These multi-event standouts top the Herald-Times All-Area girls track team
In a year where the area's school records were rewritten on a weekly basis, it took some truly top performances, some of the state's best, in fact, to head up the 2023 Herald-Times All-Area girls' track and field team.
Start with the Track Athlete of the Year in Bloomington South's Lily Myers, a three-time state medalist and five-time school record breaker, with what might be the best season in school history. Then there is the Field Athlete of the Year in Bloomington North's Hadley Lucas, who had a 1-2 finish in the throws at state and extended her school records in both events. Bridging both disciplines is Athlete of the Year Dede Eberle, a four-event wonder who won a pair of medals, and nearly three, in the finals.
Myers, oh my
It seemed like every time Lilly Myers wanted to go break a school record this year, she did it. Except for the pesky 800.
She'd run the open 800 just a couple of times in competition before this season but had been a mainstay of the Panthers' 3,200 relay. Looking to improve her footspeed this season, she worked the 800 into her routine, but every attempt at the mark came up short, or saw freshmen teammate Ellie Barada win the day.
Until the final day of the season, when she honestly wasn't trying to break it. It came after a 2:12 finish helped South go 9:12.91 to smash its school record from earlier in the year and take third. Then she came back a few hours later and spun a 4:56.04, her second fastest 1,600 ever, to nab third again.
Then came the 800, on tired legs, right? No way she's tracking down Barada's 2:14.02 in this heat, right? She went out in 65 and crossed in 2:13.48 for eighth. She didn't even back out of her 1,600 relay duties. That team had crushed the school record at regional with a 3:58.92.
"Midway through her junior year, you just saw it click," South coach Jill Renisnk said. "You saw her confidence develop. There was just a fearlessness in her to go out and do something she was capable of doing. Everyone fed off that spark. And I think she'll take that quality to the IU team."
The Indiana University-bound runner's other two records are a 10:36.84 in the 3,200 at the Carmel Distance Showcase, and a 4:55.19 in the 1,600 at the Conference Indiana meet. It was the second time she'd broken the 1,600 record, starting the year on a chilly March day with a 4:56.61.
"It was pretty exciting to watch," Rensink said. "The first meet, she said she was just going to go for it. It was just sort of a motto for the season. I never sensed any doubt. We'd talk strategy before a race, she'd say, 'This is what I think we're going to do.' "OK, sounds good to me and she'd go do it."
As each goal went down, she'd find another to go after and that was contagious. Myers spread it with her constant encouragement of her teammates.
"It's been really fun," Rensink said. "I've known her since seventh grade and so to just see the development over the past six, seven years in her confidence. Yes, I can run at the collegiate level.
"It was such a fun year and she was such a great role model for the past two, three years. She stepped up and led the kids at workouts and meets. She has such a chill and calm personality. It brings the other kids in. We're really going to miss her."
Lucas repeats
No one is going to outwork Hadley Lucas, though she did find herself outthrown just a couple times this season.
The junior, last year's H-T Field Athlete of the Year, was able to repeat as state champ in the shot put, but the big one she was looking for in the discus was elusive on the big stage, leaving her to add a second-place medal to her haul.
"I think there definitely was some frustration there," North coach Justin Helmer said. "Changing little things, those get very hard, a lot harder than big changes. So she was a little bit up and down, which is humbling. But as a competitor, it maybe made her annoyed more than anything."
It was another great year, raising her school records to 50-11 in shot put and 167-2 in discus. The Wisconsin commit, who is a member of Team USA at this year's Pan Am Games, strives for greatness beyond the state's borders.
"You see her work ethic and she works hard if not harder than she ever has to continue to improve," Helmer said. "At this point, it's just small improvements. The time she has invested in the sport, that gets hard. She didn't win both, but she still had two more school records and continues to improve and have unbelievable throws."
Four-star review
North's Dede Eberle, like Myers and Lucas, was dedicated to her craft this year, spending her winter training and competing indoors, having previously been a member of the Cougar gymnastics squad.
"It gave her an opportunity to get over some hurdles and work on long jump," Helmer said. "Some of that is harder to do with the weather in the winter. We're limited with what we have indoors (at the school). It was a combination of that and she got in the weight room for the first time and got quite a bit stronger.
