Center Grove senior Parker Doyle is the Daily Journal’s Athlete of the Year in boys track and field.
Daily Journal file photo
One of the more indelible — and, yes, heartbreaking — images of the state meet earlier this month was Parker Doyle laying horizontal a short distance from the finish line.
In time, the Center Grove senior replaced it with a joyous, arms-raised pose the final few meters.
Worst to first. Outhouse to penthouse. Humiliation to adulation.
Refer to Doyle’s 180-degree turn in performance and emotion however you please. Just know the Daily Journal’s boys track and field Athlete of the Year eventually bounced back to win the 300-meter hurdles and run the third leg of the Trojans’ victorious 4×400 relay.
“It was crazy. There were so many emotions that I had to deal with that day. It was overwhelming,” Doyle said. “At first, it was embarrassment. Then I went back up to the tent and felt angry.
“I was just angry at myself. The fall didn’t really hurt at first, but once I got back up to the tent, my (left) knee was pretty banged up. But I knew I would be okay.”
During a preliminary race in the 110s, Doyle jumped too high on the eighth and ninth hurdles, throwing off his rhythm to the point where he hit the top of the 10th and final hurdle.
Just like that, he was out of his best event — but he had two more remaining.
Doyle’s heat in the 300s produced a time of 37.78 seconds, making him the Trojans’ third state champion in the event, joining Conner Stapleton (2013) and Justin Veteto (2014).
The Trojans’ 4×400 relay of Micah Coyle, Brevin Holubar, Doyle and anchor Zach Greller capped off the meet with a first-place finish in 3:16.41. This, too, was the third time a Center Grove group won the event, the first two coming in 2011 and 2016.
Outgoing coach Eric Moore, who put Center Grove boys track on the map in his 24 seasons, witnessed numerous inspirational storylines during his tenure.
Doyle’s bounce-back was a first.
“Usually, when someone goes south, they continue to go south for the next week or so,” Moore said. “It shows a lot of character and pride. A lot of kids would make an excuse, and Parker didn’t do that. I’m real proud of him.”
Doyle will attend Indiana State University where he’ll major in mechanical engineering design and be part of the men’s track and field team.
It’s the continuation of a journey that only two years ago seemed unlikely.
“Looking back, at the beginning of my sophomore year, I never thought this would be my future,” Doyle said. “At the beginning of my junior year, I felt myself getting faster. After that, I was all in.”
ALL-COUNTY TEAM
The 2023 All-County team for boys track and field:
Parker Doyle, Center Grove senior: Qualified for three events at state meet, winning the 300-meter hurdles in 37.78 seconds and running third leg of Trojans’ victorious 4×400 relay … Won regional championships in 110 hurdles (14.33) and 300 hurdles (39.27) … Will run track at Indiana State University.
Zach Greller, Center Grove senior: Ended the state meet with baton in hand after anchoring the Trojans’ championship 4×400 relay team … Also finished 10th at state in 400-meter dash in 48.65 seconds … Sectional champion in the 400 … Will run track at Indiana University.
Garrett Messer, Center Grove senior: Competed in two events at state meet, winning sixth-place medal in shot put with school-record heave of 57 feet, 6½ inches while also finishing 16th in discus … Regional champion in discus and third in the shot … Will compete in track and field at Indiana University.
Kyle Montgomery, Center Grove junior: Barely missed medaling at state with a 10th-place effort in the 1,600-meter run, finishing in 4 minutes, 16.57 seconds … Third-place finisher in the 1,600 at both regional (4:21.28) and sectional (4:23.01).
Scott Parrish, Whiteland senior: Two-time state meet medalist in the pole vault after clearing 14 feet, 9 inches to take seventh earlier this month … Won Mid-State Conference and Johnson County titles as well as both sectional and regional, where he cleared 15 feet … Will vault for Huntington University.
Will Riley, Greenwood sophomore: Burst onto the scene by lowering school’s four-decade old standards in the 100- and 200-meter dashes … Capped season with third-place state performance in the 100 with record mark of 10.71 seconds … Also ran the 200 and anchored 4×100 relay for Woodmen this season.
Jarret Rockwell, Center Grove senior: Tenth-place finisher at state meet in 800-meter dash, clocking a time of 1:54.70 … Placed third at regional in 1:56.73 and was sectional runner-up in 1:58.99.
Tayton Schakel, Whiteland senior: Took home a seventh-place state medal in the discus with a best effort of 170 feet, 10 inches … Was third at regional with a best of 169-1 and second at sectional with top toss of 164-1.
J.D. Sever, Franklin junior: Finished in ninth place at state in 300-meter hurdles with a time of 39.35 seconds … Sectional runner-up in 300s (39.98) and third at regional (40.36) … finished fourth at sectional in 110-meter hurdles (16.08).
Matthew Wray, Whiteland junior: Took third in the 200-meter dash at state meet with a time of 21.49 seconds … Won 200 and 400 at Johnson County meet … Sectional and regional champion in 200 … Part of state-qualifying 4×100 relay.
Caden York, Center Grove senior: Advanced to state meet in long jump, finishing 11th with a distance of 21 feet, 5¼ inches … Placed third at regional by jumping 21-4¾ and was first at sectional with best of 21-2¾.
Honorable mention
Lance Butler, Indian Creek; Peyton Coffey, Center Grove; Micah Coyle, Center Grove; Henry Fleetwood, Indian Creek; Sam Grimes, Greenwood; Griffin Hennessy, Center Grove; Brevin Holubar, Center Grove; Dalton Hughes, Whiteland; Parker Mimbela, Center Grove; Luke Neibert, Indian Creek; Jamal Nyonteh, Whiteland; Carter Pheifer, Center Grove; Gavin Rockwell, Center Grove; Ari Smith, Franklin; Elliott Spangler, Whiteland; Adrian Unger, Whiteland; Mason Vrshek, Center Grove
