- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,245,778
- Reaction score
- 59
Seniors Caelan D'Onofrio and Caleb Winders did everything they could to help Bloomington North win a team title in boys track.
For Winders, it meant fighting through an irritated hamstring that allowed him to just barely make it through sectional and held up long enough to win two races at state before giving out in the third.
D'Onofrio's healthy legs were just as important, if not more so, helping the 4x800 do what it needed to at regional in Winders' absence. At state, he pulled off a strong triple, first in the relay, fourth in the 1,600 and ninth in the 800 as the Cougars needed every point they could get.
Together, they were the fastest (Winders) and most dependable (D'Onofrio) and will share the honor as the 2026 Herald-Times Track Athletes of the Year.
"Caelan was just always there for us," North coach Justin Helmer said of his team's Gold Winner as team MVP. "I loved the way Caelan approached everything. His role got real important at sectional and especially regional."
Winders, last year's Athlete of the Year, has had an important role since he was a freshman spinning a 1:50.2 finish back in 2023 to start North's run of four straight state titles in the 4x800 relay and helping the team go from fourth, to third to second to first. He was a repeat state champ in the 800 this year, just missing the state record.
That all looked up in smoke with 300 meters to go in the sectional 800 and Winders' start visibly hopping and limping down the back stretch. Somehow, he hung on for third.
"Caleb has been a massive part of what we've been able to do for four years," Helmer said. "We've known about the hamstring for a while, to where it was never awful; it would just get a bit tight after certain races. When he had that moment at sectional, I thought, 'There goes the state meet.'
"But his ability to not give up on it. A kid of that caliber, in that moment, he's signed with New Balance, has a spot in the U20 National Championships, he's got a big summer of racing ahead. He had a decision to make, and decided to go after it and hope the hamstring holds up. You know he's going to have an amazing career after Bloomington North, so his willingness to rehab and go through treatment and give up a chance to win state says a lot about him and his dedication to the team."
In the same way, D'Onofrio did not take the easy way out again in the postseason. He went all out for the relay, nearly matched his school record in the 1,600, a race won in record time by Noah Bontrager, and drained himself again in the 800 on a tough day full of weather delays.
"Junior year, he did that triple but didn't know any better," Helmer said. "He just did it. At the end of the meet, he said, 'That was really hard.' I don't know how he did that.
"Coming in as a senior, he had a whole different mindset. The triple he had expectations of doing just as good if not better, so he felt that pressure and had a hard time wrapping his head around it, even though he was all in."
During the season, Winders missed the Conference Indiana Meet, and D'Onofrio won the 800 and 1,600. He showed the ability to run smart races to set up his next event. State offered no such relief. After 4:08.53, he pulled out a career best 1:53.01, spending time waiting on a bus between races during weather delays.
"Ideally, you can run those races with as little energy as possible, but with the talent in those races, he was going to have to run hard," Helmer said. "That 800 was harder for him, but he still ran well there—just his willingness to do what the team needed all year long.
"He did it with a great attitude and was a great teammate."
Believe it or not, Winders had to keep chasing the school's 800 record (John Hiestand's 1:50.4 from 2004) until midway through his senior season. He had run faster, just not during the official high school season, until posting a 1:47.87.
He never had any problem, however, being at his best on the anchor of the relays, which drew the best North had to keep the ball rolling every year.
"The confidence of having that guy on the anchor, we knew if it was close, we'd probably win," Helmer said. "The fact they were breaking the state record or really close to it, yeah, we had Caelan and Caleb, but we also had two other guys who were excited to be a part of it. Our depth there in the 800 as a whole was impressive."
That depth will certainly be called upon next season if North is to make it five in a row. Winders, one of the nation's best mid-distance runners who was invited to the USATF's U-20 National Championships, will compete at North Carolina, while D'Onofrio is off to run at Butler, which has a strong history in the distance events.
"I'm extremely excited to see what they will do in college," Helmer said. "You look at Caleb, it's the 800, maybe the mile. Caelan's range looks different, with his ability to run fast in the 800, but he also has a great 5k. So maybe steeplechase, if he looks at it? He has the ability to do a lot of things, so it'll be fun to see what direction he goes."
One is a lifer while the other is not far removed from being a raw beginner.
North senior thrower Adis Hamidovic and South junior pole vaulter Arthur Banks still both found themselves finishing in the top four at the state meet and sharing the title of 2026 Herald-Times Field Athlete of the Year.
For Hamidovic, taking third in discus (185-0) was the end of a redemption tour, having fouled on all three attempts at last year's state finals when he was seeded to medal. North was second by two points. As fate would have it, Hamidovic was seeded third this year, and North won by three points.
"It definitely weighed heavy on his mind with his performance the year before," Helmer said. "You look back, he sat on it; it cost the team a state championship. But he's such a competitor. His mom (Sara) has coached him forever. He always shows up at meets. He's such a strong competitor, but for whatever reason, as a junior, he tried too hard.
"But he bounced back and had a fantastic season. He was just a lot more consistent and gave us valuable points at the state meet."
Banks, last year's H-T Field Athlete of the Year, was also returning to the state meet to ... win.
Fifth last year, he was set to do just that, South head coach Larry Williams said, but the delays caused by thunderstorms that day foiled a promising start for Arthur.
"The weather took away from a very interesting and I think spectacular finish to that event," Williams said, thinking back to what he saw in warmups.
"I think Arthur was jumping best of the group," he said. "Then we got caught up in the stoppages. They were all under the same thing."
