Carmel Wins First Girls Outdoor Track Title Since 1999

Story and Photos by David Woods for DyeStat

RESULTS

INDIANAPOLIS – Jumping for joy? There was more to it than that for Kya Crooke.

Veni, vidi, vici, if we may use the Latin. She came, she saw, she conquered.

It was her last Indiana state meet, and she ended it with a “bang,” she said.

The Heritage Christian senior went 6 feet, 0.25 inches (1.84m) in the high jump and 20-4.75 (6.22m) in the long jump. She broke records from the 1980s.

“I can’t even put into words how excited and happy I am that I was able to leave with such a great meet,” Crooke said.

Last year she became the first to win state titles in both high jump and long jump in a career, and Saturday she did so a couple of hours apart. Her four titles in field events left her one short of the record of five, set by Bloomington North thrower Hadley Lucas.

If you include small-school state indoors – in which Crooke won 11 – she is a 16-time state champion. She has six national titles, including one in the heptathlon.

Only one Indiana girl – Olympic gold medalist Maicel Malone – has set more than two records in the same state meet.

Crooke’s third long jump bettered the mark of 20-4 set by Jeffersonville’s Tonya Sedwick in 1986. The clearance in the high jump bettered the 6-0 by Norwell’s Angie Bradburn in 1985.

Considering the likes of Bradburn, who jumped at four World Championships; four-time state winner Ellie Tidman and two-time U.S. Under-20 champion Shelby Tyler, it was surprising Indiana’s mee record was such a low bar.

Crooke made 6-0.25 easily on her first attempt and raised it to 6-3, which would have exceeded her US#1 of 6-2.

“I was feeling good. My legs are feeling strong,” the Arizona signee said. “I didn’t get it today, but know it’s coming soon.”

Elsewhere, New Albany freshman Jada Harper won the 300-meter hurdles in 41.52 seconds, fastest in the nation among underclassmen. She nearly broke the state record of 41.36 set by Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran’s Symone Black in 2014.

Harper might have won the 100 hurdles, too, but tripped over a barrier in the heats and finished last.

“I know you’re not supposed to be comfortable in racing. But I just feel more comfortable at 300 hurdles,” Harper said. “I feel better at long sprinting.”

Two others, sprinter Nadia Ford and distance runner Mallory Weller, were double winners. And Omema Anyanwu scored 23 points in a sprint triple.

Anyanwu, of Zionsville, is an Indiana University signee. She was fourth in the 100 meters in 11.93, first in the 400 in 53.77 and third (by .02) in the 200 in 24.22. She became the fifth Indiana girl ever to clock sub-54 in the 400, running more than two seconds faster than she did in winning at state last year.

“I felt like a lion was chasing me. Like, I just ran as fast as I could,” Anyanwu said.

Ford, a sophomore at Fort Wayne Carroll, won the 100 in a PB of 11.68 and 200 in 24.20.

Weller, a junior at Concordia, ran the second 800 in 2:18 for a time of 4:49.06 in the 1,600. She needed another fast close to beat Bishop Chatard’s Julia Score and Carmel’s Annabel Pollert in a 3,200 in which all three were separated by 0.63 seconds. Weller clocked 10:28.26, slowest winning time since 2019.

It was the fourth state title of the school year for Weller, who also won in cross-country and indoor 3,200. She set a state indoor record of 10:05.56 in winning the two-mile at New Balance nationals.

“I didn’t feel my best, honestly, if I’m being real,” she said. “It was a lot harder than I thought. Times weren’t even that fast. I’m still happy to take away with that win.”

Ellie Barada ran a 2:10.78 anchor to bring Bloomington South to a state record and US#3 of 8:51.35 in the 4x800 relay. Carmel was second in 8:53.45, also under the previous record.

Barada, a junior, came back to win the 800 in 2:07.30 and ran a 54.63 anchor to carry her team to fourth in the 4x400 relay.

In team standings, Carmel won its first girls track championship of this century and completed a triple crown of cross-country/indoor/outdoor titles. It was also a milestone 200th state championship in all sports.

Carmel scored 54 points, Hamilton Southeastern 46 and Bloomington South 34. Brownsburg and Carroll tied for fourth with 31 each.

Carmel regularly wins in cross country – 20 state titles in all, 10 in the 2000s – but had not won in track since 1999.

The Greyhounds did not win a single event but scored in nine of 16, featuring 23 points out of three relays.

“We did it all by team,” coach Aaron McRill said. “Which is what we’ve been preaching to the kids all year. We were not going to win it by one single person. We knew that.

“Everyone had to contribute, and everyone did. It was so amazing.”

None more so than Sadie Foley.

She was tripped near the start of the 1,600, causing the race to be recalled. She was on the track for several minutes receiving medical treatment, which included a taped ankle and bandaged leg. She came away with scrapes and spike wounds, and she said she considered not racing.

“But, our team was in it for the team race. The team title is the ultimate goal,” Foley said. “So I was just like, ‘We need these points. It’s going to be a close one.’

“I was just like, ‘I’ve got to run. I’ve got to see if I can get a few.’ That was my goal, just get up and get back in it.”

Foley finished fifth for five points. Moreover, she contributed a 58.68 third leg to a 4x400 relay team finishing second to HSE.

Carmel had little margin for mishap.

For instance, Emily Norris was nearly out of the long jump until making finals on her third attempt, then leaped 18-4.25 for fifth. That’s another five points.

Subtract those 10 points, and HSE is state champion.

Carmel secured at least a tie for the title when Pollert finished third in the 3,200, the next-to-last event.

“Lots of things happen in track. You never know,” Pollert said. “There’s no defense. In track, everybody has to do their best. It comes out how it comes out.”

Contact David Woods at dwoods1411@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.