Jarrell makes historic trip to state finals

May 21—INDIANAPOLIS — It was an all-time great run. There was no question among those in attendance at the IHSAA Girls track-and-field regional at Pike on Tuesday evening. They had just seen Pendleton Heights junior Ava Jarrell qualify for the state finals with a regional championship in the 3,200-meter run.

Her time was 10:30.60. It bettered the state finals standard by 22 seconds and ranks as the 25th best time in the event in state history.

But it was just another day at the office for Jarrell, as she reminded everyone regardless of the historic nature of the run, it wasn't even her personal best.

"Going into the race, I knew I wanted to get a quick start, taking into consideration that I didn't get a good start last week, and I paid for that later in the race," she said. "I ran faster at Carmel, but I think this was my third- or fourth-fastest time. I wanted to get out fast and keep it like that because I haven't raced the 3,200 much this year."

It was plenty good enough to send her back to next Friday's state track-and-field finals, where she will be one of the favorites to capture a state title.

She will seek that outcome at the campus of Indiana University. While it may have seemed like a home away from home for Jarrell, it will be a permanent home for her eventually after she recently announced her commitment to run for the Hoosiers after her Pendleton Heights days are over.

"I've always loved the environment down there," she said. "I'm starting to get familiar a little bit with being down there."

Jarrell has plenty of business to take care of between now and then, and first up is sticking with what got her here and getting ready over the next week.

"It's been working, so why change it? I just want to make sure I'm fresh for the state meet," she said.

"She's pretty amazing," PH coach Bill Coggins said. "We're so excited that she's going to have a chance to compete and do really well next week. She's healthy, running well and things are going in the right direction."

Coggins was also thrilled with Jarrell's senior teammate, Jaycee Thurman, who came home in fifth place in the 3,200.

Elsewhere for the Arabians, Maddy Pfister capped her strong freshman campaign with a seventh-place finish in her qualifying heat of the 100-meter dash and 17th overall in the long jump. PH's Hadley Walker was 12th in the 800, and the Arabians' 1,600 relay team was 10th overall.

Another highlight was turned in by Lapel freshman Leila Wilson, who qualified for regional after a fifth-place finish in the 400 last week at Pendleton based on her time.

Seeded 11th in the finals, she roared down the stretch to a fifth-place finish with a time of 59.78, catching herself by surprise.

"I just ran until I couldn't give it anymore," she said. "I just couldn't believe it. I was just coaching myself through it and to give it everything I had. It's my only event tonight."

Regan Stookey of Lapel recorded the ninth-fastest time in the 200 preliminaries, missing out on the finals by .02 of a second, while AnnaLee Stow placed 19th in the high jump.

Daleville's Faith Norris was sixth in the 1,600 with a time of 5:24.35 and scored an eighth-place finish in the 800 meters. Olivia Pratcher was 16th in high jump.

Anderson's lone representative at regional was its 400 relay team of Jacelyn Starks, Cambre'Anna Austin, Jamyia Foster and Maileyonna Johnson, and they placed eighth in their section of the finals.

Anderson Prep senior Julia Smith, believed to be the first girls runner to advance to regional for the Jets, was third in her section of the 300 hurdles and placed 11th overall. Smith will continue her track career at IU-East next year.

Shenandoah's Kayci Hill ran 2:28.07 in the 800, good enough for a school record and ninth place while teammate Haley Hughes was ninth in the discus at 98-foot-7. Freshman Grace Lee was seventh in the 400 meters and was part of the Raiders' 1,600 relay team — along with Brooklyn VanBuskirk, Lydia Waggener, and Hill — that finished seventh in its section.

Contact Rob Hunt at rob.hunt@heraldbulletin.com or 765-640-4886.