Four Shelby County athletes advanced out of track and field sectional events Tuesday in Franklin and New Palestine.
Southwestern’s Lilly Rooks won the long jump competition at the Franklin Sectional with a best attempt of 16 feet, 10.5 inches.
Rooks, a junior, will be joined at Tuesday’s regional event by her teammate, Alison Muck.
Muck, a senior, set a new school record while finishing runner-up in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.55 seconds. Center Grove sophomore Madi Kramer won the 100 hurdles in 14.87.
Advancing out of the New Palestine Sectional Tuesday were Shelbyville senior Kilikina Schultz and Triton Central junior Madison Brown.
Schultz (photo) qualified for regional competition in both hurdling events.
Schultz finished third in the 100 hurdles in 16.33. Warren Central senior Mary Porter won the race in 15.32. Greenfield-Central senior Kayana Maroska was second in 15.73.
Schultz later returned to the track and finished runner-up in the 300 hurdles in 47.57. Porter won the 300 hurdles in 46.83.
Brown’s season will continue in the regional after a runner-up performance in the high jump. Brown tied Porter with a best height clearance of 4-10 but Porter was declared sectional champion based on earlier clearances with less misses.
Brown also finished fourth in the long jump (15-9.5).
At Tuesday’s girls track and field sectionals around the state, a top-three performance was needed in each event to advance to the regional. The same format will be used in regional competitions to determine the state finals qualifiers.
Also scoring points individually Tuesday were Morristown’s Nevaeh Sanders (6th in 100 hurdles, 18.42), Raegan Kleine (5th in 1,600, 5:56.8), Maggie Lutes (8th in 400, 1:05.37) and Lilly Stoddard (7th in long jump, 15-3; 4th in high jump, 4-8), Triton Central’s Elaina Maurice (7th in 1:04.36) and Hallie Schweitzer (8th in 800, 2:40.77) and Shelbyville’s Stefanie Howard (4th in 3,200, 12:51.28).
Warren Central won the sectional title at New Palestine with 149.5 points. Shelbyville (25) was sixth. Triton Central (16) and Morristown (16) tied for eighth.
Center Grove won the sectional championship at Franklin. Southwestern (18) finished eighth; Waldron (3) was ninth.
The Franklin Regional will feature the top three finishers in each event from four sectionals – Connersville, East Central, New Palestine and Franklin.
Photo credit: Steve Bush
