Daily Reporter staff reports
INDIANAPOLIS — The Kyle Ralph track and field era at New Palestine opened last week with a strong showing at the University of Indianapolis.
Ralph, the Dragons head football coach, took over the boys and girls track programs during the offseason.
In 2014-15, Dan Weimer coached the boys track team. Chuck Myers coached both the boys and girls cross country teams this past fall and the girls in track last season.
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With Ralph at the helm, the Dragons captured one first-place finish as the distance medley relay team charged back during the Hoosier State Relays qualifying meet to open the indoor track and field schedule.
Grace Voelz, a freshman, closed from 80 meters and took the lead before winning the relay event for New Palestine. The team of Voelz, Victoria Crowder, Bailey Wallace and Mattie Waggoner ran in a time of 13:58.94, beating Fishers by nearly six seconds.
“The whole distance medley relay team ran well,” said Ralph, who called the victory “one of the gutsiest runs ever.”
Lillie Cain was fourth in the shot put with a throw of 36 feet, 3.5 inches. Emily Jonas was seventh at 34-2.5.
TeTe Hart was sixth in the 60-meter dash at 8.48 seconds. Crowder placed eighth in the high jump at 4-4, and Kylie Dhonau ran the 60-meter hurdles in 10.8 seconds for 10th.
New Palestine’s 800-meter relay team was fifth at 1:57.78, while the 1,600 relay team took fifth at 4:53.24. The 3,200 relay team finished fourth in 11:07.15.
Kyler Harrison led the boys with a fourth-place run in the 3,200 with a time of 10:06.5. Brady Walden was fifth in the long jump at 20-1.5 and ninth in the 60-meter dash in 7.37.
Laine Schonauer was seventh in the high jump at 5-10, and Austin Hart was 10th in the 60-meter hurdles at 9.25.
The boys 800-meter relay team placed 11th in 1:44.10. The 1,600 relay team was eighth in 3:46.18, and the 3,200 group was 11th overall in 9:47.42.
The distance medley relay team was eighth in 12:23.12.
The Dragons competed in the another indoor meet today at the University of Indianapolis.
Their outdoor season officially begins on April 5 at Kelso Stadium as they host Greenwood at 5 p.m.
Cougars show teeth at Anderson meet
The Greenfield-Central girls and boys track and field teams kept stride during the Hoosier State Blue & White Relays at Anderson University on Saturday.
For the girls, Savannah Girolami finished second in the 60-meter dash with a time of 8.21 seconds and was fourth in the long jump at 15-09.
Samara Fletcher tied for ninth in the 60-meter hurdles at 10.99 seconds with Jenna Janssen of Guerin Catholic.
Shelby Bowmer tied Yorktown’s Kelsey Morgan for 11th in the 60-meter dash with a time of 8.58.
The girls 3,200-meter relay team was third, finishing the event in 10:44.38. The 1,600-meter relay team took sixth at 4:38.32. The 800-meter relay group was seventh at 1:55.72.
The girls distance medley relay team was fourth at 13:57.13.
Emily Jones (9-0) and Tiffany Richmond (7-06) were third and fifth, respectively, in the pole vault.
For the boys, Zachariah Bishop finished fifth in the 3,200-meter run with a time of 10:02.56. Jacob Hanson was eighth overall at 10:20.02.
Austin Herald sprinted to a third-place finish in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.31 seconds. Bryce Ratliff was 13th at 7.74.
Jacob Keener placed second in the pole vault, clearing 11-06 while Jacob Hochgesang was fourth in the shot put at 43-06.
Eli Diehr was eighth in the 60-meter hurdles at 10.86 and Tyler VanHorn was 10th at 11.68.
Braden Brown tied for seventh in the high jump at 5-06. Drayke Tift was ninth in the long jump, reaching 17-11. The distance medley relay team finished fourth in 11:39.58. The 1,600-meter relay team was third at 3:40.80, and the 3,200-meter relay team was fifth at 9:20.63.
The 800-meter relay also took fifth at 1:41.29.
The Cougars host their first meet against Frankton and Mt. Vernon at 5:30 p.m. March 15.
