After the clouds put on a lightning display to halt to the Bloomington South girls track sectional on Tuesday, the Panthers girls took over from there with a flashy display of their own Wednesday, May 20 when the meet finished up.
The Panthers dominated a still rainy day with perhaps an all-time performance, scoring the most points ever at the local sectional, with 207½ topping North’s 189 in 2019 thanks to nine individual titles and a sweep of the relays.
South went 1-2 in five events and broke five meet records and a school record. Just another ‘wow’ moment in a long line of many for this group and its powerful senior class.
“I’m thrilled with how they did,” South coach Jill Rensink said. “Not the greatest conditions for us and to have to come back and go again today. I’m thrilled. I think they’ve all wrapped their brains around the fact that we have a shot to do something pretty special this year and they have all bought into it.”
Double individual winners included senior Ellie Barada, who blasted a school record 4:43.73 (beating her record mark from a week ago by .2 and the meet record by 11 seconds) and won the 800 in 2:11.86. Junior Lexi Kollbaum, who had a career best 4:50.01 and a 2:16.88 in those races respectively, was second in both races. They book ended the winning 4×800 relay (9:21.27) and 4×400 relay (meet record 3:59.09).
Senior Adriene Shaevitz swept the hurdles, winning the 100s in a meet record 14.05 and the 300s in 46.46. Senior Helena Cutshall was first in the 100 (12.59) and won long jump (16-10½). Both helped the 4×100 relay win in a meet record 48.38, third best ever time for the Panthers.
“(Cutshall) has had such a hard time with injuries (knee, back),” Rensink said. “So, to see her come out of here with three sectional titles is great.”
Senior Violet Hall, the 4×100 relay anchor, took the 200 in 25.54 while senior Jasmine Martoglio roared past the meet record by 11 seconds in the 3,200 with a career best 10:38.70, just four seconds from sister Aurelia’s school record.
“She’s been waiting for that for a while,” Rensink said.
But for Rensink, it was great to see several freshmen and sophomores not only contribute to the team score but also earn some valuable experience next week at regional.
Freshman Reese Robertson has taken to high jump, winning with a career best 5-4, snaking over on her last attempt. Freshman Claire Hill was runner-up in both hurdles at 15.18 and 47.28. Sophomore Edith Long was a runner-up in the 200 (26.91) and third in the 400 (1:02.07) and sophomore Chelsea Johnson was third in pole vault (9-0).
“Edie qualified for two events in her first year really running track,” Rensink said. “There’s more in there that we haven’t tapped yet. Reece was phenomenal. I think in middle school she went 4-8. Claire just keeps getting better. She had two PRs today.
“It’s really promising to see we have some freshmen heading to regionals.”
The top three in each event automatically advanced, while the next four best competitors in each event will be pulled up from the combined results from the sectionals at Bloomington, Columbus, Madison and Seymour.
North was second at 116½, then Edgewood at 103½ as the top three far outstripped the field. Brown County (35) and Martinsville (34) rounded out the top five. Eastern Greene (27) and Owen Valley (20) went 7-8.
Edgewood’s Crider stays busy
When Edgewood senior Macey Crider is not busy running, she’s busy running.
South’s shot put area is well outside the fence around the track and up a small rise behind the visiting bleachers.
Crider made it through with a runner-up finish in the 100 at 12.76 and anchored the 4×100 relay team of Kelsey Davis, Ella LaRoche and Langley Hill to second and a school record 50.00, .15 better than the old mark from conference.
Somewhere in between those races, she ducked out to win shot put with a 38-2.
“We scratched her from the 200 just because it was one more prelim and final and back and forth,” Edgewood coach Kyle Walter said. “I think she missed out on some warm-up time over there at shot because she always just doing whatever she has to do. She doesn’t get that controlled environment like the others.
“I think she was a little reluctant when we initially presented it to her.”
Crider was in the weight room one day when assistant coach Scott Fischer had her throw a medicine ball against the wall as hard as she could. Watching the result, Fischer told her she could be a 40-foot shot put thrower.
“She loves it now,” Walter said. “It’s been fun to watch.”
Edgewood had two other sectional champs as sophomore Mikayla Prater tossed a 127-8 on a wet surface to start the finals in discus while LaRoche made it over 10-0 to win pole vault.
“We’ve been really lucky this year with all three of those girls,” Walter said. “And they should all three have a really good chance to get out next week.”
Senior Hannah Crain was second in the 3,200 (11:14.78) and fourth in the 1,600 (5:03.33), which is likely to get called up. Ava Norton was also third in shot put and Davis was third in the 300 hurdles.
