Bloomington North trio finds their old form at regional, area schools send more to state

Three of Bloomington North's seniors decided to have a turn-back-the-clock night in their last home meet.

It was something for Cougar head coach Justin Helmer to behold, considering what Ella Francis, Kyla Kante and Bea Cakmak have been through the past three years, from a lost sophomore season to COVID-19, to injuries.

"Those girls have been great in our program and helped our program to a lot of championships and fast times and school records," North coach Justin Helmer said.

Their perseverance and in two cases, a smart approach to recovery, paid off with three regional titles that led to a team championship for the Cougars. North had 98½ points to top Charlestown (59) and Terre Haute South (48). Bloomington South, Edgewood and West Vigo all had 40 to tie for fifth. Eastern Greene was 13th (14).

The top three in each event advance to the state finals on June 4 at Indiana University.

The area is sending eight individuals and three relays onward, led by North's six champs.

Francis hot at the right time

Ella Francis had perhaps the most surprising run of the three, considering the back half of her season. She ran a careful 49.07 last week in the 300 hurdles, then blazed to a career best 45.70 this time, ducking well under her 46.84 from last year. And it wasn't close at the finish line, either.

"Ella dealing with the hamstring, every day is a question mark with how she's feeling, where's she at, what is going to be able to do?" Helmer said. "Last week, she ran the hurdles really timid and unsure of herself. So obviously, there was some good work this week done with (assistant Max Tuttle) and she was a totally different hurdler."

But it had been a totally different experience for someone who usually ran in the 100 dash and 400 and 1,600 relays, coming to a meet and waiting two hours for her one and only race. But that's what would make sure her leg would hold up in her best event.

"It's been mentally challenging, injuring my hamstring and having to work my way back up," Francis said. "It's pretty gradual. I've been off for a while but I'm back to myself now, so it's nice."

Kante cuts loose

Kante saw her 2021 postseason wiped out by a late season ankle injury that refused to heal until this spring. She ripped through the 100 hurdles prelims in a season best and then took first place in the finals with a 14.84 that's just .02 off her career PR.

She also anchored the 400 relay to second (50.10) and helped the 1,600 relay to another runner-up finish (4:03.34).

"Look at the things they've dealt with," Helmer said. "Kyla with the ankle and how we had to approach her season to see her get down to this was great to see. That was the hope all along.

"Now, hopefully, she's going into the state meet feeling great and excited to run fast."

Cakmak ahead by a mile

Cakmak took off with the 1,600 title in 5:09.75, the second fastest time she's ever run, dating back to a 5:07 from her freshman year. The climb back hasn't been easy.

"She's been such a great member of our team and she's done so much," Helmer said. "Whether it's four-by-eights, 800s, mile, two-mile and four-by-fours, so for probably the first time in her career, she ran one race tonight.

"I think the mile had the potential to be hard to get through to the state meet with several talented runners there. So to allow her just to focus on that, she ran great."

And it felt like it to her. She turned and saw her time and it validated that feeling.

"This is what it feels like being able to run the way I want to run," Cakmak said. "It's been the first time in a while. It's kind of frustrating going through 5:25, 5:15 ... So today was like, 'I'm going to finish this."

Life in the fast heat

Sophomore Nolan Somers Glenn added to the North gold haul with a career best 2:16.58 in the 800, leading for most of the race before building a good two-second gap in the last half.

"Nola ran a great 800 and I think that was finally having her legs a little bit more," Helmer said. "We put her on the end of the four-by-eight just to go after the points there.

"And we talked about getting in the fast heat (at state) to now she can get in a race and see how fast she can run. So she was fabulous there."

Abram vaults to top

Sophomore Ashley Abram made Edgewood history when she soared 9-6 in pole vault. It broke a tie for the school record she shared at 9-0, and was the winning height, making her the first Mustang vaulter to make it to the state finals.

"There's just so many emotions," Abram said. "I'm so excited. I didn't really expect that at all."

Abram, a gymnast, has made an extremely quick rise after skipping last year due to a shin injury. Speed is one of her keys: she's a member of the 400 relay that has broken the school record the past two weeks.

"With the weather we've had, it's only the last couple of weeks that she's really been able to hit the pole vault," Edgewood coach Zach Evans said.

