.