"She spent more time on her technical events and she definitely got better at that. Little changes in the hurdles she made by at the end of the year started to make a difference."
Every meet, it seemed she was responsible for 40 points.
At the Conference Indiana meet, she swept the hurdles, long jump and helped the 400 relay to a win. She won four times at the North-South meet in the 100 dash, 100 hurdles, long jump and 400 relay. At sectional, she broke the school record in the 100 hurdles (14.39), then won long jump, 300 hurdles and anchored the 400 relay to a win.
Her regional was amazing: won the 100 hurdles in a meet record 14.43, jumped 17-6¼, 400 relay broke the school record, and then won the 300s. Both hurdle times were under the state standard.
So then what? A lot of athletes look to cut back on their load at state, hoping to maximize their strongest events. With Eberle, there were five events North could enter her in (the 1,600 relay as well). They decided to not cut anything and stick with her usual four.
"It was definitely looking at where she could score the best individually," Helmer said. "It was a difficult situation for us because we were looking at the team score as well, knowing, could we be top five? Could we win? Take second? We had those goals as well."
Eberle got off to a great start, flying to a 14.41 in the 100 hurdles prelims, second best on the day. In long jump, she had a breakthrough performance with a career-best 18-9¼ for sixth, just a sliver from fourth.
She, unfortunately, DQd in the hurdles final when she tried to make up for a slow start and hit a hurdle, then used her hand to catch herself. She still had plenty in the tank for a 400 relay that took ninth with a school record 48.27. Exhausted, she powered through the 300 hurdles, just a few minutes later and still took 23rd.
"It was a long day," Helmer said.
H-T ALL-AREA GIRLS' TRACK TEAM
ELLIE BARADA, South, Fr.
Quite the debut season for the freshman, who broke the school record in the 800 (2:14.02) and held it most of the season until Lily Myers broke it. Main race was the 400. CI champ. Won sectional and regional title before taking sixth at state in a career-best 56.78. Also leadoff for 3,200 relay and 1,600 relays that broke the regional records. The 3,200 relay also broke the school record while placing third at state.
CLARA CRAIN, Edgewood, Sr.
Ran a career-best 4:58.83 for a runner-up finish in the 1,600 sectional and followed with a 10:49.11 to break her sister Annalyssa's meet record in the 3,200. Focused on 3,200 the rest of the way and won regional with a 10:30.83 and ended up fourth at state. Will run at Belmont.
CORA DEEMER, North, Sr.
Part of a strong 1-2 punch in the sprints for the Cougars. Sectional runner-up in the 100 and third in the 200, ran to second in the 100 at regional (12.66) and third in the 200 (26.34). Finished 25th at state in the 200. Member of 400 relay that broke the school record three times while winning sectional and regional and placing ninth at state (48.27).
DEDE EBERLE, North, Jr.
Breakthrough season for Cougar, who made it to state in four events and brought back two medals. Sectional (14.39) and regional champ in the 100 hurdles with meet record times in both races. Was the No. 2 qualifier in state prelims, but was DQd in finals. In 300 hurdles, sectional and regional champ (45.32), 23rd at state. Sectional and regional champ in the long jump and went on to place sixth at state in a career-best 18-9¼. Anchor for 400 relay that won sectional and regional titles and placed ninth at state in school record 48.27. CI champ in both hurdles, long jump and 400 relay.
SARAH ELLIOTT, North, Sr.
Australian exchange student made an immediate impact. Won sectional titles in the 100 and 200 (26.00) and regional title in the 100. Part of 400 relay that won sectional and regional title and lowered the school record to 48.27 while placing ninth at state and anchor for 1,600 relay that won a sectional title, went 3:59.99 for second at regional and placed 17th at state. CI champ in the 100, 200, 400 relay and 1,600 relay.
NOLA SOMERS GLENN, North, Jr.
Another strong year in the mid-distance events while lowering the school record in the 800 to 2:11.64. Sectional champ, broke 39-year-old meet record at regional and went on to take third at state. Turned a 58.95 400 this year. Member of 1,600 relay that won sectional, broke 4:00 at regional and placed 17th at state. Also ran legs for 3,200 relay that made state. CI champ in 800. Three-time All-Area.