"I've had the motivation to get that school record," Abram said. "That's what I've been wanting. It felt amazing. I cannot stop smiling and my family was cheering."

Lucas two-for-two

North sophomore Hadley Lucas had no problems sweeping the throws, going 161-9 in discus and 46-11 in the shot. Those didn't quite match her sectional efforts, leaving her a bit frustrated, even as some high level college coaches were looking on.

"That's the challenging part of her career and we've hit it really early," North throws coach Sara Hamidovic said. "More fine tuning type stuff and she's had all those giant PRs, so it can get discouraging.

"But keep in mind, I have not reduced anything. She's not reduced her weightlifting or her reps. We're not doing that until state, so she's throwing right now tired, because we want it to count on that day."

Edgewood left hanging

The Mustangs had a number of terrific performances, and also a ton of heartbreak in the form of several fourth-place finishes.

The list included Ella Hayden, who broke her school record in the long jump with a 17-2; senior Emma Bitner with a season best 2:22.96 in the 800; senior Trista Helms with a career best 38-2½ in shot put; the 400 relay, that lowered the school record again to 50.68 and the 1,600 relay (4:11.40), which was passed by Martinsville on the last lap.

"We knew that we could be pretty decent coming into the year," Evans said. "But I don't think we knew we would be quite as deep as we are, that it would be as many different events.

"We knew we had the athletes, we just didn't know if we could get them in the right places in time. And for our seniors, you feel bad for them. All four competed tonight and every single one of them was fourth in something."

South down to two

South's lone regional champion was junior Lily Myers, who ran off with the 3,200 despite running an easier second mile to finish in 11:21.00.

The Panthers will also send their 3,200 relay to the state finals after a third place finish in 9:55.01.

That was it, but several youngsters improved on their sectional performances with career bests: Freshman Trinity Uti had a 1:01.62 for sixth in the 400; sophomore Millie Williams had a 2:25.73 in the 800 for fifth; sophomore Clara Graham went 5:36.83 in the 1,600 and sophomore Kate Barada went 11:57.81 for sixth in the 3,200.

Tieman takes two

More: Eastern Greene record holder Anna Tieman quick change artist on the track

Eastern Greene senior Anna Tieman is going out with a bang as well.

She started the night by raising her school record in the long jump to 17-3¾ that was good enough for third by the end of the meet.

Then after a career best in the 200 prelims, she came back with an even faster race in the finals, going 25.85 for another third place finish and another berth to the state finals.

Contact Jim Gordillo at jgordillo@heraldt.com and follow on Twitter @JimGordillo.

BLOOMINGTON NORTH GIRLS' TRACK REGIONAL

Top 10 team scores: 1. Bloomington North 98½; 2. Charlestown 59; 3. Terre Haute South 48; 4. Northview 42; T5. Bloomington South 40; Edgewood 40; West Vigo 40; 8. Martinsville 29½; 9. Linton 28½; 10. Seymour 25. T13. Eastern Greene 14; Bedford North Lawrence 14.

Individual results

Top 3 in each event advance to state

100: 1. Lyric Steele, Chstwn, 12.22; 2. Courtney Jones, THS, 12.53; 3. Kyarra DeGroote, WV, 12.58; 9. Cora Deemer, BN, 13.03; 11. Chloe Hendrix-Petry, BN, 13.21.

200: 1. Steele, Chstwn, 25,23; 2. DeGroote, WV, 25.52; 3. Anna Tieman, EG, 25.85 (school record; old record, 26.38, Tieman, sectional); 5. Hendrix-Petry, BN, 27.10; 6. Avery Njau, BN, 27.30.

400: 1. Corynn DeGroote, WV, 59.04; 2. Hanna Reuter, Mart, 59.38; 3. Jayda Holbrook, Chstwn, 59.58; 6. Trinity Uti, BS, 1:01.62; 10. Kiera Feagans, BN, 1:03.34.

800: 1. Nola Somers Glenn, BN, 2:16.58; 2. Gnister Grant, Nvw, 2:18.92; 3. Halle Miller, Nvw, 2:22.52; 4. Emma Bitner, Edg, 2:22.96; 5. Millie Williams, BS, 2:25.73.

