It was a most impressive boys' track season in the Bloomington area this year, but three athletes found a way to stand out above the rest.

The Herald-Times Co-Track Athletes of the Year are Bloomington North's Kyle Clark and Caleb Winders and the Field Athlete of the Year is Bloomington South pole vaulter Sawyer Bailey.

Between them: six state medals, three school records and hundreds of miles on South coach Larry Williams' car trying to find the right poles for Bailey, who played tight end in the fall.

Cougar bookends

They switched roles for just a couple of minutes.

Clark, the senior on his way out and off to run for the University of Illinois, was the one to get North's 3,200 relay off to a great start. With 15 teams in the fast heat at state, it was critical to get the Cougars in front of the mayhem that envelops the first baton exchange before the field really starts to string out.

Clark was in first in 1:54, giving Dominic D'Onofrio and Reed Pierce the cushion they'd need to keep North in the hunt and forcing everyone else to work hard to catch up. Then it was Winders' turn.

The freshman, just getting what looks like an extremely promising career started, was the closer he'd been most of the season, turning an outstanding 1:50.20 final 800, including a field-best 56.81 closing lap. School record, state record and smiles all around.

Clark would go on to medal in the 3,200 and Winders would take second in the 800 and get a third medal with the 1,600 relay. Clark leaves with two more school records in the 1,600 and 3,200 and Winders proved to be one of the top frosh in the nation.

"They were both equally impressive," North coach Justin Helmer said. "They did such a great job on the four-by-eight, putting us in the position we needed to be to go win the race."

Clark lowered his school mark in the 1,600 with a 4:12.21 clocking at the Nike National meet after the state finals. He dropped the 3,200 record to 8:59.99 at a Carmel Showcase so fast he was fifth.

"You look at four years of work and improvement from when he was a freshman," Helmer said. "He was not a Caleb Winders when he came it. But his growth, every year he took another step forward and his progression is the kind you hope every athlete has.

"As a senior, he was a whole lot more consistent. He got sick mid-season and that knocked him back and it took time for him to recover, but he showed he was the same Kyle again. He was just a competitor and scored a ton of points for us."

Winders was showing his potential even before the outdoor season began. The only question was, would he stay healthy and still have something in the tank by the end of the season? A resounding 'yes' was the answer. He went a career-best 1:52.68 in the open 800.

"You just saw him dig down in so many moments," Helmer said. "He threw caution into the wind, it was, 'Just go race,' and not everyone is willing to do that. They'll get caught up in the pace, or the time or place. Caleb does not necessarily do that. He just runs."

The school's 800 record, John Heistand's 1:50.40 from 2004, will certainly be a target in the seasons ahead. He's tested himself against the state's and some of the nation's best this season to prepare for the journey ahead.

"The more high caliber races he's getting into, he's gotten so much experience running so many different races," Helmer said. "Obviously, there were some lessons learned this year. I think his confidence is just growing. I think his strongest point is how competitive he gets in the moment."

Sawyer Bailey keeps climbing

From the beginning, Bailey was going to put the fiberglass poles to the test.

He took an interest in vaulting as a freshman showing up at track club that year, but never got a chance to work on this spring with COVID hitting. As a 180-pound, sometimes 190, tight end, it was going to be a challenge but one he was ready to face.

"The thing about Sawyer is that he is so determined," Williams said. "He self-learned after he'd leave practice. We'd go over some things the next day, 'Oh year, I've seen that in a video I've been watching.' He was a student of the sport.

"And then you look beyond practice, trying to balance the issue with the poles and what was available. I have at least 10 poles I need to return to people, but it's what you do when you have kids who want it as much as he does."

Poles have a flex number and a maximum weight for the vaulter who is using them and the then there's the length to consider based on how high the vaulter is trying to reach. Even a vaulter's speed on the runway is a factor. Despite the issues, Bailey still managed to go career best 15-feet this season and finish fourth in his second trip to state.

Bailey worked around his off-season football schedule last summer, working on making a better turn. Bailey got quicker on the runway this year as well. Williams saw him reach at least 16-0 in practice and then saw him reach one of his goals of medaling at the state finals.

"The biggest thing was keeping up with his ability and advancement with the poles that would be proper for it," said Williams, who borrowed one from the Volz family to use at state. With the heat and length of the competition, it was a tough year for any of the competitors to match their career bests, but Bailey did it in his last meet, as he moves on with his academic career at IU.

"It's tough to see it end for him," Williams said. "I'm proud of him. We've had some tremendous vaulters and he fits right up there with them."

H-T All-Area Boys' track

FIRST TEAM

SAWYER BAILEY, South, Sr.

H-T Field Athlete of the Year pole finished fourth at state in the pole vault, tying his career best of 15-0. Sectional, regional champ. Won CI title. Repeat All-Area.

D'ANDRE BLACK, South, Jr.

Didn't let an ACL injury suffered during football season from keeping him off the medal stand again at state. Limited to just a handful of races in the 110 hurdles, still took seventh at state (14.68). Sectional champ, third at regional. Repeat All-Area.

EVAN CHENG, North, Fr.

Sectional champ in the long jump, hit a season and career-best 21-4 this season. Third at CI Meet.

KYLE CLARK, North, Sr.

