IHSAA boys track regional: Going the extra mile to make state

Bloomington North senior Nolan Bailey had to run 3,800 meters to win a 3,200-meter race Thursday night at the North boys' track regional.

An expected storm arrived just as the 200 finished up. It started pouring. The pole vault closed shop, but a couple of high jumpers kept going and the 3,200 field was sent to the start line.

They made it halfway down the backstretch on Lap 2 when lightning and thunder stopped the race just short of 8 o'clock. At 9:15, Bailey and the rest of the two-milers came back and started all over again.

It became a four-man race, then three. Bailey had the kick no one else had, winning in 9:27.85, to earn his first trip to the IHSAA state finals. It was one of four titles the Cougars won to grab the team title with 117 points, with Bloomington South second (60). Edgewood tied for 15th.

"It wasn't really ideal," Bailey said. "We were down there waiting, deciding whether to start or not so we got all wet.

"But I still wanted to win. My original goal was to break the regional record for here, which was 9:18, but after all of the at, the win was what I wanted. Got that done, ran a 60 the last lap. My kick's better than a lot of distance runners."

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In all, 11 individuals, all three of North's relays and another from South moved on. Bailey's route there has been a long one as well. He managed to overcome a mid-season injury last fall in cross county to make state and did the same in his final track season.

"It's the first post season I've ever ran in track," said Bailey, who was injured this tiem last year, too, and never had a chance in 2020. "So it means a lot to me.

"I'm not running in college, so I'm ready to let it loose and go for the school record (at state)."

Old hands

Returning Cougars include senior Reece Lozano, state medalist with the 1,600 relay. He's back with that group (3:27.13) and the 400 relay (43.37) that won regional titles. He also grabbed third in the 200 in a career best 22.71.

South senior Murry Ross-Harman, a recent Marian signee, made it back in the 400 with a 51.78 for second while Bloomfield's Christopher Royal pulled off a tough feat, taking third overall by winning the first heat in 52.31.

More: Bloomington South school record, state medal chase fuels Murry Ross-Harman in 400

And then there was North senior Griffin Bruce, back for his first race of the season after an injury, to give the 1,600 relay a little emotional boost. Bruce was a medalist for the 1,600 and 3,200 relays last year, but an 800 was deemed a bit too much at the moment and it worked out.

"Everyone was like, 'Bruce is back out here? What?'" anchor Broc Murphy said. "And down at the line, Murry's was like, 'You're running this?' So that was pretty cool."

Back in Black

Not a year seems to go by anymore without a Panther hurdler at boys' state and it looks like D'Andre Black will have his four-year stretch covered before he too perhaps joins his predecessors at the next level.

Black set his PR with a 14.75 for third in the 110s, but he had to grind a bit at the end of the 300s to earn a spot in that event. He was fifth coming off the last curve and fourth two just two hurdles to go. He found a way to place third by .13.

"He didn't get out as well," South coach Larry Williams said. "He's been fighting a stiff hip, but I think he came out of that corner, he just saw it and wasn't going to let it be and he took off."

"I didn't run my best but I tried my hardest and that's all that matters," Black said. "I'm going to state in three events (1,600 relay as well), so that's really cool. That's a really good accomplishment for me as a sophomore."

Murphy, a former teammate of Black's at Jackson Creek middle school, is putting together his best races in the 300s and he went 39.61, just .24 off his career best, to win that title. He was fifth in the 110s in 15.06.

"I was supposed to get fifth (in the 110s)," Murphy said. "I wanted to a little bit better but at the end of the day I made it in the 300s and four-by-four. I've always got another year to get better, so I'm not too disappointed by it.

"Doing the 400 has really built up my stamina in the 300s."

North champs

Bailey was just one Cougar making his first trip to state.

Junior Cody Mikulich earned two slots, winning discus with a 166-8 that's his best ever, and going with the 400 free relay.

Senior Marcus Wynalda will be there in the shot put (56-4) after a runner-up finish, but not discus, settling for sixth at 146-6.

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And junior Kyle Clark is getting his first taste of state after taking second place in the 800 (1:58.73) and 1,600 (4:18.70) one of his better combos of the season. But he just couldn't hold the lead in the final half-lap as Martinsville's Martin Barco got him in the 1,600 and Austin's Brandon Rice did so in the 800, leaving Barco third.

"These guys are very deserving of these opportunities," North coach Justin Helmer said. "Cody in the discus, makes sense taking him off the track and letting him go over there and focusing a little bit more."

Raake rematch

Edgewood senior Zack Raake's rematch with Sullivan's William Newby in the 100 went to the Arrow this time, but Raake is still running at state for the first time after coming up an agonizing .03 short last year.

Newby went 11.03 to top Raake (11.12) and went on to break his school record while winning the 200 (22.17).

More: Edgewood's Raake has no time to waste, Bloomington area boys prepare for track regional

"Came out of the blocks that I've ever come out like before," Raake said. "But I felt a little tighter, couldn't stay as smooth as WIC, so he certainly won that and deserved it.

"If anyone's going to beat me, I'd want it to be him. Such a nice guy. I wouldn't call him my nemesis. He's my buddy."

Edgewood's other top finishes came from Chris Davis (51-2), sixth in shot put and Caleb Webb, seventh in the 3,200 (10:00.98).

Dream for Rheam

The first trip to state in the 3,200 last year as a freshman for South's Ryan Rheam was a big deal. Making it happen again this year, after suffering stress fractures during indoor season, tops even that.

The sophomore hadn't run much, getting an MRI after Spring Break that shut him down, but got through sectional and was third at regional in a career best 9:31.07, putting 14 seconds between him and fourth place in a once close four-way race.

"It's been a long journey," Rheam said. "All the hours in the pool. All the hours on the bike, elliptical. I've worked do hard. I was thinking, regionals, that's the goal. And it paid off.

