GT&F: Walter wins sectional title for Tri-Central

Reprinted courtesy of:

Tipton Tribune

NOBLESVILLE – Both Tipton and Tri-Central would love to be in another track sectional, one with more schools their size, than the Noblesville Sectional.
But here Tuesday night, the little schools showed they have some stellar athletes as well.
Sophomore Kelly Walter earned a sectional championship for the Lady Trojans by winning the high jump.
Tipton freshman Lindsay Nichols placed second in a loaded 300-meter hurdle field. Sophomore Sammi Hawkins was third in a loaded 100-meter hurdle field as well to give the Lady Devils two regional qualifiers.
All-in-all, Tipton County will send three athletes to next Tuesday’s West Lafayette Regional.
“We had some great end of the season performances last night at the Noblesville Sectional,” Tipton Coach Stacy Hare said. “As I say every year, it is one of the toughest possible sectionals in the state.
“We were not seeded to advance anyone, yet I knew we had three possibilities with Hawkins in the 100 Hurdles, and Nichols in the long jump and 300 hurdles. “We are thrilled to have two regional qualifiers, especially in two events that are easy to train our girls together.
“After Thursday's meet, we feel confident that Taylor Maxey will join our two hurdlers for the regional."
Tri-Central, Sheridan and Tipton are the three smallest schools in the sectional field. In fact, the rest of the field is comprised of Class 3A and 4A schools.
Carmel won the team title with 151 points, while Hamilton Southeastern was second with 134 points. Rounding out the team standings were Noblesville 85, Westfield 71, Fishers 68, Zionsville 38, Tipton 24, Lebanon 18, Tri-Central 12, Hamilton Heights 12 and Sheridan 8.
As a team, we placed seventh and beat all six teams that we could possibly beat. The big six were ahead of us. As long as my girls go and compete, I am happy. We had a few performances that were sub-par, but overall I am pleased with the efforts given by our girls. It has been a fun bunch of athletes."
Walter and Carmel’s Taylor Lampe each cleared 5-feet, 2-inches. Walter was awarded first based on number of misses.
Walter was the first local athlete to earn her trip to regional.
The next was Hawkins.
"Sammi was seeded sixth in the 100 hurdles going into the meet,” Hare said. “She was in a trial with an athlete from Zionsville who she had beaten previously this season and with the state's top ranked 100 hurdler, Portia Bailey (Hamilton Southeastern).
“Even though Bailey was in her heat, I felt that she had a great chance to be the second automatic qualifier to the final. After watching the trials, I honestly thought that Sammi could be as good as second.
“One of the Noblesville athletes had a false start and was disqualified, which actually meant that Sammi had moved to the fifth seed. After the trials, she moved into Lane 6 and was the fourth best time heading into the final.
“Sammi had a good start in the final and moved past one of the Fishers athletes to place third,” Hare continued. “She hit the eighth hurdle but was still able to hold on to third spot.
“After the race, we saw that she had actually cut her leg from the hit to the hurdle. She did an amazing job of keeping her composure and handling the pressure of both the trial and the final. With the top hurdler in the state right beside you, it would have been easy to become intimidated, but she was determined and grabbed a spot.
“Now, being a Hoosier Conference champion and regional qualifier, she has done two things that she wasn't able to do a year ago as a freshman. Last season, Sammi did not even make the final. She has gotten stronger, faster and has even more desire.
“I am excited to see her have a clean race next week and hopefully get her time back under 16.5 like we had at the conference meet. If she can do that, I think she'll make the final at the regional,” Hare added.
Bailey won the 100 hurdles in a quick 15.03 seconds. Fishers’ Jackie Lanthier was second in 16.32 and Hawkins edged out Fishers’ Katherine Graham for third. Hawkins’ time was 17.01, while Graham clocked a 17.07.
The top four finishers earn the right to advance to the regional.
Lady Devil freshman Alex Cortez was the seventh quickest in the trials but struggled in the finals and placed eighth.
It was a night of PR’s for Nichols. The Lady Devil freshman did not equal her best in the high jump, clearing just 4-8 and not even placing. But she more than made up for it in the long jump and 300 hurdles.
"We had high hopes for Lindsay last night, but it is a lot of pressure as a freshman to come into this sectional and place, let alone advance, Hare said. “The fact that Lindsay was so naive to the entire situation may have helped her.
“Lindsay made the (long jump) finals as the ninth athlete and was given three additional jumps. Her best jump in the trial was 15-feet, 3.5-inches, but I knew that with the height that she was getting that if she hit the board right that she might jump 16 feet and on her third jump in the final, she did jump 16-feet, 1-inch.
“When we left, (there were a couple more jumps to go), she was in fifth by a quarter of an inch. It was the best jump, I've ever had on my team. It was awesome to see a 16-foot jump and it would have placed her in the top 22 athletes at the state meet last year.
“I can't believe that she went 16 feet and still couldn't get out. She was definitely at her best and she should feel really proud of her efforts in that event.
“With long jump and high jump completed, Lindsay was very determined to go and get the 300 hurdles, even if she was in Lane 8.
“She told me before the race:, ‘I will advance because I have to come to practice tomorrow,’” the Lady Devil coach continued. “She was aggressive early and was in second coming off the curve and she never looked back.
“She ran an awesome race, running under 49 for the first time all season. She just broke 50 for the first time at the conference on Saturday. I knew when she had some good competition, that this was her race to shine. She is the sixth seed and will be in the fast heat at the regional. What a competitor."
Hawkins and Nichols also combined with Sally Miller and Taylor Degenkolb to place seventh in the 4-by-400 relay as well. Miller also grabbed an eighth-place ribbon in the 400-meter dash.
Tipton’s Eroica Stackhouse managed to place in two very tough events at this sectional. Stackhouse finished seventh in the 3,200-meter run and eighth in the 1,600.
"While I am thrilled for Lindsay and Sammi, I am disheartened a bit for a few of our other athletes,” Hare said. “We compete all year long against schools in the CIC and the MIC and then to go to Noblesville and face schools of that size, it's frustrating.
“Sally Miller ran her heart out and was the winner of the slower heat and that time placed her eighth overall. She ran her career PR of 1:02 and could advance in so many other sectionals.
“If someone would have told me that she could run that fast when she was a freshman, I would not have believed them. This is a kid who worked at it year after year and got to the point that she was truly special.
“Had we gone to the Madison Grant Sectional with all of the Kokomo schools, she is still running next week as would Eroica Stackhouse. Eroica could have won both of her events at that sectional, but gets seventh and eighth at Noblesville.
“Eroica was not seeded in the top 10, but I knew that she would place in both the 1,600 and the 3,200 because she is just that type of competitor. She equalled her best effort in both races and gave it everything that she had.
“I am so proud of her. I say it every year, but it is frustrating. Carmel was able to enter three girls in the mile because all three had met a state standard time (ninth place average at the state meet.),” Hare added.
Tri-Central also had two relay teams place eighth. Sumer Muhs, Rachel Hewitt, Briana Humphries and Walter teamed up to place eighth in the 4-by-100 relay.
Muhs, Humphries and Walter then teamed up with Rachel Zickmund to place eighth in the 4-by-400 Relay.
The Tipton and Tri-Central boys track teams will compete in the Carmel Sectional on Thursday. Field events begin at 5 p.m., with running trials to start at 5:30.
The same schools that competed here Tuesday night also will be competing on Thursday.