FORTVILLE — To regain the title at the Hoosier Heritage Conference Boys Track and Field Championships, New Palestine knew it was going to have to rely on depth.
Placing third a year ago after winning the crown in 2017, the Dragons had three champions at Mt. Vernon High School on Thursday.
They also had multiple scorers in seven of eight running events, three of five field events and picked up a first, second and third in the three relay races.
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“We knew a lot of teams had a lot to offer in specific events,” New Palestine coach Eric Branch said. “We just needed to have points and depth everywhere to be able to fight off sprinters from Shelbyville and Delta and Mt. Vernon and field events from Greenfield-Central, and there were some great distance guys out there, too.”
New Palestine won with 135.5 points. Pendleton Heights, last year’s champion, edged Mt. Vernon for second place. The Arabians scored 104, while the Marauders had 103.5. Greenfield-Central finished seventh with 45 points.
There were some solid distance teams out there, but probably not any as good as the Dragons on Thursday.
“We had to have it everywhere, but our distance guys were phenomenal,” Branch added.
Josh Collins (10:12.94) and Kyler Harrison had a 1-2 finish in the 3,200-meter run. Owen Kleine, Carson Sams, Devon Whitaker and Drew Austin won the 4×800-meter relay (8:20.34). Whitaker and Austin were second and third, respectively, in the 800, while Austin and Collins finished back-to-back with a third and fourth in the 1,600-meter run.
“Our coaches told us at the beginning of the season we needed to focus on county and conference,” Collins said. “We did it last week (at county). We saw the heat sheets (Thursday) and knew we could do this.”
New Palestine’s other win came in the 400-meter dash. For the second straight week, Laine Schonauer edged Mt. Vernon’s Braxton Trittipo at the tape. Schonauer won by .01 last week at county. On Thursday, he finished in 50.34, just .26 better than Trittipo.
The Marauders may not have gotten the 400, but they had five first-place finishes, more than anyone in the meet, and no one took home more blue ribbons than Brent Donaldson and Dawan Langston.
Donaldson swept the hurdles and, for the second straight week, set a new school mark in the 300, clocking in at 40.30 seconds. He won the 110 in 15.89, just .03 ahead of Pendleton Heights’ Seth Ledford.
Langston won the 100 in 11.49 seconds and 200 in 23.15. The Marauders went 1-2 in the 200. Jailin Porter, last week’s county champion, finished in 23.51. Langston was not entered in the 200 last week.
Donaldson, Luke Rappe, Langston and Trittipo won the 4×400 relay in 3:30.09.
Coach Bruce Kendall was happy with his team’s performance, but also wondered how much better it could have been with a full lineup. Sprinter Ashton Lewis, a member of two relay teams, suffered an injury earlier in the week. Distance relay member Colin Brown and last week’s county long jump champion Caden Wildey were both out sick.
“It was heartbreaking for Ashton and then the flu bug hit us, so we are thrilled. These kids did great,” Kendall said.
“Everybody’s got a problem today. I could probably interview every team and they’d tell you they have a problem, too. It’s about overcoming problems.”
While the Cougars finished seventh, they were not without outstanding performances.
Greenfield-Central had a pair of winners.
Cody Hargett and Adam Lee finished 1-2 in the pole vault. Hargett cleared 14’0” and Lee went over 13’8”.
Tate Helm won the shot put with a distance of 53’0”.
“Tonight was a good night for (our vaulters),” Greenfield-Central coach Scott Burton said. “They were able to work on some things they needed to work on, so that is a good confidence boost for them going into sectional next week.
“Tate had a lifetime best and that should move him up to No. 1 or No. 2 for the sectional. If he keeps improving and keying on those things he needs to in the ring, he should have some success the rest of the month.”
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Team Results
New Palestine – 135.5
Pendleton Heights – 104
Mt. Vernon – 103.5
Delta – 82
Yorktown – 63
Shelbyville – 57
Greenfield-Central – 45
New Castle – 33
HHC Champions
4 x 800 Meter Relay – New Palestine, 8:20.34 (Owen Kleine, Carson Sams, Devon Whitaker, Drew Austin)
4 x 100 Meter Relay – Shelbyville, 43.82 seconds (Tim Clark, Elijah Sims, Tyson McKenney, Collin Miltz)
4 x 400 Meter Relay – Mt. Vernon, 3:30.08 (Brent Donaldson, Luke Rappe, Dawan Langston, Braxton Trittipo)
100 Meter Dash – Dawan Langston, Mt. Vernon (11.49 seconds)
200 Meter Dash – Dawan Langston, Mt. Vernon (23.15 seconds)
400 Meter Dash – Laine Schonauer, New Palestine (50.34 seconds)
800 Meter Run – Zachary Stanley, Delta (2:00.15)
1,600 Meter Run – Milan Jones, Pendleton Heights (4:32.37)
3,200 Meter Run – Josh Collins, New Palestine (10:12.94)
110 High Hurdles – Brent Donaldson, Mt. Vernon (15.89 seconds)
300 Hurdles – Brent Donaldson, Mt. Vernon (40.30 seconds)
Shot Put – Tate Helm, Greenfield-Central (53’0”)
Discus – Walker Moore, Yorktown (140’0”)
Long Jump – Zachary Stanley, Delta (22’5 ¼”)
High Jump – Nate Spencer, Pendleton Heights (6’2”)
Pole Vault – Cody Hargett, Greenfield-Central (14’0”)
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