HIGH SCHOOL

Lafayette Jeff boys track ties for 18th at state meet

Staff and Indianapolis Star reports

There was no repeat state championship for Lafayette Jeff senior Matt Johnson, but he and teammate Tim Wilson helped the Bronchos finish in a tie for 18th place Saturday at the IHSAA Boys Track and Field state finals at Bloomington.

Johnson had his bid for a repeat state title in the 100 meters derailed early. He was 14th in the preliminaries with a time of 11.12 seconds, leaving him out of the final. Jeff’s DeMarques Jones was 13th, also in 11.12, while McCutcheon’s Donnie Blount was 24th.

Johnson came back to finish fifth in the 200 meters with a time of 22.32. Isaiah Thomas of Warren Central won in 21.68.

Wilson repeated his seventh-place finish in the 110-meter high hurdles with a time of 14.72 seconds. He improved to sixth place in the 300 hurdles at 38.50.

Carmel senior and UCLA football recruit Austin Roberts used a strong kick to win the 100 in 10.83 seconds. He was 11th in the event last year.

Cooper Williams scored West Lafayette’s lone points of the meet, finishing sixth in the 3200 meters at 9:13.84. Southport’s Clayton Bowie repeated as state champion in 9:06.63.

“This year, I knew I would have more of a target on my back, considering what people saw last year, but I kind of like the pressure and it kind of worked in my favor with the race (Saturday),” said Bowie, who will run at Ohio State.

Jake Cohen of West Lafayette was 13th in the 1,600 meters. His time of 4:22.58 was well off the pace set by Lawrence North’s Joe Murphy (4:11.05) and a little more than four seconds out of ninth place, the final scoring spot.

West Lafayette’s William Mbongo was 13th in the long jump preliminaries, failing to qualify for the final. He also was 11th in the 300 hurdles.

Purdue football recruit Gelen Robinson of Lake Central added a discus state championship to his two wrestling state titles, dominating the field with a top throw of 197-7.

Gary West edged Carmel 41-39 for the team title, its first state championship in 34 years.

Gary West scored enough points with its fifth-place finish in the meet’s final event — the 1,600-meter relay — to overcome the Greyhounds. Center Grove and Avon (29 points each) tied for third. Carmel had a drop on a baton exchange in the race and failed to place.

“It’s been a long time for Gary,” coach Gene Johnson said. “Sooner or later I came up with the kinds of individuals that were wiling to pour out heir heart. They just let it all hang out there.”

With the exception of the final event, much of the evening’s drama came in the 300 hurdles. Center Grove’s Justin Veteto won the event after finishing as the runner-up to Hamilton Southeastern’s Jacob Wright in the 110 high hurdles.

Shelbyville senior Daniel Kuhn won the 800 in his first year of running since eighth grade. Marshall junior Stoney Prowell won the 400 in 48.4 seconds.

Avon’s Angelo Allen won the shot put with a throw of 60 feet, 6 inches and Brownsburg’s 1,600 relay team closed the meet with a win in 3:18.51.

Bloomington South junior Deakin Volz set a state record in the pole vault, breaking the 2007 mark of 17 feet by half an inch.

Preceding the meet was the inaugural Unified track and field state finals, the result of a partnership between the Indiana High School Athletic Association and Special Olympics Indiana, which featured students with and without intellectual disabilities competing in five events. Warsaw won the team title with 101 points to runner-up Mt. Vernon’s 91. Noblesville tied for third with Booneville.

West Lafayette tied for seventh with 71 points, led by Ashley Yeoman winning her long jump heat at 10-3½. Ryan Kim won his shot put flight with a top throw of 30-3¼.