Center Groveճ Kate Henselmeier takes off at the start of the 400-meter dash during Saturday’s state meet.
Paige Grider | For the Daily Journal
BLOOMINGTON
Stakes were high during Saturday’s state meet for Center Grove senior Kate Henselmeier, but she was able to keep herself calm by reminding herself that she’ll be facing even higher ones in the future.
“Today, my focus was on having fun,” she said. “This was my last meet as a high schooler, the last time that there’s less pressure on me. I just came out here to have fun and run with some really fast girls; next year’s where it gets serious.”
Headed for the University of Central Florida in the fall, Henselmeier closed out her prep career with a pair of individual medals while helping the Trojans land at fifth in the team standings with 28 points.
It was a somewhat bittersweet day for Henselmeier, who had designs on winning a state championship in the 400-meter dash. Coming in as the top seed, she ran a season-best time of 55.46 seconds but wound up as the runner-up to Evansville Bosse’s Alexia Smith.
Henselmeier, though, also made the final in the 200 meters. After coming in as the 20th seed, she ran the second-fastest preliminary time at 24.64 seconds. By the time the final came around later in the evening, though, Henselmeier was battling both illness and a hamstring issue; she trotted across the line in ninth place (29.41) and didn’t risk more serious injury by participating in the 4×400 relay at night’s end.
“Obviously, I’m upset about the 400,” Henselmeier said. “I wanted to get first place; I was seeded first place. I think what’s making me feel better is I was seeded 20th in the 200, ended up getting ninth, had the second-fastest time of the day in it — so I think that’s an accomplishment in itself.”
Trojan senior Shelby Wingler earned a pair of medals herself, taking fourth in the discus with a top throw of 145 feet, 5 inches and matching that placement in the shot put with a heave of 44-3 1/2.
“I accomplished half of my goals,” the University of Kentucky recruit said. “Disc was to not do worse than I was seeded (fourth) and not have a repeat of last year; last year was a mess. I came away with two medals. I’m proud of my season. I’ve got four more years to look forward to, and big stuff this summer.”
Sophomore Khloie Walker also medaled for the Trojans, clearing 12 feet for the first time in the pole vault to finish third.
“I’m really proud of how I did, honestly,” she said. “I didn’t think I was going to do as well as I did, but I just kept going for it.”
Center Grove’s 4×800 relay team of Marissa Pogue, Diana Hodges, Lara Phipps and Hallie Mimbela was 13th (9:35.92). Pogue tied for 15th in the 800 (2:18.65), Hannah Smith tied for 18th in the pole vault (10-6), the 4×100 team of Olivia O’Haver, Channing Hazzard, Ashley Lauffer and Alana Riley was 18th (49.46) and Molly Tapak was 24th in the 100 hurdles (15.78). Phipps, Tapak, Pogue and Mimbela were 27th in the 4×400 (4:07.44).
Whiteland junior Tori Jackson closed her season in style, breaking her own school record in the 800-meter run (2:12.82) on the way to a fourth-place showing. She helped the Warriors end the night with 11 team points and a tie for 26th.
“It was really fast, but I just knew I’d worked hard all year for this meet,” Jackson said. “Going out there with some pretty fast girls was a really great opportunity to run really fast, and finishing the way I finished, a little (better) than I was supposed to place — I got fourth instead of fifth — it was pretty amazing. Just a great feeling.
“It makes me even hungrier to do even better next year.”
Warrior freshman Elnora Stevenson long jumped 18 feet, 5 1/4 inches on her first attempt, good for a school record and a spot in the finals. That leap held up as Stevenson’s best and got her onto the podium in eighth place. Whiteland collected two more medals in the discus, with Addison Emberton placing eighth (125-5) and Brooklyn Taylor landing in ninth (124-5).
The Warriors’ 4×100 relay squad of Sydney Rodgers, Emma Gill, Marissa Kratowicz and Stevenson finished 15th (48.85).
Franklin finished the day with three medalists and seven points (33rd). Sophomore Aubrey Runyon made it into the final of the 100-meter hurdles, where she came in eighth with a time of 15.00 seconds. Senior teammates Morgan Sandrock and Brooke Coffman wound up seventh and eighth in the high jump with respective bests of 5-6 and 5-5.
Runyon appeared poised to add a second medal in the 300 hurdles, where she was leading her heat before falling on the final hurdle. She got up and finished, ending up 27th in 54.86 seconds.
“I was going for it; I really was,” Runyon said of her effort in the 300s. “But everyone falls at some point.”
Grizzly Cub junior Lauren Klem was 11th in the 1,600 meters with a school-record time of 5:04.52. Coffman added a 24th-place finish in the 300 hurdles (47.47).
Both of the other county representatives also picked up points.
Greenwood junior Amy Luttrell earned another pole vault medal, finishing fifth after clearing 12 feet. Teammate Emma Gardner was 12th in the discus (122-7) and 17th in the shot put (38-9 1/2).
Indian Creek’s 4×800 relay quartet of Abby Fleetwood, Libby Dowty, Phoebe Dowty and Paige Iaria got onto the podium, finishing ninth with a season-best time of 9:21.68.
“This was my goal all year,” Fleetwood said. “I didn’t really have a good leg, but my teammates had my back and that’s the best part.”
