(MileSplit Indiana talks with Reece Sanders after her 800 debut last summer)
With the Dave Fulkerson Classic set for tomorrow, we're taking a look at meet entries and giving you our Top 5 girls to watch.
MileSplit Indiana will be live on-site to capture photos and race video which will be available to view shortly after the meet concludes.
Ella Scally will look to cement herself as one of the state's top athletes this season. Scally only competed in one indoor meet last winter, the Blue and White Relays at Anderson University. Scally won the long jump by nearly two feet that day with a mark of 17'7", and narrowly missed out on the win in the 60 Meter Dash with a time of 7.81.
The Girls 60 Meter Dash features one of the deepest fields in the Drew Fulkerson Classic this weekend. Chesterton's Camryn Dunn, Avon's Alana Springer, and Scally all had times ranked in Indiana's top twenty a year ago.
Cathedral's Reese Sanders is quickly becoming one of Indiana's best middle-distance runners. Last winter, Sanders won the 400 Meter Dash at the Indiana Runner Sprint and Distance Showcase in 1:00.35, the fifth fastest 400 time in the state last year. Sanders took on the 800 Meter Run for the first time last July at the Summer Finale Distance Open, where she won with an impressive debut time of 2:18.50.
Up until last year, Sanders was primarily a hurdler. As a Freshman, she finished seventh at the State Finals in the 300 Meter Hurdles with a time of 44.75. Sanders will be competing in the 400 Meter Dash, the 800 Meter Run, and the 60 Meter Hurdles this weekend at Warsaw.
Addy Wiley of Huntington North has made a name for herself as one of the top track athletes in the state despite limited opportunity. Wiley didn't compete in any track meets in 2020, but in 2019 she pulled off an incredible feat by winning the state title in the 1600 Meter Run as a Freshman in 4:46.93. Wiley has backed that up with a pair of top ten finishes in the cross country State Finals.
Wiley will be competing in the 3200 Meter Run this at the Dave Fulkerson Classic. Although she hasn't run this event since her first meet as a freshman, it's safe to say we should see Wiley at the front of the pack on Saturday.
Jasper's Rachel Mehringer has only competed in a handful of high school track meets, but has already emerged as one of Indiana's premier hurdlers. Mehringer won the 100 Meter Hurdles at the Indiana Middle School State Championships in 2019, and won the 55 Meter Hurdles at the Indiana Runner Sprint and Distance Showcase last winter. Mehringer set the fastest 55 Meter Hurdles time in the state that day, an 8.13. Mehringer also owned the fastest 60 Meter Hurdle time in Indiana last year, an 8.74 that came in a third place finish at the Music City Invitational. Mehringer will make the long trip north to Warsaw to open her 2021 season this weekend.
Churubusco thrower Kilah Smith could have a breakout year in her senior campaign. After qualifying for the Regional in both Discus and Shot Put her Sophomore year, Smith won her lone meet last winter with a mark of 39'7.5". That mark was the sixth best of any girl in the state last year, and four of the five throwers above her graduated last spring. Smith should be one of the top throwers in Indiana this year, and it all starts Saturday at the Dave Fulkerson Classic.