FORTVILLE — New Palestine won 10 of 16 events, including a pair of photo finishes, and had the depth it needed to take home the top prize at Monday’s Hancock County boys track and field championships held at Mt. Vernon High School.
“Scoring in track is pretty simple,” New Palestine middle distance runner Drew Austin said. “The higher you place the more you score. You can get by with just getting blue ribbons, but really it’s those second, third and fourth place finishes from your teammates that seal the deal against good teams like Mt. Vernon.”
New Palestine won with 103 points. Mt. Vernon, runner-up to Greenfield-Central last year, scored 72.5. Eastern Hancock had 42.5 and Greenfield-Central finished with 23.
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Austin grabbed his share of blue ribbons.
For the second straight year, he won the 800 meter run (2:02.22) and 1600 meter (4:36.78). He was also part of the Dragons’ victorious 4×800 meter relay (8:20.52) and 4×400 relay (3:30.90) teams.
Laine Schonauer was a big part of the team’s title, also. He was named the Athlete of the Meet.
Schonauer’s versatile day included victories in the high jump (5’8”), 400 meter dash (49.96 seconds) and the 4×400 relay. He was also runner-up in the 200 meter dash (23.24 seconds).
“In a lot of the dual meets we are shooting for (Personal Records),” Schonauer said. “This is pretty big. Here (at county), we bring the teamwork. We reshuffle our events so it’s less PR hunting and more of teamwork, more camaraderie and a big ooh-rah for the end of the season. It’s a blast.”
Schonauer had one of New Palestine’s two photo-finish victories. He edged out Mt. Vernon’s Braxton Trittipo in the 400 meter dash by .01 seconds. In the 100, Ryker Large (11.36 seconds) did the same in squeaking by Mt. Vernon’s Dawan Langston.
“My competitor and I showed a lot of heart today,” Schonauer added on the 400 race.
Though Trittipo was second in the race, he broke a 55-year old school record. Dick Strough had the Mt. Vernon mark, set in 1964 at 50.34 seconds.
“The No. 1 story for us today was Dick Strough’s record. There’s been like a force field around it. Every time a kid would come close to that record something bad would happen to him,” Mt. Vernon coach Bruce Kendall said. “They would just miss it. For Trittipo to break that, that’s fantastic. What a tribute to Dick Strough to have that for over half a century.”
Along with the Dragons’ 10 wins, they had five runner-up finishers.
Josh Collins won the 3200 meter run (10:04.14) and was second in the 1600.
Richard Clevenger in the discus (137’8”) and Spencer Worth in the pole vault (12’0’’) had the other wins for the Dragons.
Mt. Vernon’s Brent Donaldson swept the hurdle races, including a school record in the 300 hurdles with a time of 40.31 seconds. It was his second straight county title in the 300. He won the 110 high hurdles in 15.70 seconds.
The Marauders also had victories from Jailin Porter in the 200 (22.88 seconds) and Caden Wildey, the lone freshman individual winner, in the long jump (19’2 ¼”). Luke Miles, Ashton Lewis, Langston and Porter were part of the winning 4×100 relay team (44.74 seconds).
The county’s smallest school, Eastern Hancock, did not have a champion, but the Royals had an impressive evening.
In finishing second in the 300 hurdles, Skyler Sexton set a new school record with a time of 40.55. Eastern also had runner-up finishes by Skyler Schrope in the 800 meter run (2:02.26), Sexton in the high hurdles (16.01 seconds) and Cole Rainbolt in the long jump (19’1 ¼”). The 4×800 relay team also finished second.
“It was a real good night. We competed well and didn’t shy away from the moment,” Eastern Hancock coach Clayton Shultz said. “We don’t make excuses, we had some holes where we could have done better, but all in all, I’m pretty pleased.”
Greenfield-Central had a winner in the shot put. Tate Helm won with a distance of 48’10”.
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New Palestine — 103
Mt. Vernon —72.5
Eastern Hancock — 42.5
Greenfield-Central — 23
Athlete of the Meet: Laine Schonauer, New Palestine
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4 x 800 Meter Relay — New Palestine (Owen Kleine, Carson Sams, Devon Whitaker, Drew Austin) 8:20.52
4 x 100 Meter Relay — Mt. Vernon (Luke Miles, Ashton Lewis, Dawan Langston, Jailin Porter) 44.74 seconds
4 x 400 Meter Relay — New Palestine (Ryker Large, Carson Sams, Laine Schonauer, Drew Austin) 3:30.90
100 Meter Dash — Ryker Large, New Palestine (11.36 seconds)
200 Meter Dash — Jailin Porter, Mt. Vernon (22.88 seconds)
400 Meter Dash — Laine Schonauer, New Palestine (49.96 seconds)
800 Meter Run — Drew Austin, New Palestine (2:02.22)
1,600 Meter Run — Drew Austin, New Palestine (4:36.78)
3,200 Meter Run — Josh Collins, New Palestine (10:04.14)
110 Hurdles — Brent Donaldson, Mt. Vernon (15.70 seconds)
300 Hurdles — Brent Donaldson, Mt. Vernon (40.31 seconds)
Shot Put — Tate Helm, Greenfield-Central (48’10”)
Discus — Richard Clevenger, New Palestine (137’8”)
Long Jump — Caden Wildey, Mt. Vernon (19’2 ¼”)
High Jump — Laine Schonauer, New Palestine (5’8”)
Pole Vault — Spencer Worth, New Palestine (12’0”)
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