Irby Sweeps, Warren Central Earns Back-to-Back Girls Track Title
Pike’s Lynna Irby was not to be denied and neither was the Warren Central team as the Warriors overcame a one point deficit in the final event to win the 44th Annual Girls Track and Field State Championship.
In her final high school event, the senior Irby completed her legendary career with a fourth consecutive sweep of the sprint events during this year’s state meet. Before finishing her four-peat in the 200 M and 400 M Dash (with times of 23.41 and 53.81, respectively), Irby broke her own State Record in the 100 M Dash with a blazing time of 11.41. She finished her high school career with a record 12 state championships surpassing former Olympian Maicel Malone of North Central (Indianapolis) setting a record for most sprint championships, most individual titles and most career crowns.
In the team competition and trailing by a single point heading into the 1600 M Relay, Warren Central got more than enough from the team of Mikeisha Covington (10), Dejah Johnson (12), K’Ja Talley (9), and Tyler Tiler (12), as the Warriors were repeat champs in the event with a time of 3:48.55. Warren Central’s senior hurdler Kayland Jackson was also a major contributor to the Warriors’ title defense, as she earned first place in the 100 M Hurdles in 14.00. It was also her second consecutive individual title in the event.
Jackson wasn’t the only repeat hurdler, however, to repeat as champion. Senior Addison Coy of Culver Academies took home her second straight 300 M Low Hurdles title by posting a time of 42.30.
Upperclassmen continued to show their veteran dominance throughout the night. Senior thrower Essence Henderson of Lafayette Jefferson improved upon last year’s junior campaign by defending her Discus title with a throw of 158-1. Henderson also took home first place in the Shot Put with a distance of 46-11.75 denying Portage senior Victoria Farley, who finished second at 45-6, a third consecutive title.
Meanwhile, Madison Kiser, a senior from Pioneer, completed her own back-to-back victory in the 800 M Run with a winning time of 2.11.96. Madison, an impressive student-athlete and leader in the classroom and community, was also named the recipient of the IHSAA Mental Attitude Award following the meet.
Though seniors nearly dominated the scene, Emma Wilson proved herself to be a rising star as she captured both the 1600 M Run and 3200 M Run titles in times of 4:54.34 and 10:43.94, respectively. The distance runner from Greencastle is only a sophomore.
The official attendance for Saturday night’s event at the Robert C. Hough Track Complex was 5,101, bringing the two-day total to 10,754.
| 44th Annual IHSAA Girls Track & Field State Finals | ||
| Robert C. Haugh Track & Field Complex, Bloomington | ||
| June 3, 2017 | ||
| Top 10 Teams | ||
| 1. | Warren Central | 55 |
| 2. | Hamilton Southeastern | 46 |
| 3. | Brebeuf Jesuit | 33 |
| 4. | Ben Davis | 31 |
| 5. | Pike | 30 |
| T6. | Crown Point | 29 |
| T6. | Fort Wayne Northrop | 29 |
| T8. | Zionsville | 27 |
| T8. | Fishers | 27 |
| T10. | Noblesville | 22 |
| T10. | Carmel | 22 |
State Champions
3200 Relay: Noblesville (Maria Anderson, 10; Susanna Sharples-Gordon, 12; Abigail Little, 11; Kat Dombroski, 12), 9:07
100 Meters: Lynna Irby, 12, Pike, 11.41 State Record
100 Hurdles: Kayland Jackson, 12, Warren Central, 14.00
200 Meters: Lynna Irby, 12, Pike, 23.41
1600 Meters: Emma Wilson, 10, Greencastle, 4:54.34
400 Relay: Hamilton Southeastern (Olivia Burgess, 9; Tierra Sydnor, 10; Mia Mackenzie, 11; Camille Christopher, 11), 47.19
400 Meters: Lynna Irby, 12, Pike, 53.81
300 Hurdles: Addison Coy, 12, Culver Academies, 42.30
800 Meters: Madison Kiser, 12, Pioneer, 2:11.96
3200 Meters: Emma Wilson, 10, Greencastle, 10:43.94
1600 Relay: Warren Central (Mikeisha Covington, 10; Dejah Johnson, 12; K’Ja Talley, 9; Tyler Tiler, 12), 3:48.55
Discus: Essence Henderson, 12, Lafayette Jefferson, 158-01
Shot Put: Essence Henderson, 12, Lafayette Jefferson, 46-11.75
Long Jump: Paige Saylor, 12, Roncalli, 19-01
High Jump: Shelby Tyler, 10, Noblesville, 5-10
Pole Vault: Kennedy Drish, 10, Hamilton Southeastern, 12-00