HANCOCK COUNTY — The defending county boys’ track and field champions and Hoosier Heritage Conference runners-up want to vault their way back up to the top again in 2019.
They’ve got just the guys to do it, too.
Greenfield-Central has one of two returning area state qualifiers in senior pole vaulter Adam Lee, but Lee is being challenged for the top vaulting spot on the Cougars team.
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Coach Scott Burton is blessed with two outstanding vaulters in Lee and sophomore Cody Hargett.
Lee won last year’s county meet with a height of 13-6. He cleared a career-best 14-4 last season at Decatur Central and hit 14-0 during the indoor season this winter.
Hargett finished fourth in the indoor state meet at 14-6. Burton is hoping both can clear 15-0 this season.
“They could give us the top two in the area for the sectional and regional,” Burton said.
“It’s nice to have that. Hopefully they’ll develop a friendly competition and build off each other,” Burton added.
More strength in field events will come from senior thrower Tate Helm, who finished 10th in the state indoor meet with a distance of 51-0.75.
Burton said the team will be inexperienced in sprints and in hurdles. The Cougars will definitely miss Braden Brown, who won last year’s county long jump (22-7.5, meet record) and 100 (11.88) and was named the Hancock County Athlete of the Meet.
The distance group should be solid with the likes of senior Parker Niemeier and junior Conner Kinnaman.
Mt. Vernon
Coach Bruce Kendall is in his 39th season as the Marauders head coach and has been with the program, and others at the school, since 1975.
Kendall said his 2019 contingent will be led by a group of sprinters.
Tops on the list is senior Jailin Porter, who set the school record in the 200 two years ago at 22.57. Seniors Braxton Trittipo, Luke Miles and junior Dawan Langston are others expected to help the Marauders score well in sprint and sprint relay races.
“The core of our team will be our sprinters,” Kendall added.
Senior Brent Donaldson won the 300 hurdles at last year’s county meet.
“He’s one of the tops in the region,” Kendall said.
Donaldson was one of the better underclassmen a year ago, finishing in the top five in both the 110 and 300 hurdles in the sectional. He’s also part of a strong 4×400 crew that won the county and finished third in a very strong sectional.
Sophomore Colin Brown leads the group of distance runners.
The Marauders will miss 400 standout Alex Carver and last year’s county discus champion Conner Nelson.
Eastern Hancock
The Royals were runners-up to Wapahani in the Mid-Eastern Conference Championships and expect to be in the hunt again in 2019.
Helping lead the way is a strong distance contingent led by senior Skyler Schrope, who eighth-year head coach Clayton Shultz said, “Can do about anything.”
Schrope could be busy with relays as well along with seeing time in the 400, 800 and 1,600. He was conference champion in the 800 last season.
Sophomores Daniel Campbell and Cayden Sotelo and junior Nick Edwards give the long distance crew some depth.
“The distance group has been really good. The best I’ve had since I’ve been the head coach,” Shultz said.
Freshmen Zach Arnold and Cole Rainbolt and seniors Kyle Moore and Blayze Sarber lead a talented sprinter group. Rainbolt and Moore are also expected to impress in the long jump.
Arnold and Rainbolt are part of what Shultz called a “very talented” freshman group.
Skyler Sexton, a junior, is expected to be strong in hurdle races and relays. Seniors Brady Stephens and Gabe Lawler lead the throwers.
“Winning a conference championship is the ultimate goal,” Shultz said.
New Palestine
The Dragons were runners-up in the county and third in the HHC last season. They won the conference title in 2017.
Leading the way for this year’s group is the area’s other returnee from the 2018 state meet, senior Drew Austin.
Austin qualified in the 1,600 and was the county champion in both the 800 and 1,600. He leads a strong group of distance running Dragons.
Coach Eric Branch expects a big year out of Kyler Harrison, too, the returning county and conference champion in the 3,200.
Including juniors Devon Whitaker and Owen Kleine and senior Josh Collins, Branch said, “The distance group is the most experienced part of our team.”
Laine Schonauer, the county champion in the 200, is back for his senior season. Schonauer will be a valuable all-around athlete, according to Branch, participating in the high jump along with running the 200 and 400.
The sprint group will be aided by a couple of standouts from the state champion football team. Branch is eager to see all-state football star Charlie Spegal and gridiron teammate Ryker Large compete. Another fall sport athlete, junior soccer player Carson Sams joins the squad and will run middle distance.
Others expected to be big contributors are junior pole vaulter Spencer Worth, third in the conference last season, and sophomore thrower Tucker Keevers.
Looking ahead
The county meet is scheduled for May 1 at Mt. Vernon. The HHC meet is slated for May 9, also at Mt. Vernon. The MEC championships are May 10 at Monroe Central.
Post season action gets underway with sectional championships scheduled across the state May 16.
