Girls also fall despite Miller’s wins in 1,600, long jump
BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS
Sports Editor, RTC
NAPPANEE — Tippecanoe Valley’s Dawson Perkins and Wade Melanson were among the top area athletes last year in the high jump and shot put, respectively, and it would
appear that nothing has changed after their season-opening boys track meet against host NorthWood at Andrews Field Wednesday.
But there would appear to be a new star sprinter – Wade Jones.
Still, it was not enough for Valley to avoid an 87-44 loss to the Panthers.
NorthWood also won the girls meet 79-41.
The meets were held in unusually warm late March weather – temperatures started in the low 70s – that later turned rainy. By the end of the meet at approximately 8:20 p.m., temperatures had dropped into the mid 50s.
“We haven’t been able to practice much,” Valley coach Jenny Moriarty said. “This weather has not been our friend.”
Girls
Sophomore Chesnee Miller won both the 1,600 meters and the long jump. She overtook NorthWood’s Emilie Allen in the final lap in the 1,600 and won in 5:48. Her long jump of
15-5 was a foot-and-a-half longer than the runner-up from NorthWood.
Valley coach Jenny Moriarty said Miller almost conserved too much energy before showing off her kick in the 1,600.
“It was good, but she also realized that she had more to give,” Valley coach Jenny Moriarty said. “So that’s what we talked about. I like a little kick, but when you’ve got a full kick, you’ve still got something in the tank more to give. And she knew that. She ran a good two-mile at the indoor state. We’re just finding out what events she’ll do best in. So we’re splashing her in a few different things right now.”
Other Valley winners in the field events included Carlee Snyder, a freshman who cleared 4-9 in the high jump, and Chloe Shepherd, who won the discus with a throw of 102-6.
Mallory Durkes also contributed in the throws by finishing second in both the discus and shot put.
Miller was the only Lady Viking to win an individual track event.
Valley did win the 4 x 100 relay in 55.84 seconds. Valley benefitted when NorthWood dropped the baton on the backstretch.
Freshman who contributed to the scoring included Snyder, who was also second in the 100 hurdles; Emma Patrick, who was second in the 400; Lydia Craig, who was third behind NorthWood’s Joslyn Miller and Patrick in the 400; and Bailey Bussard, who was third in the 3,200 in 13:37.
“Welcome to varsity outdoor sports,” Moriarty said. “I think a lot of them didn’t realize the demand we kind of put on them. It’s different than junior high. We run in this (rainy weather) while junior high might not have. And I’m not as lenient. When you say you’re hurt, you’ve got to push through. Shin splints are no one’s friend, so that’s kind of been an issue for some of them too.”
Boys
Melanson’s throw of 51-8 was over five feet farther than his winning throw at last year’s Plymouth sectional.
Perkins, a senior who is headed to Indiana University-East to continue his track career next year, cleared 6-6, or one inch shorter than his indoor best but the exact same distance as the height he cleared while finishing seventh at last year’s state finals.
A third Valley athlete won a field event when Oliver Trigg took the long jump at 18-8 ½.
Valley scored 20 out of the 45 available points in the field events but only one out of the 27 available points in the three individual distance races – the 800, the 1,600 and the 3,200. NorthWood also earned all 18 available points in the two hurdles races.
The star of the sprints was Jones, who was hand-timed in 11.18 seconds in the 100. While hand-timing is unreliable, it should be noted that the winning time in the 100 at last year’s sectional was 11.52, and Jones posted his time in a downpour.
“Pretty good,” Moriarty said. “We’ve kind of been noticing that in practice when we’ve been able to be outside. Excited to see him drop 11. We want to see what he does in the 2(00). We’ll try that at some point. We’re just mixing things up right now, one, to get conditioning, and two, we’ve kind of got to use this as a practice because again, the rest of this week doesn’t look real fun.”
Teammate Caleb Petgen was third in 11.94.
Meanwhile, Rex Kirchenstien ran a 52.72 to win the 400 while teammate Nate Parker was third in 55.43. Trigg was third in the 200 in 24.80 seconds.
