Center Grove’s Dallas Johnson, left, takes the baton from Finn Sauer for the final leg of the 4x100 relay during the Greenfield-Central Regional on Thursday.
Rob Baker | For the Daily Journal
GREENFIELD
In retrospect, Jeremiah Carter’s celebratory backflip in the north end zone might not have been the best idea.
Rational thinking might have been a distant option considering the Greenwood junior had just qualified for the state meet in the long jump.
Turns out Carter, part of the second heat of jumpers at the Greenfield-Central Regional on Thursday, still had two preliminary and three finals tries to go.
“My best distance had been 20 feet, 9 inches, and that was a meet here,” said Carter, whose first try this time around covered 22-1 to eclipse the state standard. “I love jumping here. I’ve prepared so much for this. I feel like the adrenaline was kicking to me, and once I hit that board …
“It’s a blessing. Ever since I started long jumping last year, my goal was to go to state, and I just did it.”
As for the back flip?
“I’ve been doing that since I was 8,” he said, laughing.
Carter’s performance was one of numerous Johnson County-themed efforts that guaranteed plenty of local representation at state on June 1 at Indiana University.
Center Grove took home the team title with 107.83 points, outdistancing runner-up Franklin Central (92) and third-place Greenfield-Central (48). Greenwood finished fifth overall with 41 points.
Edinburgh junior Jackson Hartwell, who made it to regional in the long jump as a freshman, didn’t run track last spring but returned to the sport. His winning effort of 22-6¼ in the long jump proved to be one of the meet’s most impressive feats.
“Honestly, I really don’t know how to explain it,” Hartwell said. “The work paid off. I taught myself how to do long jump, and ever since I taught myself, I’ve been progressing.
“I wanted to stay in my own head, get a good jump, and anything can happen. If you get a perfect jump, anything can happen.”
Whiteland senior Benian Walls equaled the long jump qualifying standard of 22-0½, meaning he too is qualified for state.
Picking up first-place ribbons for Center Grove were junior Dallas Johnson in the 110-meter hurdles (14.45 seconds), the 4×100 relay of Ben Tapak, Johnson, Finn Sauer and Daxon Sauer (42.06), senior Gavin Rockwell in the 3,200 (9:18.30) and senior pole vaulter Carter Pheifer (14-6).
“It didn’t feel that great, but look at the time and I feel great,” Johnson said after winning hurdles. “This is the first time ever for me going to state. It feels awesome.”
The sprint relay barely edged Greenwood, which used junior Will Riley’s spirited final 100 meters to take second in 42.11. Earlier, Riley lowered his own school standard with a blistering 10.50 to win the 100-meter dash.
He won the 200 later in the meet, clocking a time of 22.10.
Finishing second in the 100 was CG junior Daxon Sauer, who, like the others about to make their state meet debut, was excited to be taking that next step.
“It feels awesome. I’m excited,” Sauer said. “The strategy was to get out fast. I know that really sets the tone for the 100 meter, and trying to stay with Will. My goal is to run a faster time than I did here (10.85).”
Franklin senior J.D. Sever impressed by winning the 300 hurdles in 38.32, while Tapak took second in 38.55. Sever also finished third in the 110s, so he’s headed to IU for both events.
“I feel like I’ve been improving all year. Just staying healthy this year has been good to me and just allowed me to reach the goals I’ve wanted to meet,” said Sever, who finished ninth at state in the 300s as a junior. “I just want to get on the podium in the 300s, and see what I can do in the 110s.”
Also making state for the Grizzly Cubs were Carson Sommers in the pole vault (second, 14-6) and Alex Leugers in the 100-meter dash (fourth, 10.93).
Greenwood’s 4×800 relay will be going to state for the first time since 2012. Columbus North won the event in 7:49.06, and the Woodmen quartet of juniors Jake Squier, Henry Barrett and Samuel Cassel Bertolet and senior anchor Sam Grimes placed second in 7:55.79.
“This is great. We’ve been shooting for it all season, and just to see it put on paper is amazing,” Grimes said. “We just had to get our minds right and imagine that we can run with the Columbus North kids. It’s everything. We just kind of use Columbus as our rabbit and just chase the whole time, which helped a lot.”
