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With Memorial Day fast approaching, it is sectional season for spring sports in Indiana. Beginning postseason play on Tuesday was girls track and field, with three local schools representing the area at Warsaw’s Fisher Field. Seven total records were set, but the end result was the same as usual: The Lady Tigers’ 112.50 points edged out Elkhart by 12.50 as the hosts claimed yet another sectional championship.
The top three finishers in each event earned a spot in next week’s regional.
Before the trial races began, the first sectional champion of the night was crowned. The 4x800M race was won by Northridge’s Brayleigh Adams, Allison Ambers, Adelyn Long and Dakotah Moore. The Lady Tigers of Warsaw finished in second to advance as well, with the foursome of Hannah Schini, Sammi Rastrelli, Dani Rastrelli and Eden Gackenheimer finishing with a time of 9:51.34.
When the finals began, it didn’t take long for Warsaw to pick up another podium finish. Bailee Krieger finished with a time of 16.50 seconds in the 100M hurdles, which was good enough for third place.
Though Wawasee did not advance its team to next week’s regional, the Lady Warriors will still be represented. Senior Mia Hodgson took home the sectional championship in the 1600M run, finishing with a time of 5:19.50. A little over three seconds behind her was Warsaw freshman Dani Rastrelli, who took second.
Still searching for its first win of the evening, the Lady Tigers remained consistently near the top of the leaderboard. This time, it was the relay team of Annie Scholl, Darline Nelson, Claire Walters and Lucy Andrew taking second in the 4x400M. The finish was the most exciting of the night so far, with Goshen’s Amari Lind turning on the burners in the final stretch to not only take first place, but set a new sectional record, breaking the previous one from 1983.
The 400M dash did not see any local representatives advance, but there were three top-10 finishes. Warsaw’s Finley Hummitch took fourth, Wawasee’s Bailyn Likens fifth, and Allie Calizo of Lakeland Christian finished eighth.
Warsaw junior Nora Scheetz-Holland takes flight from the board during the long jump competition...Nieter
A few events went by without any local athlete or team tallying any points or advancing. It wasn’t until Melayna Howett’s 47.75 time in the 300M hurdles put the Lady Tigers back on the podium. By this point, Elkhart had found some separation at the top of the leaderboard, while the remaining regional spots were more than up for grabs.
Senior Eden Metz was fantastic in the 800M run, with her time of 2:15.64 giving her a comfortable seven-second victory. It was Warsaw’s first win of the day, and with Gracie Boren earning a second place finish, the Lady Tigers earned 18 points in the event to jump up into second place in the sectional field. Wawasee freshman Sophie Hunter finished fifth.
The first field event to feature a podium finish for a local athlete was the discus, which featured three in the top 10. Warsaw’s Cassie Jackson took second place behind Jimtown’s Brooklyn King, finishing with a throw of 120’ 11”. Fellow Lady Tiger Ari Harmon took fifth place.
After her younger sister Dani took second place in the 1600M run, Dani Rastrelli earned a second-place finish in the 3200M. Hodgson, the winner of the 1600, took sixth place in this one, while Warsaw’s Matilda Granger finished fourth. This late push by the Lady Tigers was enough to overtake Elkhart for first place at the meet, as the hosts eyed yet another sectional championship.
The final track event saw the Lady Tigers add yet another qualifying finish to their total, as the team of Darline Nelson, Gracie Boren, Finley Hummitch and Eden Metz took second place in the 4x400M relay with a time of 4:08.06. Winning the race was Goshen, as the Lady RedHawks set their fourth different sectional record of the evening.
It wasn’t until the final event of the evening that Lakeland Christian was able to send an athlete to next week’s regional, as Olivia Hawks, who took eighth place in the discus, earned a second place finish in shot put. Her throw of 38’ 6” inches was only beaten by King of Jimtown, who set a sectional record with a 41’ 2.75” throw. Bayleigh Sleeth of Warsaw just narrowly missed qualifying, finishing in fourth.
The regional is at Goshen next Tuesday.
