Carly VonDielingen has qualified for the state meet in both the shot put and discus.
Daily Journal file photo
The auxiliary gym inside the north building at Whiteland Community High School has served its purpose well over the past half century or so.
Bells and whistles aren’t part of the equation. Only effort and sweat.
The no-frills confines have helped progress the skills of Warrior sophomores Carly VonDielingen and Sophia Dyer, both of whom make their state meet debuts today in the throws.
Both will compete in the discus; VonDielingen also qualified in the shot put.
“It’s kind of weird. I don’t think it’s fully set in yet that I’m going to be throwing against some of the best throwers in the state,” said VonDielingen, who finished third in both the shot and discus at the Shelbyville Regional.
“I definitely think the size of our team, how we kept less people, helped. And I think the rain helped. The field would be flooded, so we would go to the gym, and there you can really focus on your footwork and technique.”
Mother Nature’s unpredictable mood, often frowned upon this time of year due to the constant event rescheduling that goes on, has been one of their greatest allies.
VonDielingen threw 41 feet in the shot at regional, falling just short of her personal best of 41-4¾ from the Zionsville Invitational in April. She also tossed the discus 145-8 at Zionsville; her regional best was 132-7. Dyer’s regional performance peaked with a throw of 125-1.
VonDielingen and Dyer, usually among the tallest girls in their class while growing up, forged a close friendship that dates back to early elementary school.
“Sophia is the one who actually got me into track,” said VonDielingen, who is a teammate of Dyer in volleyball and basketball as well. “I would say she’s my best friend. We’ve always been there for each other.
“Just knowing you get to share that moment with someone you’ve worked so hard with; we balance each other out really well.”
As freshmen, VonDielingen and Dyer joined a few other members of the Whiteland girls basketball team at the state track and field meet to cheer on teammates and Warrior throwers Brooklyn Taylor and Addison Emberton.
The experience served as extra motivation for VonDielingen and Dyer to be on the same stage this spring.
“Me and Carly definitely talked about that over the summer,” Dyer said. “It’s really great that we both made it. Last year, we were throwing good numbers as freshmen, and this year we grew a lot.
“I definitely want to place top 10, and it would be awesome to place top five. I definitely need to relax and act like it’s an everyday meet.”
Whiteland coach Brandon Bangel, not one to pay close attention to state meet seedings based on what transpired at regional, wants VonDielingen and Dyer to remember what got them to this point.
That includes those practices inside the auxiliary gym, and the lessons that came with them.
“We thought going into the season that both of them had a chance to advance to state,” Bangel said. “One thing I’ve learned, especially with discus, it’s about who has it that day. We just continue to do what we’ve done all season, and where that lands them is where it lands them.
“It’s about performing to the best of their ability.”
IF YOU GO
IHSAA State Finals
When: 3 p.m. (field events), 4:15 p.m. (running events)
Where: Robert C. Haugh Track & Field Complex, Indiana University
Admission: $15 per person, ages 5 and under are free; all tickets digital
