Like a broken record: School marks fall for multiple area schools at girls track sectional

Edgewood's Ella Hayden got the party started, but Bloomington North's Hadley Lucas set off the fireworks.

The sophomore's third discus throw of the night sailed an incredible 162-3, finally, finally! breaking the school record by six inches. The one held by her coach, Sarah Hamidovic. The one she doesn't have to hear about any more.

Hamidovic was just as thrilled, running over to hug her pupil. But Lucas wasn't done yet. That throw was a mere one-inch short of the sectional record set by the legendary Stacy Martin of Edgewood in 1999.

"It was hard to get back into the zone after that," Lucas said. "But I did it."

On her second throw of the finals, she popped another big throw of 163-8. Meet record, school record. Mic drop.

"I was shocked for a couple seconds afterward. I couldn't believe it," said Lucas, who went on to post a 47-8 to win shot put, short of her school record 49-6. "Then I saw Sara's reaction and I got so excited. That's been my big goal. I've had a lot of goals, but that was probably the biggest.

"I've been hearing about that number for five years and I finally got it. It's crazy."

More: Throwers from Bloomington area schools put on a clinic at Edgewood track invitational

Amazingly, all five area squads broke at least one school record in Thursday night's Bloomington North girls' track and field sectional.

Hayden, a newbie to long jump this year, went 17-1½ in the prelims to up her school record and nick off her 17-1 from earlier this season and win the event to boot. Lighthouse Christian's Lizzy Billingsley also broke her record with a 14-11½.

Hayden and Edgewood also broke the school record in the 400 relay with a 50.71, taking down the 50.8 from 1993. And Ashley Abram tied the school mark by reaching 9-0 in pole vault for second.

South got in on the act in the 3,200 when Lily Myers came within an eyelash of the sectional record (10:49.43) with a 10:50.30 that did take down the 10:54.22 by Nicole Lucas in 2011.

And Eastern Greene's Anna Tieman, who earned a spot at regional in three events, sped to a 26.38 to add that school record to the ones she earned earlier this year in the 100 and long jump.

The top three in each event move on to regional, with callups used to fill out the rest of the field based on the results from all four inbound sectionals.

Cougars growl

Bloomington North ran away with the team title, scoring 167½ points while Bloomington South and Martinsville tied for second at 87½. Edgewood was fourth (82½), Eastern Greene sixth (56) and Lighthouse 10th (8).

The Cougars are sending a dozen individuals on in 10 events and swept all three relays, showing the breadth and depth of its talent pool.

"There's quality and we found some depth," North coach Justin Helmer said. "As the season has gone on and we've found some of the unknowns, like DeDe (Eberle) and Cora (Deemer), Annie (Galindo), Chloe (Hendrix-Petry). It's developed throughout the season."

Besides Lucas, North had three other sectional champs with Kyla Kante winning the 100 hurdles (15.16) and edging closer to being the sub-15 racer she was prior to her ankle injury; Zoe Prather winning pole vault (9-6) and Nola Somers Glenn taking the 800 (2:20.46).

Somers Glenn started the meet off with the lead leg for the winning 3,200 relay (9:49.00) and the anchor leg for the 1,600 relay that went a season best 4:03.73 for first.

"It's really exciting," Somers Glenn said. "Relays just bring us together. Individual events are fun there's just more energy in the relays."

Helmer was thrilled to see seniors Avery Njau (200) and Ella Francis (300 hurdles) get another week with each battling through a tough season.

"Avery's provided an important role," Helmer said. "And Ella, missing those weeks and having an opportunity to get back tonight and at least another week of the season. Having the chance to extend the season for most of our girls is good to see."

Also going on were Eberle (100 hurdles), Galindo (discus), Rachel Allison (3,200), Kiara Feagans (400) and Hendrix-Petry (100-200)

Myers, Callahan shine

Myers wasted no time distancing herself from the field in the 3,200 and simply had another gear no one else could match. She started the race wanting to post a 5:25 opening mile to set used to the speed necessary to keep up at state.

"I just wanted to get used to running that mile speed so it wasn't that surprising when I did that at state," Myers said. "The goal for the last mile was to just hold on to that pace for as long as I could.

"The end goal was 11:05. But 15 seconds faster, I shocked myself."

She come across the finish line to start her last lap and was startled to see the clock telling her her pace hadn't slowed a bit and she started thinking about a new goal.