Valley also won the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 relays in 45.64 seconds and 3:43, respectively.
Other Valley scorers included freshman Isaac Whetstone, who was third in the 3,200; Cameron Mason, who was third in the shot put; and Eric Burke, who was third in the high jump.
Valley now heads to spring break next week. Their next meet is at home against Whitko, North Miami and Lakeland Christian on April 12.
“I would say yes and no because we’ve never really gotten started,” Moriarty said when asked if the season will essentially be starting over when they get back. “I hate that because we get a practice or two in and then we’re stuck in, and our practice space, you’re getting softball in there, and we’re in there… and you can only do the pool workout so much and the weight room so much.”
Moriarty said she has given her athletes some advice if they travel someplace warm over spring break.
“Run on the beach,” Moriarty said. “It’s the best thing to run on the sand. That’s the best workout ever.”
Girls track results: NorthWood 79, Valley 41
Scoring on 5-3-1 basis for individual events and 5-0 basis for relays
Winners plus all Valley scorers
100 m
1. Mikel (NW) – 13.35 seconds
200 m
1. Hutsell – 28.05 seconds, 3. Ava Smith (TV) – 28.72
400 m
1. Miller (NW) – 1:05.36, 2. Emma Patrick (TV) – 1:12.67, 3. Lydia Craig (TV) – 1:12.80
800 m
1. Allen (NW) – 2:41.27, 3. Ella Myers (TV) – 3:02.42
1,600 m
1. Chesnee Miller (TV) – 5:48
3,200 m
1. Brewer (NW) – 12:52, 3. Bailey Bussard (TV) – 13:37
100 m hurdles
1. Chupp (NW) – 17.8 seconds, 2. Carlee Snyder (TV) – 22.5
300 m hurdles
1. Chupp (NW) – 57.49 seconds
4 x 100 m relay
1. Valley – 55.84 seconds
4 x 400 m relay
1. NorthWood – 4:40, 2 Valley – 4:48
4 x 800 m relay
1. NorthWood – 11:14, 2. Valley – 11:43
Long jump
1. Chesnee Miller (TV) – 15-5
High jump
1. Carlee Snyder (TV) – 4-9
Discus
1. Chloe Shepherd (TV) – 102-6, 2. Mallory Durkes (TV) – 79-9
Shot put
1. Kauffman (NW) – 33-1, 2. Mallory Durkes (TV) – 32-1
Pole vault
(no heights cleared)
Boys track results: NorthWood 87, Valley 44
Scoring on 5-3-1 basis for individual events and 5-0 basis for relays
Winners plus all Valley scorers
100 m
1. Wade Jones (TV) – 11.18 seconds, 3. Caleb Petgen (TV) – 11.94
200 m
1. Tuggle (NW) – 23.63 seconds, 3. Oliver Trigg (TV) – 24.80
400 m
1. Rex Kirchenstien (TV) – 52.72 seconds, 3. Nathan Parker (TV) – 55.43
800 m
1. Hunsberger (NW) – 2:10.33
1,600 m
1. Hunsberger (NW) – 4:47
3,200 m
1. Burden (NW) – 10:26, 3. Isaac Whetstone (TV) – 12:52
110 m hurdles
1. Blosser (NW) – 17.3 seconds
300 m hurdles
1. Blosser (NW) – 44.57 seconds
4 x 100 m relay
1. Valley – 45.64 seconds, 2. NorthWood – 48.64
4 x 400 m relay
1. Valley – 3:43, 2. NorthWood – 3:49
4 x 800 m relay
1. NorthWood – 8:58, 2. Valley – 10:28
Long jump
1. Trey Oliver – 18-8 ½
High jump
1. Dawson Perkins (TV) – 6-6, 3. Eric Burke (TV) – 5-4
Discus
1. Miller (NW) – 135-5, 2. Wade Melanson (TV) – 111-9
Shot put
1. Wade Melanson (TV) – 51-8, 3. Cameron Mason (TV) – 43-6 ½
Pole vault
1. Mestach (NW) – 10-6
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