Girls Midwest Meet of Champions Highlights

The Midwest Meet of Champions took place last weekend just a short drive from downtown Indianapolis. The meet has undergone several changes in its 50 year history with this year's venue being at Marian University. While the Midwest Meet of Champions may not bring the best from Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio anymore it still provides a great opportunity for many Indiana Juniors & Seniors to get another opportunity to compete and for runners from across the state to bond and get to know one another a little more.

Here we'll highlight some of the individual girls' performances that stood out from the meet.

Related:

Midwest Meet of Champions Race Videos

Just over one week from having an extremely successful day at the state meet Jila Vaden would pull off wins in the 100m (12.18), 200m (24.51) and 4x100m relay as well as place second in the long jump to Kya Crooke with a jump of 18-7.5. Vaden is coming off of an impressive streak where she jumped over 20 feet in each round of the tournament. Her teammate Laila Smith would secure the win in the 300m hurdles with her margin of victory over 1.5 seconds.

Photo by Mike Kepner. Jila Vaden competes for the win in the 100m dash.


Anastasia Thompson would get the win in the 100m hurdles with a 14.64 after a heartbreaking DQ in the event last week after false starting at state. Thompson had the second fastest time in the state heading into the meet with her mark of 14.33 from the Portage Regional. It would only be eventual state champion Dede Eberle who would have a faster time on the year as she would go 14.12 on the same day further south in the state at the Bloomington North Regional.

In the 400m Emma Edwards would run the state's second fastest time this year according to our database with a 55.36. This would be nearly a full second PR for the senior as she would earn a win on her future home track. The Edgewood graduate will compete for the Knights next year as a freshman.


Photo by Mike Kepner. Emma Edwards on her way to a new PR and win.

After earning the 3200m title and fifth fastest girls time in state history last weekend at the state finals, Ava Jarrell would double in the 1600m/800m this weekend. In the 1600m she would position herself in the front early with a 70 first lap followed by a 73 and 75 before closing in another 70 to finish with a 4:49. Savannah Miller would make a move with a lap to go to have the fastest anchor lap of the day with a 69.76 to barely eke out another PR after running a 4:53.86 to place sixth at state last weekend. This week she would go 4:54.75. HSE teammates Maggie Powers and Elizabeth Butler would both be under 5 minutes as well going 4:54 and 4:57 respectively. Jarrell would come back later to secure a new 800m PR and the win going 2:12.58.

The 3200m would feature a small field of just three athletes with Maggie Powers coming back after running the 1600m to easily secure the win.

Kya Crooke would secure a double win in the jumps as she would clear 5-10 and make 3 attempts at the elusive 6 foot mark. In the long jump she would be able to beat Jila Vaden who dethroned her as the defending state champion in the long jump. Crooke would be just half an inch off of her season best this year with her jump of 19-3.25.

Photo by Mike Kepner. Kya Crooke takes the win in the long jump, she placed 2nd at state the week before.

There would be no surprise in the shot put with Hadley Lucas having another throw over 53 feet this year. She would throw to a 53-4.5 for the win. The discus competition would feature Emarie Jackson, who has been overshadowed by Lucas most of the season, would take the win with a 155-4. As of publishing Lucas ranks #1 nationally in the shot put and tied for #3 in the discus while Jackson ranks #7 and #17 nationally for both the throws events.

Girls Shot Put Results



Delaney Teachnor would secure a win in the pole vault to be the only girl to clear 12 feet. She was the state-runner up to Amy Luttrell last week where tied for her second best vault of her career as she has hit 12-3 several times. Teachnor would be one of the few athletes in attendance to have the opportunity to compete at her future home facility as she will be competing for the Knights next year.