"I didn't know I was going that fast," Myers said. "(I realized) I could get the school record. And so that just really got me going and I decided to finish as fast as I could. That's been my goal for so long."

The past year has had its challenges for Callahan, who lost her cross country season to injury and then had her track season stunted by COVID. But she looked good in the 1,600, going 5:16.03 to hold off North's Bea Cakmak (5:17.32) for the sectional title.

"I just had to get back into it," Callahan said. "I really focused at practice. I was feeling a bit hurt because I hadn't been practicing. I surprised myself a little bit today with how well I did. I was worried.

"I just focused and tried to get the best time I can. I just focused on being fast and winning. I usually don't do well on my third lap but I felt really great on that third one, and I knew it was time to push and went the fastest I could over the last 200."

South also moved along its 3,200 relay, Trinity Uti in the 400 and Maya Anderson-Corns in shot put.

Record sweep for Sherfield

Even as a freshman, Edgewood's Claire Sherfield showed a strong range a runner with the ability to run in all three relays. It's a job Olivia Werner handled last year and Mustang coach Zach Evans handed the duties off to Sherfield again.

It paid off as Edgewood was also second in the 1,600 relay (4:10.79) and third in the 3,200 relay (10:32.50). And with the 400 mark broken, the 2022 Herald-Times Girls Basketball Player of the Year has now had a hand in setting all three school records for the relays, the other two coming in 2019.

More: Edgewood star is Herald-Times girls' basketball player of the year, all-area team announced

"Claire Sherfield would be the one who stands out to me," Edgewood coach Zach Evans said. "She on all three relay records and it's special to me because it's a senior group that I've been coaching since they were eighth graders.

"She's gotten better at the sprints and not as good at the distance things, so being able to find a place for her continually. New place every year. It's been a lot of fun. And being able to get all three relays through, shows depth to the team."

And commitment to it. Hayden backed out of the 100 and 200 to focus on the relay.

More: Edgewood girls' sprinters and jumpers just getting started as sectionals arrive Tuesday

"It feels really good. I'm really happy," Hayden said. "At practice we just stayed focused. We just work really hard as a team."

And hitting 17 again in the long jump, she's taking a lot of confidence into the regional. The Mustangs fleet of qualifiers also includes Emma Edwards in high jump, Addison Goerges in the 300 hurdles and Emma Bitner in the 800.

Eastern's Tieman triples up

Tieman had a busy day, but she was up for the task of four races and six jumps. She was third in the long jump in 16-2 and 100 (12.87) and finished it by winning the 200 in 26.38, with no one close at the finish.

"A lot more coaching and working on sprinting technique," Tieman said. "And being in weightroom. Just putting in the work."

She has scratched out of the 100 at regional, giving Hendrix-Petry a call up.

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

BLOOMINGTON NORTH GIRLS TRACK SECTIONAL

1. Bloomington North 167½; 2. Martinsville 87½; 3. Bloomington South 87½; 4. Edgewood 82½; 5. Linton 68½; 6. Eastern Greene 56; 7. Brown County 32½; 8. Shakamak 26; 9. Owen Valley 12; 10. Lighthouse Christian 8; 11. White River Valley 3

Top 3 individuals in each event advance to regional

100: 1. Jaci Stone, Shk, 12.60; 2. Hanna Reuter, M, 12.79; 3. Anna Tieman, EG, 12.87; 4. Chloe Hendrick-Petry, BN, 13.00; 5. Cora Deemer, BN, 13.04.

200: 1. Tieman, EG, 26.38 (school record); 2. Avery Njau, BN, 27.30; 3. Hendrix-Petry, BN, 27.33; 4. Piper Stephens, Edg, 28.15; 6. Madeline Esslinger, LCA, 28.42.

400: 1. Ha.Reuter, M, 59.87; 2. Trinity Uti, BS, 1:02.30; 3. Kiera Feagans, BN, 1:02.88; 4. Jessica May, BS, 1:05.31; 5. Addison George, EG, 1:05.84; 6. Fuji Scott, BN, 1:08.52.

800: 1. Nola Somers Glenn, BN, 2:20.46; 2. Elayni Stone, Shk, 2:23.20; 3. Emma Bitner, Edg, 2:23.25; 4. Alina Worzella, M, 2:27.13; 5. Millie Williams, BS, 2:29.78; 6. Lily Smith, OV, 2:33.44.

