The IHS indoor track team capped off an outstanding season with an impressive performance at the State track meet on Saturday, March 7th, producing several top-10 finishes, multiple school records, and two state runner-up performances.
Several athletes qualified for the state meet and represented Indy well against top competition from across the state. Senior Elyse Grill competed in the weight throw and finished 11th overall, while Freshman Leah Creel placed 11th in the 800-meter run. “Going into the meet I was ranked 10th, which means I am only one spot away from making finals. Making it to finals would mean I was top 9 and if I could throw far enough I could be top 8 and make the podium,” Grill explained.
Sophomore Emily Slusher earned a 10th-place finish in the triple jump, and Sophomore Mitch Creel placed 10th in the 1600-meter run. Junior Carter Howard also had a strong showing in the 60-meter dash, finishing 10th in the state while setting a new school record with a time of 7.22 seconds.
Indy also had multiple athletes earn state finalist medals. The girls 4×200 relay team of Junior Ellie Coddington, Creel, Freshman Lucy Lu, and Junior Julia Jurkiewicz finished seventh in the state while setting a new school record with a time of 1:54.22.
Senior Stephen Mlynarczyk earned two state finalist finishes. He placed fifth in the high jump with a personal-record leap of 6 feet, 2 inches, and later finished seventh in the triple jump with another personal best of 38 feet, 8.25 inches.
Two Indy athletes finished the meet as state runner-ups. Howard placed second in the 60-meter hurdles, setting another school record with a time of 8.11 seconds. Jurkiewicz also earned a second-place finish in the triple jump, breaking the school record with a jump of 30 feet, 1.25 inches.
The strong performances highlighted a successful indoor season for the Indy track program and showcased the team’s depth and talent on the state stage.
