Bedford North Lawrence's Zane Thompson medals at state finals, area athletes excel

In 2021, Zane Thompson qualified for the IHSAA state track and field Finals. Then a sophomore, he made the trip to Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis to represent Bedford North Lawrence.

That event was the first of its kind for the young competitor and it showed. The sea of spectators in the stands and the magnitude of the competition spooked him, his eyes got big and he finished 22nd in the 300-meter hurdles.

In 2022, Zane Thompson qualified for the state finals once again. Now a junior, he made the trip to Indiana University in Bloomington on Saturday.

This time, he refused to be intimidated.

When it was his turn to take the track, he took full advantage, flying to a sixth-place finish with a time of 38.27 seconds to earn a place on the podium. Now he’s ready for even bigger things as a senior.

“It feels like I deserved it. It feels like I should have been there and I’m used to it already,” Thompson said. “I just want (to win) even more, I want it so much worse now. Last year I was like, ‘I’m good, but am I that good?’ and this year I knew I had a shot. I knew I could do this.”

Alston gains valuable experience to wrap up sophomore season

This year, Orleans’ Xavier Alston was the one playing the role of wide-eyed underclassmen. Already a sectional champion in the 400-meter dash as a freshman and a regional champion as a sophomore, the state finals became the next frontier for him to explore in 2022.

More: Bedford, Orleans, Paoli Springs Valley send athletes to boys track finals

He ultimately placed 22nd in a veteran-laden field, seeing only four athletes his age or younger finish ahead of him, and he did so in style. His time of 50.63 seconds was the best in Orleans history, setting a new school record.

With a boatload of seniors who finished ahead of him graduating and the promise he’s shown so far, the performance figures to be a launching pad for Alston.

“I was kind of nervous at first to be honest. Going up to the start, I was the only one without blocks so I kinda knew I was in for it a little bit. That first 200 I was gassed, it was hard keeping up after that, but I held out and broke the record,” Alston said. “There won’t be as many guys who are that much better than I am next year. A lot of the guys were seniors this year so I think I have a good chance to place next year.”

Springs Valley, Paoli seniors raise the bar as their careers close

While Thompson and Alston continue building toward their respective futures, there were also a few athletes who wrapped up their careers at Saturday’s meet.

Samson Johnson was the lone Paoli Ram to make the trip to Bloomington and competed in the long jump. It was a trip he’d been awaiting for years, finally coming out of the shadow of 2021 state finals qualifier Brett Bosley this season. He managed a distance of 19-5.25 to take 25th place and enjoyed the experience.

“I think it was very, very special to him. I’ve never seen somebody more excited than he was when he got into the top three at regional to make it to State,” Paoli coach Adam Stroud said. “It was a goal for him, he worked really hard this year and he overcame a lot of obstacles. He did a great job.”

Springs Valley also sent off some seniors on Saturday, seeing a trio of them compete for the final time.

Photos: Local athletes hit the track at 2022 Bloomington North Regional

Kannon Chase and Elijah Dixon went to work in the high jump. Chase, the regional champion, managed to tie for 15th place at State by clearing a height of 6-2. Dixon cleared 6-0 to place 22nd despite dealing with an illness throughout Springs Valley’s preparations for the meet. Conner Grimes competed in a pair of events, placing 21st in the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.52 seconds and 22nd in the long jump with a distance of 21-01.

It was the pinnacle of competition for a group that’s done so much to raise their school’s athletic profile in recent years, particularly on the track where they’ve competed with and beaten athletes from much bigger schools.

More: Springs Valley stars Kannon Chase, Conner Grimes headed to Wabash College together

“We’ve gotten to the point with our program that that’s the expectation. We want to get to State, we want to compete with the best and we want the kids to realize that no matter what high school you come from that 100 meters is 100 meters,” Springs Valley coach Derek Freeman said. “These guys have taken us to a new level. Your ultimate goal is to end at the highest level and we’ve done that.

“These guys mean the world to me, they mean the world to this program and we wouldn’t be where we are without them and their dedication. I wish them luck at the next level, but we’re going to miss them like crazy.”

Contact Times-Mail sports reporter Auston Matricardi via e-mail at amatricardi@tmnews.com or on Twitter at @amatricardiTM.

This article originally appeared on The Times-Mail: Bedford's Zane Thompson medals at state finals, area athletes excel