VIOLET HALL, South, Fr.
Basketball standout brought her hops to the high jump, where she won a sectional title and tied her career-best at regional (5-2) to make state. Used her speed to place fourth at sectional in 100 (13.07) to earn a regional call up. Also anchored the 400 relay to runner-up finishes in the sectional and regional and 23rd at state. CI champ in the high jump.
ELLA HAYDEN, Edgewood, Sr.
Multi-event standout for the Mustangs, made it to state in the long jump after taking second at sectional and third at regional. Had season best leap of 17-9. WIC champ. Member of 1,600 relay that was third at sectional and regional before breaking the school record with a 4:01.31, and was on the 400 relay that placed fourth at regional but broke its school record with a 50.50. Repeat All-Area.
HADLEY LUCAS, North, Jr.
Repeats as H-T Field Athlete of the Year. Won a second state title in shot put (49-5) and won sectional and regional titles, breaking the regional record. Upped her school record to 50-11. In discus, was a state runner-up (157-7) after breaking the sectional record (166-2) and winning regional. Had a best distance of 167-2 to raise her school record. CI champ in both, breaking meet record in discus by 13 feet. Three-time All-Area.
JASMINE MARTOGLIO, South, Fr.
Another of the Panthers' first-year standouts. Sectional and regional runner-up in the 3,200 before placing 14th at state in a career-best 11:02.12. Also a member of the 3,200 relay that broke the regional record and then lowered the school record to 9:12.91 while placing third at state.
LILY MYERS, South, Sr.
H-T Co-Track Athlete of the Year leaves with an incredible five school records to her name and was a three-time state medalist. In the 1,600, set the sectional and school record (4:54.71), won a regional title and placed third at state (4:56.04). CI champ. Sectional and regional runner-up in the 800, posted a school record 2:13.48 to place eighth at state. Started the state meet by anchoring the 3,200 relay to a school record 9:12.91 after it won sectional and set the regional record. Earlier in the year, lowered her school record in the 3,200 to 10:36.84. Member of 1,600 relay that broke the school record while winning regional (3:58.92) and was 15th at state. Repeat All-Area.
SARA POLITO, Edgewood, Sr.
German exchange student gave Mustangs a big lift in the hurdles. Sectional runner-up and third at regional (45.77) in the 300 hurdles and went on to place 11th at state. WIC champ. Sectional runner-up in the 100 hurdles, posted a season-best time of 15.92. Member of 1,600 relay that was third at sectional and regional before breaking the school record with a 4:01.31 for 14th at state.
HOPE TAYLOR, North, Sr.
First year competing pole vault in high school and she climbed quickly, reaching 10-9. Won sectional and regional titles and tied for 15th at state. CI champ.
HONORABLE MENTION: Ashley Abram, Edgewood, Jr. (pole vault, 400 relay); Eden Bailey, South, Jr. (200, 400 relay, 1,600 relay); Anna Barnes, South, So. (discus, shot put); Lilianna Blais, Eastern Greene, So. (1,600, 3,200 relay, 1,600 relay); Hannah Crain, Edgewood, Fr. (1,600, 3,200); Esther Crane, Eastern Greene, Fr. (3,200, 3,200 relay); Helena Cutshall, South, Fr. (100, long jump, 400 relay); Emma Edwards, Edgewood, Jr. (400, high jump, 1,600 relay); Madeline Esslinger, Lighthouse Christian, Sr. (200); Molli Lucas, South, So. (shot put); Aurora Martoglio, South, Fr. (3,200); Harlie Robbins, Edgewood, Jr. (pole vault); Cara Sanders, North, Jr. (discus); Adriene Shaevitz, South, Fr. (100 hurdles, long jump); Janel Solie, North, Sr. (pole vault); Shayli Walker, Edgewood, Jr. (shot put); Millie Williams, South, Jr. (800, 3,200 relay, 1,600 relay).
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Multi-event standouts top Herald-Times All-Area girls track team
