Fast Times At Plainfield Sectional Highlight Thursday's Action In Indiana

Story and Photos by David Woods for DyeStat

Indiana sprinters could not wait for the June 2 boys state meet to attack state records.

Plainfield senior Nayyir Newash-Campbell crushed the all-time record in the 400 meters and Brownsburg nearly did so in the 4x100 relay, both at Thursday night’s Plainfield Sectional. They came in successive events about 10 minutes apart.

Top three in each event from 32 sectionals automatically qualified for next week’s eight regionals.

Newash-Campbell’s time was 46.67 seconds, well under the 46.89 by Batesville’s Chris Geisting at the 2011 Midwest Meet of Champions. Only other sub-47 sprinters in Indiana history are Walter Monagan, Gary West, 46.93 at the 1981 AAU Junior Olympics, and Olympic bronze medalist David Neville, Merrillville, 46.98 at the 2002 Golden West Invitational.

Thus, Newash-Campbell, a Penn commit with a US#19, became the first Hoosier to run sub-47 as early as May. He smashed his sectional record of 48.19. His previous best was 47.45, set in winning last year’s state title at Bloomington, Ind. Newash-Campbell also ran 47.48 last month, and 47.46 twice last summer.

He was due.

So was Brownsburg’s sprint relay.

Deandre Cooper, Josh Handy, Caleb Heldman and Dominic Calhoun clocked 40.96, after previous times of 41.16 and 41.37. Indiana’s state record is 40.91 by Gary Roosevelt in 1982.

Calhoun, a junior, was a triple winner after sweeping the sprints in 10.80 and a state-leading 21.49. He and Handy (21.83) were 1-2 in the 200 ahead of Newash-Campbell (21.95).

Bode Gilkerson high jumped a US#6 7-0.25 (2.14m) to break a 45-year-old Plainfield record held by Greg Jones, who now coaches him. Gilkerson was the only 7-footer in the nation indoors.

Brownsburg made a case as a contender in DyeStat’s annual Dual Meet Championship Tournament. In a sectional featuring three of the state’s top six teams, the No. 1 Bulldogs scored 207 points to 104 for No. 3 Plainfield and 97 for No. 6 Zionsville. Brownsburg won 10 of 16 events, advanced to regional in 15 and went 1-2 in four.

Milers set up upcoming showdown

The state 1,600 was supposed to come down to Kole Mathison vs. Martin Barco. It still might, but they are being pursued.

At Floyd Central, Will Conway of Floyd Central ran a 4:05.72 for a US#8 and fastest in the nation by a junior. New Albany twins Aaron Lord and Aidan Lord followed in 4:07.81 and 4:14.90, respectively.

Mathison, of Carmel, is defending state champion and Champs Sports Cross Country national champ. He was upset by Barco, a Martinsville junior who set a meet record of 4:08.94 in an April 14 mile at Indianapolis.

At Westfield, Mathison cruised to  4:14.65 in the 1,600 and 9:03.33 in the 3,200. He ran a US#16 of 1:50.80 in an 800 last week.

At Bloomington North, Barco clocked 4:11.49 in the 1,600 and 1:53.81 in the 800.

And at Lawrence Central, Brebeuf Jesuit junior Cameron Todd ran 4:13.03.

U.S. leader Luke Himes throws 65-5

>> At Lawrence Central: Heritage Christian junior Luke Himes won the shot put at 65-5 (19.94m), compared with his US#1 of 67-10 (20.67m). Park Tudor’s Jasiah Rogers (10.55) won the 100 over Lawrence Central’s Elijah Jackson (10.65) and North Central junior Christian Woodson (10.86). In the 200, Woodson (21.81) edged Rogers (21.84).

>> At Westfield: Carmel’s Drew Franklin threw the discus a state-leading 188-5 (57.43m), just outside Indiana’s all-time top 25.  Carmel’s Adom Quist upset Tyler Tarter of Fishers in the 110 hurdles, with both clocking 14.57. Tarter, a junior, lowered his state-leading 300 hurdles to 38.11.

>> At Columbus North: Center Grove’s Parker Doyle ran the 110 hurdles in a state-leading 14.32 and clocked 38.35 in the 300 hurdles. Garrett Messer, also of Center Grove, threw the discus 185-9, second in Indiana. Center Grove advanced in all 16 events, won nine and scored 205 points, only two less than Brownsburg.

>> At Mt. Vernon: The hosts ran a state-leading 3:19.47 in the 4x400 relay, winning by nearly 15 seconds. Mt. Vernon’s George Burhenn, a tight end committed to Purdue in football, won a 14.82/38.94 hurdles double and ran in the 4x400. Mt. Vernon junior Andres Langston clocked 48.93 in the 400.

>> At Crown Point: Nike Indoor Nationals champion Cody Johnston of Hobart pole vaulted 16-8 (5.08m). He is a defending state champion.

>> At Decatur Central: Southport’s Nickens Lemba, angling for a state rematch vs. Newash-Campbell, ran the 400 in 48.15. Lemba was second at state in 2022.

>> At Fort Wayne North Side, Churubusco’s Riley Buroff lowered his 400 PB by .01 to 47.66, third in the state.

>> At Evansville Central: Evansville Reitz’s Xavier Thomas won a sprint triple in 10.79/21.98/49.21.

>> At Greenfield-Central: Warren Central’s Jaelyn Reeves-Lile won a 10.77/21.88 sprint double.

Contact David Woods at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.