North’s Winkle making strides
North sophomore Sophie Winkle has taken some huge steps, and as a result, earned spots at regional with a PR of 15.42 for third in the 100s hurdles and taking second in the long jump at 16-2¼. She was also fourth in the 300 hurdles (PR 48.08) with a likely call back.
“You just look at the growth from last year and see how much she’s improved,” North coach Justin Helmer said. “She didn’t long jump last year, and all around, we just don’t have jumpers right now. We asked her to try long jump at the beginning of the year. It was 13 feet, but then all of a sudden, its 15 feet and now 16.
“She just wants to be good and she’s dedicated to this sport. She gets emotional. She gets pumped up when she does well and frustrated when she doesn’t, but that’s just the competitor in her. She has been absolutely great.”
North’s lone sectional champ was another sophomore, Lucah Feagans, in the 400 with a PR of 59.96, while junior Ashley Greer was a double qualifier in the shot put (34-7½) and discus (117-6), taking second in both. Jossilyn Draughn was third in the 200. All three relays got through as well.
North is expecting a few call-ups, with Hayden McGuire going 2:18.29 in the 800 but settling for fourth.
“I think we got everything that we felt like we knew we’d get through,” Helmer said. “Delilah was fourth in the pole vault so we hope she gets pulled through. But overall, we had some good performances.
“Lucah in the 400, that put her in our top 10. Hayden was a big PR for her, puts her No. 3 or 4 all-time at North. Ashley had a good day in the throws.”
Eastern Greene, OV qualifiers
Only eight of the 48 auto qualifiers were not from Monroe County’s Big Three.
Eastern Greene saw its 4×800 team of senior Esther Crane, Cheyenne Bahr, Avery Fuller and freshman Juniper Crane break the school record while taking third in 10:22.02, edging out the 10:22.44 from the 2023 regional that Esther helped set as a freshman.
Kena Maddox also took second in high jump at 5-1. Esther was fourth in the 3,200 in 11:41.80 and hoping for a call-up.
Owen Valley’s lone qualifier came at the end of the night with the 4×400 team running a 4:13.12 for third.
Martinsville’s Laura Barco took third in the 800 (2:17.88) and 1,600 (4:59.54).
BLOOMINGTON SOUTH SECTIONAL
Team scores: Bloomington South 207½, Bloomington North 116½, Edgewood 103½, Brown County 35, Martinsville 34, Clay City 30, Eastern Greene 27, Owen Valley 20, White River Valley 16, Linton 15, Cloverdale 10½, Eminence 3, Bloomfield 3, Shakamak 2, Lighthouse Christian NS.
Top 3 in each event and those who meet or exceed the state standard (in parenthesis) automatically advance to regional
100 (12.23): 1. Helena Cutshall, BS 12.59; 2. Macey Crider, Edg 12.76; 3. Alaina Bunnell, BS 12.82; 4. Jossilyn Draughn, BN 13.26; 5. McKenzie Allen, L 13.38; 6. Leanne Hash, BC 13.41; 7. Katarina Reuter, OV 13.54; 8. Layla Wolff, M 13.82.
200 (25.20): 1. Violet Hall, BS 25.52; 3. Edith Long, BS 26.91; 3. Draughn, BN 27.04; 4. Hash, BC 27.52; 5. Ila Risner, BN 28.97; 6. Peyton Kerr, Blmf 30.71.
400 (57.39): 1. Lucah Feagans, BN 59.95; 2. Shaylie Killion, L 1:00.13; 3. Long, BS 1:02.07; 4. Natalia Buitrago, BS 1:03.43; 5. Avery Rayl, Edg 1:03.44; 6. Juniper Crane, EG 1:03.77; 7. Kaitlyn Spurgeon, M 1:03.79.
800 (2:13.68): 1. Ellie Barada, BS 2:11.86; 2. Lexi Kollbaum, BS 2:16.88; 3. Laura Barco, M 2:17.88; 4. Hayden McGuire, BN 2:18.29; 5. Ellie Vagedes, Edg 2:23.19; 6. Tori Bilohlavek, BN 2:27.43.
1,600 (4:57.56): 1. Barada, BS 4:43.73 (meet record; old record, 4:54.71, Lily Myers, South)(school record; old record, Barada, 4:43.93); 2. Kollbaum, BS 4:50.01; 3. Barco, M 4:59.54; 4. Hannah Crain, Edg 5:03.33; 5. Lila Childers, BN 5:20.12; 6. Payton Lukowski, OV 5:23.67; 7. J.Crane, EG 5:26.70.