1,600: 1. Bea Cakmak, BN, 5:09.75; 2. Ella Hayes, Nvw, 5:13.33; 3. Brooke Trinkle, Sey, 5:18.01; 4. Emma Callahan, BS, 5:19.21; 7. Lilyanna Blais, EG, 5:36.00; 8. Clara Graham, BS, 5:36.83; 15. Emma McDivitt, BN, 5:55.41.

3,200: 1. Lily Myers, BS, 11:21.00; 2. Hadley Gradolf, BwnCo, 11:29.25; 3. Micah Peals, Nvw, 11:33.98; 6. Kate Barada, BS, 11:57.81; 7. Rachel Allison, BN, 12:05.05.

100 hurdles: 1. Kyla Kante, BN, 14.84; 2. Kathryn Ison, NCentral, 15.51; 3. Sophie Hale, Linton, 15.73; 9. DeDe Eberle, BN, 16.76.

300 hurdles: 1. Ella Francis, BN, 45.70; 2. Kyrsten Fehribach, Paoli, 47.21; 3. Katelyn Grady, SlvCrk, 47.72; 6. Addison Goerges, Edg, 49.70.

Shot put: 1. Hadley Lucas, BN, 46-11; 2. Demaria King, Chstwn, 38-5½; 3. Alexis Deaton, Chstwn, 38-5½; 4. Trista Helms, Edg, 38-2½; 5. Maya Anderson-Corns, BS, 37-9½; 10. Annie Galindo, BN, 33-5½; 14. Shayli Walker, Edg, 32-3.

Discus: 1. Lucas, BN, 161-9; 2. Becca Robbins, Lint, 118-11; 3. Megan Jackson, ClayCity, 113-5; 6. Galindo, BN, 110-8; 11. Walker, Edg, 100-3; 15. Paige Anderson, EG, 86-9.

High jump: 1. Fehribach, Paoli, 5-5; 2. Emmaline Leatherman, Shawe, 5-4; 3. Emma Martin, THNorth, 5-1; 7. Emma Edwards, Edg, 5-0; T11. Stella Trueblood, BN, 4-10.

Long jump: 1. Jones, THSouth, 17-7¾; 2. Mckenna Jeter, Eastern (Pekin), 17-6; 3. Tieman, EG, 17-3¾ (school record); 4. Ella Hayden, Edg, 17-2 (school record; old record, 17-1½, Hayden, sectional); 5. Eberle, BN, 16-10½.

Pole vault: 1. Ashley Abram, Edg, 9-6 (school record; old record, 9-0, Abram and three others); 2. Cali Wuesterfeld, THNorth, 9-6; 3. Alli Taylor, Mart, 9-6; T5. Zoe Prather, BN, 9-0; 8. Claire Lutz, BS, 9-0; Janel Solie, BN, NH.

400 relay: 1. Terre Haute North, 49.39; 2. Charlestown, 49.60; 3. Bloomington North (Deemer, Hendrix-Petry, Njau, Kante), 50.10; 4. Edgewood (Claire Sherfield, Abram, Goerges, Hayden), 50.68 (school record; old record, 50.71, sectionals); 11. Bloomington South (Lutz, Freeman, Pedersen, Russo), 52.35.

1,600 relay: 1. West Vigo, 4:03.04; 2. Bloomington North (Feagans, Kante, Deemer, Somers Glenn), 4:03.34; 3. Martinsville, 4:10.57; 4. Edgewood (Edwards, Sherfield, Zoe Powell, Bitner), 4:11.40; 6. Bloomington South (Uti, Callahan, Williams, Myers), 4:18.02; 11. Eastern Greene (Kines, Workman, Tieman, George), 4:25.49.

3,200 relay: 1. Northview, 9:31.23; 2. Seymour, 9:50.66; 3. Bloomington South (Myers, Williams, Danielle Yang, Barada), 9:55.01; 4. Bloomington North (Ellie Patrick, Allison, McDivitt, Somers Glenn), 10:15.06; 10. Eastern Greene (George, Payne, Blais, Hudson), 10:51.80; 15. Edgewood (Bitner, Haskett, Edwards, Powell), 11:47.66.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Bloomington North trio finds their old form to win regional titles