NTSPY GIRLS' TRACK & FIELD: A Highlander, Bulldog & Pirate up for top honor
Jun. 15—A senior, a junior and a sophomore are the finalists for the News and Tribune Sports Performance Yearly (NTSPY) Awards Girls' Track & Field Athlete of the Year.
Floyd Central senior Jaydon Cirincione, New Albany junior Journey Howard and Charlestown sophomore Lyric Steele are the three up for the honor.
The winner will be announced during the NTSPY Awards, which will be held next Tuesday at Eastside Christian Church in Jeffersonville. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the program is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. that evening.
JAYDON CIRINCIONE, FLOYD CENTRAL
The senior capped off her career in spectacular fashion.
At the Hoosier Hills Conference Championships, Cirincione won a trio of individual events — the 800-meter run, the 1,600 and the 3,200. Her time of 2 minutes, 15.50 seconds in the 800 broke a 30-year-old school record.
At the Corydon Central Sectional, Cirincione was victorious in the 1,600 and the 3,200 and was also a member of the Highlanders' triumphant 3,200 relay team.
The next week at the Evansville Central Regional, she won the 3,200 and the 1,600 in a regional-record 5:00.28. Cirincione was also a member of Floyd's victorious 3,200 relay team.
At the IHSAA State Finals, she finished her season with a trio of Top 10 finishes. Cirincione finished fourth in the 1,600 (in a personal-best and school-record 4:55.55), took ninth in the 3,200 (in a school-record 10:47.35) and helped the Highlanders' 3,200 relay team, which included Emerson Elliott, Savanna Liddle and Kaitlyn Stewart, to a fifth-place finish (in a school-record 9:17.33).
JOURNEY HOWARD, NEW ALBANY
After a strong sophomore season, Howard had an outstanding junior campaign.
At the HHC Championships, she won three individual events — the 100-meter hurdles, the 300 hurdles and the high jump.
At the Corydon Central Sectional, she won the 100 hurdles, the 300 hurdles and the high jump. Additionally, she was a member of the Bulldogs' triumphant 1,600 relay team.
The following week at the regional, Howard took second in the 100 hurdles, third in the high jump and fourth in the 300 hurdles. Additionally, she was a member of New Albany's runner-up team in the 1,600 relay.
At the IHSAA State Finals, Howard took 23rd in the 100 hurdles and helped the Bulldogs to a 21st-place finish in the 1,600 relay.
LYRIC STEELE, CHARLESTOWN
Steele followed up her fabulous freshman campaign with a superb sophomore season.
At the Mid-Southern Conference Championships, Steele won the 100-meter dash and the 200, and was also a member of the Pirates' victorious 400 relay team.
At the Jeffersonville Sectional, she finished first in the 100 and 200 and once again was a member of Charlestown's victorious 400 relay team.
A week later at the Bloomington North Regional, Steele again triumphed in the 100 and 200 while helping the Pirates' 400 relay team to a runner-up finish.
At the IHSAA State Finals, she had a pair of top-five finishers — placing fourth in the 200 and fifth in the 100 (in a personal-best 11.95). She also teamed with Demaria King, Anneiah King and Jayda Holbrook to place 19th in the 400 relay.