"God's been with me this whole time and been very emotional but I'm blessed. When people are on your side, that's what you need in a situation like that."

"That was a great field for him to do that against," Williams said. "He closed out very well. He's a very tough runner and as a coach, I'm excited for him."

Panther pride

South's only champion was Sawyer Bailey in the pole vault, going 13-6 before rain halted the event. He was already on top by six inches and called it a night when the meet resumed.

The 1,600 relay (Ivin Tait, Adrian Rheam, Black, Ross-Harman) made up enough ground to place second in a 3:28.60.

"At the beginning of season, we said this was the group that was going to do it," Black said. "We were the best on the team that could do it. Everybody ran great."

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

BLOOMINGTON NORTH BOYS' TRACK REGIONAL

Top 10 team scores: 1. Bloomington North 117; 2. Bloomington South 60; 3. Springs Valley 39; 4. Charlestown 26; 5. Sullivan 25½; 6. Terre Haute South 25; 7. Jeffersonville 23¾; 8. Northview 22½; 9. Linton 22; 10. Jennings County 19. T15. Edgewood 15.

Individual results

Top 3 advance to state finals

100: 1. William Newby, Sul, 11.03; 2. Zack Raake, Edg, 11.12; 3. Stuart Nichols, Greencastle, 11.35; 6. Sam Cosner, BS, 11.47; 7. Connor Shin, BN, 11.51. (12. Jack Hallett, BS, 11.77.

200: 1. Newby, Sul, 22.17; 2. Conner Grimes, SV, 22.64; 3. Reece Lozano, BN, 22.71; 7. Joseph Powell, BN, 23.38. (13. James Lewis IV, Eastern Greene, 24.16).

400: 1. Xavier Alston, Orleans, 51.70; 2. Murry Ross-Harman, BS, 51.78; 3. Christopher Royal, Bloomfield, 52.31; 9. Aidan Ball, BN, 53.27.

800: 1. Brandon Rice, Austin, 1:57.85; 2. Kyle Clark, BN, 1:58.73; 3. Martin Barco, Martinsville, 1:59.73; 5. Zander West, BS, 2:03.90. Quincy Slaper, BN, DQ.

1,600: 1. Barco, Martinsville, 4:17.60; 2. Clark, BN, 4:18.70; 3. Chase Austin, Brown Co, 4:26.19; 8. Jack Holden, BN, 4:39.59l 11. Joe Zinkan, BS, 4:45.02.

3,200: 1. Nolan Bailey, BN, 9:27.85; 2. Nerius White, Nview, 9:29.81; 3. Ryan Rheam, BS, 9:31.07; 6. Jack Nelson, BN, 9:59.36; 7. Caleb Webb, Edg, 10:00.98; 10. Jackson Klinger, Edg, 10:18.34; 12. Jack Gildea, BS, 10:28.22.

110 hurdles: 1. Jacob Ottersbach, Charlestown, 14.48; 2. Maliek Bush, Jeff, 14.55; 3. D'Andre Black, BS, 14.75; 5. Broc Murphy, BN, 15.06; 6. Jallah Barbu, BN, 15.90. (12. Mason Law, Edg, 16.66.)

300 hurdles: 1. Murphy, BN, 39.61; 2. Zane Thompson, BNL, 39.92; 3. Black, BS, 40.24; 5. Barbu, BN, 41.20; 7. Ivin Tait, BS, 42.46.

Shot put: 1. Drew Smith, Linton, 56-5; 2. Marcus Wynalda, BN, 56-4; 3. Jesiah Richardson, THNorth, 52-8¾; 5. Max Wynalda, BN, 51-4½; 6. Chris Davis, Edg, 51-2; 9. Logan Anderson, Edg, 49-4¾.

Discus: 1. Cody Mikulich, BN, 166-8; 2. Smith, Linton, 157-10; 3. Dustyn Kocsis, Brownstown, 153-10; 6. Mar.Wynalda, BN, 146-6; 7. Ivan Lynch, BS, 139-11.

High jump: 1. Kannon Chase, SV, 6-4; 2. Robin Dixon, SV, 6-2; 3. Ottersbach, Charlestown, 6-2. Carl Norris, Edg, NH; Amare Draughn, BN, NH.

Long jump: 1. Ottersbach, Charlestown, 21-5¾; 2. Grimes, SV, 21-4½; 3. Samson Johnson, Paoli, 20-9¾; 4. Barbu, BN, 20-7½.

Pole vault: 1. Sawyer Bailey, BN, 13-6; 2. Charles Cox, Madison, 13-0; 3. Landon Dobbs, Henryville, 12-0.

400 relay: 1. Bloomington North (Mikulich, Jarno Ksander-Hicks, Shin, Lozano), 43.37; 2. Jeffersonville, 43.50; 3. Salem, 43.87; 10. Edgewood (Trenton Todd, Justin Stone, Ronan Hancock, Raake), 44.99; Bloomington South, DNF.

1,600 relay: 1. Bloomington North (Griffin Bruce, Lozano, Clark, Murphy), 3:27.13; 2. Bloomington South (Tait, Adrian Rheam, Black, Ross-Harman), 3:28.60; 3. Terre Haute South, 3:28.85; 7. Edgewood (Todd, Stone, Landen Beauchamp, Raake), 3:35.58.

3,200 relay: 1. Northview, 8:00.97; 2. Jennings County, 8:03.37; 3. Bloomington North (Liam Arthur, Eli Norrick, Dominic D'Onofrio, Slaper), 8:03.48; 4. Bloomington South (Gildea, West, Teagan Bullock, Dante Valentino), 8:12.48.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: IHSAA boys track regional: Going the extra mile to make state