3,200 (10:45.74): 1. Jasmine Martoglio, BS 10:38.71 (meet record; old record, 10:49.11, Clara Crain, Edgewood); 2. Hannah Crain, Edg 11:14.78; 3. Penny Eads, BN 11:30.14; 4. Esther Crane, EG 11:41.80; 5. Addie Adams, BC 12:08.82; 6. Avi Grile, Edg 12:11.41; 7. Brooklyn Vogel, BS 12:26.47; 8. Piper Reed, BN 12:41.95.
100 hurdles (14.87): 1. Adriene Shaevitz, BS 14.05 (meet record; old record, 14.39, Dede Eberle, North); 2. Claire Hill, BS 15.18; 3. Sophia Winkle, BN 15.42; 4. Erin Rubeck, Clv 16.71; 5. Lilly Riedel, CC 16.95; 6. Charly Eddins, BC 16.96.
300 hurdles (45.07): 1. Shaevitz, BS 46.46; 2. Hill, BS 47.28; 3. Kelsey Davis, Edg 47.82; 4. Winkle, BN 48.08; 5. Riedel, CC 50.07; 6. Rubeck, Clv 50.08; 7. Ida Vandrey, EG 50.92.
4×100 relay (48.05): 1. Bloomington South (Shaevitz, Cutshall, Bunnell, Hall), 48.38 (meet record; old record, 48.52, South); 2. Edgewood (Davis, LaRoche, Langley Hill, Crider), 50.00 (school record; old record, 50.15); 3. Bloomington North (Risner, Draughn, Cadence Kirby, Rilynn Williams), 51.88; 4. Owen Valley (Reuter, Alli Anderson, Khloe Dile, Addison Mayle), 52.56; 5. White River Valley, 53.66; 6. Brown County, 57.00; 7. Martinsville (Wolff, Scott, Conner, Brumley), 57.04
4×400 relay (3:57.56): 1. Bloomington South (Kollbaum, Mary Asplund, Maya Jackson, Barada), 3:59.09 (meet record; old record, 4:01.79, South); 2. Bloomington North (McGuire, Williams, Bilohlavek, Feagans), 4:10.46; 3. Owen Valley (Mayle, Lukowski, Anderson, Reuter), 4:13.12; 4. White River Valley, 4:21.70; 5. Martinsville (Wood, Kocher, Barco, Spurgeon), 4:26.34; 6. Edgewood (A.Rayl, L.Rayl, Zelhoff-Arriaga, Vagedes), 4:28.40.
4×800 relay (9:20.45): 1. Bloomington South (Kollbaum, Asplund, J.Martoglio, Barada), 9:21.27; 2. Bloomington North (Lauren Thies, Tori Bilohlavek, McGuire, Eads), 9:53.45; 3. Eastern Greene (E.Crane, Cheyenne Bahr, Avery Fuller, J.Crane), 10:22.02; 4. Edgewood (R.Burnett, Nerissa Zelhoff-Arriaga, Lillie Barnett, Vagedes), 10:47.81; 5. Brown County, 11:07.70; 6. Martinsville (Colip, Ennis, George, Nesta), 12:04.65.
High jump (5-5): 1. Reese Robertson, BS 5-4; 2. Kena Maddox, EG 5-1; 3. Mallori Bettenbrock, CC 5-0; T4. Chloe Gautier, BS 5-0; Eddins, BC 5-0; 6. Libby Hostetter, WRV 4-10
Long jump (18-0): 1. Cuthall, BS 16-10½; 2. Winkle, BN 16-2¼; 3. Langley Hill, Edg 15-7¼; 4. Layla Wolff, M 15-5¼; 5. Hall, BS 15-1¾; 6. Avery Kocher, M 15-1¼.
Pole vault (11-3): 1. Ella LaRoche, Edg 10-0; 2. Riedel, CC 9-6; 3. Chelsea Johnson, BS 9-0; 4. Deliliah Kilbride, BN 8-6; 5. Mona Thies, Edg 8-0; 6. Emeleia McLauchlin, BS 8-0; 7. Cali Allen, BN 7-0.
Shot put (41-6¾): 1. Crider, Edg 38-2; 2. Ashley Greer, BN 34-7½; 3. Ava Norton, Edg 32-3½; 4. Hallie Northcutt, BN 31-4½; 5. Grace Mascoe, OV 31-3¼; 6. Emma Hyatt, CC 29-6; 8. Breanna Hash, EG 28-10¼.
Discus (130-6): 1. Mikayla Prater, Edg 127-8; 2. Greer, BN 117-6; 3. Lillian Waldrep, BS 106-10; 4. Lia Dickens, BS 105-9; 5. Northcutt, BN 105-4; 6. Norton, Edg 95-3; 7. Morgan Robinson, M 91-2.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Bloomington South girls track team runs to IHSAA sectional title