1,600: 1. Emma Callahan, BS, 5:16.03; 2. Bea Cakmak, BN, 5:17.52; 3. Hadley Gradolf, BC, 5:33.63; 4. Worzella, M, 5:36.53; 5. Clara Graham, BS< 5:40.87; 6. Lilyanna Blais, EG, 5:42.75.

3,200: 1. Lily Myers, BS, 10:50.30 (school record; old record, 10:54.22, Nicole Lucas, 2011); 2. Rachel Allison, BN, 11:42.92; 3. Gradolf, BC, 11:49.97; 4. Kate Barada, BS, 12:07.54; 5. Peyton Smith, L, 12:20.88; 6. Sydnee Sullivan, WRV, 12:41.29.

100 hurdles: 1. Kyla Kante, BN, 15.16; 2. Sophie Hale, L, 16.01; 3. DeDe Eberle, BN, 16.09; 4. Zoie Ault, EG, 17.49; 5. Emma Bault, OV, 18.01; 6. Abagail Bailey, M, 18.67.

300 hurdles: 1. Christy Sebastian, BC, 48.62; 2. Ella Francis, BN, 49.07; 3. Addison Goerges, Edg, 50.12; 4. Hale, L, 50.91; 5. Eberle, BN, 53.38; 6. Bailey, M, 54.47.

High jump: 1. Emma Kerns, M, 5-1; 2. Emma Edwards, Edg, 5-0; T3. Xyleigh Thompson, BC, 4-10; Reese Davis, M, 4-10; T5. Goerges, Edg, 4-10; Stella Trueblood, BN, 4-10.

Long jump: 1. Ella Hayden, Edg, 17-1½ (school record; old record, 17-1, Hayden, 2022); 2. Ha.Reuter, M, 16-8½; 3. Tieman, EWG, 16-2; 4. Bault, OV, 16-2; 5. Eberle, BN, 16-0¾; 6. Lillie Oliver, L, 15-11¾.

Shot put: 1. Hadley Lucas, BN, 47-5; 2. Becca Robbins, L, 39-0¼; 3. Maya Anderson-Corns, BS, 38-3; 4. Trista Helms, Edg, 37-9½; 5. Gentry Warrick, L, 36-11¾; 6. Shayli Walker, Edg, 35-2¼.

Discus: 1. Lucas, BN, 163-8 (meet record; old record, 162-6, Stacy Martin, Edgewood, 1999)(school record; old record, 161-8, Sara Fields); 2. Robbins, L, 122-9; 3. Annie Galindo, BN, 117-8; 4. Walker, Edg, 101-4; 5. Paige Anderson, EG, 95-7; 6. Anderson-Corns, BS, 95-4.

Pole vault: 1. Zoe Prather, BN, 9-6; T2. Ashley Abram, Edg, 9-0 (tied school record); Alli Taylor, M, 9-0; 4. Claire McKisson, L, 8-6; 5. Claire Lutz, BS, 8-6; 6. Janel Solie, BN, 8-0.

400 relay: 1. Bloomington North (Deemer, Hendrix-Petry, Trueblood, Kante), 50.56; 2. Edgewood (Edwards, Abram, Goerges, Hayden), 50.71 (school record; old record, 50.8, 1993); 3. Martinsville, 51.47; 4. Shakamak, 51.88; 5. Bloomington South (Lutz, Freeman, Pedersen, Russo), 53.00; 6. Linton, 55.45.

1,600 relay: 1. Bloomington North (Feagans, Kante, Deemer, Somers Glenn), 4:03.73; 2. Edgewood (Edwards, Claire Sherfield, Stephens, Bitner), 4:10.79; 3. Martinsville, 4:12.71; 4. Bloomington South (Uti, Callahan, Williams, Myers), 4:13.32; 5. Linton, 4:29.55; 6. Eastern Greene (Kines, Workman, Hudson, George), 4:29.55.

3,200 relay: 1. Bloomington North (Somers Glenn, Cakmak, Allison, Ellie Patrick), 9:49.00; 2. Bloomington South (Myers, Williams, Yang, Barada), 10:02.20; 3. Edgewood (Bitner, Haskett, Edwards, Powell), 10:32.50; 4. Eastern Greene (George, Payne, Blais, Hudson), 10:43.60; 6. Martinsville, 11:30.00; 6. Brown County, 11:55.60.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Like a broken record: School marks fall in droves at girls' track sectional