H-T Co-Athlete of the Year broke three school records and earned two medals at state. Settled on the 3,200 for state and was a sectional runner-up and a regional champ before placing ninth at state (9:09.87). Smashed school record with an 8:59.98 at Carmel Showcase. Sectional runner-up in the 1,600 and also reset his school record with a converted 4:12.12 from his run at Nike Nationals. Leadoff man for the 3,200 relay that won sectional, regional and finally a state title with a state record 7:43.67. Posted 1:57.43 in the 800. Three-time all-area. Will run at Illinois.

SAM COSNER, South, Sr.

Made a surprising run to state in the 200 after finishing fourth at sectional. Third at regional, 25th at state, lowering his time to 22.52. Had a season-best 11.21 in the 100. Member of the 400 relay that broke the school record several times, settling at 42.86 while finishing 19th at state.

JAIDYN JOHNSON, North, Jr.

Injuries hampered him in the postseason, but not before he smashed the school record in the 100 (10.76) and won a CI title. Limited to the 100 at sectional and regional, was a runner-up in both before placing 17th (10.98) at state. Helped the 400 relay win CI title and later crush its school record and place third at state in 41.69. CI runner-up in 200 (22.42).

CODY MIKULICH, North, Sr.

Area's top performer in discus, winning a CI title with a career-best 174-2. Sectional and regional champ before placing 15th at state. Also a member of the 400 relay that took third at state and reset the school record to 41.69. Three-time All-Area.

BROC MURPHY, North, Sr.

Back injury kept him off the track until part-way through the season. Won a sectional title in the 300 hurdles and was a runner-up in the 110s. At regional, ended up fourth in 110s (15.22) before making state in 300s with a 40.38 for third. Finished 20th at state. CI champ in both hurdles. Three-time All-Area.

JACOB ORTH, South, Sr.

Soccer standout was a first-year high jumper and won a CI championship with a career-best 6-4. Won sectional title but ended up fourth at regional.

RYAN RHEAM, South, Jr.

Like in cross country, put everything together after a tough regular season. Sectional champ in the 3,200 and a regional runner-up had a career race in the state final, breaking the 41-year-old school record to take third in 9:03.96. Three-time All-Area.

JAQUALON ROBERTS, North, Sr.

Returned to track this year and finished with a bang: sectional and regional titles in the 400 before breaking the school record while taking seventh at state in 48.39. Member of the 1,600 relay that won sectional and regional titles before finishing eighth at state (3:21.70). Ran a 22.49 in the 200. Athlete of the meet at the (Ben Davis) Giant Relays. Two-time All-Area.

CONNOR SHINN, North, Sr.

Joined the rare air of the under 11-Club in the 100, hitting 10.98. Sectional champ, fifth at regional. Two-time state medalist, helping 400 relay win a sectional title, take second at regional and third at state in a school record 41.69.

JOSH TAIT, South, Jr.

Sectional runner-up in the 400, placed third at regional to make state finals for the first time. Season's best time of 50.38. Also anchor for the 1,600 relay that was a sectional and regional runner-up and placed 12th at state in 3:23.44.

CALEB WINDERS, North, Fr.

H-T Co-Track Athlete of the Year burst onto the scene and established himself as one of the nation's best freshmen. Saved his best race for last in the 800. A sectional runner-up, he won a regional title and then sped to a 1:52.68 for second place at state. That followed his 1:50.2 split on the anchor leg for the 3,200 relay which won in a state record 7:43.67. Picked up a third state medal with the 1,600 relay, which was eighth (3:21.70) after winning sectional and regional titles. CI champ in 800.

MAX WYNALDA, North, Jr.

Another season of improvement in the shot put, earning a spot at state where he placed 13th (54-4). Sectional champ, regional runner-up. Had a season-best of 54-11. CI champ.

JOE ZINKAN, South, Jr.

Came up with a big race at regional in the 3,200 when he needed it, going a career-best 9:21.56 for third. Placed 14th at state.

HONORABLE MENTION

Ethan Barnes, South, Jr. (shot put); Eli Berry, South, sr. (100, 400 relay, long jump); Teagan Bullock, South, (800, 3,200 relay); Carter Cutshall, South, Jr. (long jump); Noah Hall, Owen Valley, Fr. (high jump); Jack Holden, North, So. (1,600); Mason Law, Edgewood, Sr. (110 hurdles, 300 hurdles, long jump); James Lewis, Eastern Greene, Jr. (100, 200, 400 relay); Noah Liell-Beyene, South, So. (110 hurdles, 300 hurdles); Ivan Lynch, South, Sr. (discus); Zane Meyer, Edgewood, So. (3,200); Jacob Mitchell, North, Fr. (3,200); Dominic D'Onofrio, North (800, 3,200 relay); Stephon Opoku, North, Jr. (100, 200, 400 relay); Bryce Pardue-Mills, Owen Valley, Sr. (shot put); Reed Pierce, North, Jr. (3,200 relay); Joseph Powell, North (200); Adrian Rheam, South, So. (400 relay, 1,600 relay); Lucas Rice, North, Fr. (discus); Will Steiner, North, So. (pole vault); Hunter Tabor, South, Jr. (1,600, 3,200 relay).

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Bloomington trio leads Herald-Times All-Area boys' track team