But a vaulter's legs have only so many great jumps in them. Arthur, like several others, warmed up as the event started, then waited three hours to go, Banks checking in at 14-6 for his first attempt. Then had to go sit on the team bus. When the competition resumed, he vaulted twice and had to stop again and warm up again.
Arthur was still one of four over 16-0, but only one made it over 16-3 at the end of a ridiculously long day. Banks would actually match his career best 16-3 at the Indiana Midwest Meet of Champions before his pole snapped. As one of the best ever at South, he has joined the elite company of vaulters to tap into the Panthers' collection of poles reserved for 17-foot jumpers, made necessary most recently by Drew and Deakin Volz.
The brothers grew up steeped in the discipline thanks to their father Dave. Banks has had to learn on the fly, literally in some cases, and has soaked a lot in over the past two years.
"I think the big difference is he is more technical," Williams said. "Last year, he was doing so well because he was so physical. He has great awareness of his body and what it's doing. He began to master, learning to turn on the pole and when and how to provide energy. That allowed him to start working on 14-7 to 15-1 poles."
Hamidovic's growth this year was not only in discus (he had a career best of 189-8 that was inches from the school record); he also improved his shot put dramatically, winning a regional title there as well, reaching 57-8.
"I think a big piece of it was he was just a year bigger and stronger," Helmer said. "He looked different his senior year. He's always been very good on the technical side of it, and he was continuing to clean things up there. His approach to meets was also different all season long."
Hamidovic committed to Army West Point and will throw there. Banks is certainly earning attention from college coaches and is likely to get even more next spring if he gets where he's aiming to be. There was only one senior in the top 10, so he won't be the only one motivated to get over the top.
"It'll be interesting to see how he does next year," Williams said. "Sixteen is one thing, but it takes another gear to get to 17 and beyond that."
Season was cut short by injury, but did go as fast as 10.96 in the 100 and 22.08 in the 200 after setting the school record last year. Anchor for 4x100 relay when it lowered the school record to 42.17. Will run at Eastern Illinois. Repeat All-Area.
H-T Field Athlete of the Year for a second time, keeps climbing the ladder in the pole vault, reaching as high as 16-3 this year. Won Conference Indiana, sectional and regional titles before taking fourth at state at 16-0. Repeat All-Area.
State qualifier in the 200, taking 18th in 22.04. Was a runner-up at sectional and at regional, where he had a career-best race of 21.83. Posted a career-best 10.96 in the 100. Runner-up in the 100 and 200 at CI Meet. Member of the 4x100 that set the school record at 42.17.
State medalist in the 400, taking fifth (48.43). Conference Indiana champ. Won sectional and broke the school record in that event at regional, taking second to the eventual state champ in 47.97. Also ran on 4x400 relay that broke the sectional record and won regional title before finishing 12th at state. Repeat All-Area.
Injury in the first weeks of the season sidelined the long jumper until postseason, when he took second at sectional and at regional (21-8) to make it back to state. Four-time All-Area. Williams
A major factor in the Cougars' state title run. In the 1,600, won sectional and regional titles before running to fourth at state in 4:08.53, just .6 off his school record. In the 800, won sectional and was fifth at regional while meeting the state standard before grabbing a ninth-place medal at state in a career-best 1:53.01. CI champ in both races. Member of the 4x800 relay for the third year in a row that won a fourth straight title (7:38.87), with D'Onofrio posting a 1:53.73. Earned seven career state medals. Will run at Butler next season. Three-time All-Area.
Standout in the shot put had a season-best regional mark of 56-2¾ that was good for fourth and earned a call-up to state. During the off-season, Purdue-bound Athlete is one of the state's best high schoolers in the hammer throw. Repeat All-Area.
A state champion the past two seasons with the 4x800 relay, had a 1:57 leg this time as the Cougars extended their championship streak to four years with a 7:38.87. DePauw.
School record holder in the high jump at 6-10, won a regional title to make state for a third time, finishing 19th. WIC champ. Had a season-best long jump of 20-9½. Will compete at Marian University. Three-time All-Area.
Co-Field Athlete of the Year came through in the discus with sectional and regional titles and a third-place finish at state (185-0) for his first medal. Had a career best this season of 189-8, just six inches from the school record. Also had a career best of 57-8 in shot put. Won sectional and took third at regional to make it to state finals in that event as well. CI champ in both events. Will compete for Army West Point. Repeat All-Area.
Sprinter exploded in the sprints this season with a career-best 10.84 in the 100 at sectional, then took fourth at regional (10.92) before taking 25th in his first state appearance. Anchor for the 4x100 that made an appearance at state as well after a season-best 43.85 for third at regional. Leadoff for 4x400 that qualified for regional. Had a season best of 22.92 in the 200 as a WIC champ.
A steady presence in the distance events this year, made it to state in the 1,600. Sectional runner-up and third at regional in a career-best 4:19.30. Placed 22nd at state. Joined the 4x800 this season, running a 1:55.95 leadoff as the Cougars won the event for a fourth straight year. Had a 9:23.33 in the 3,200.
Took over the lead role in the hurdles this season and came oh so close to the school records in both events. Sectional champ and regional runner-up in the 110s, before finishing 21st at state. Had a season-best time of 14.28. CI, sectional and regional champ in 300 hurdles; had a season best of 38.24. Member of the 4x400 team at regional, helping team to title in a season best 3:20.38. Repeat All-Area.
Found another gear late in the season to make a run to state by joining the sub-11 club in the 100 dash and sub-22 in the 200. In the 100, took fourth at sectional in 10.91 and was fifth at regional in a state standard time (10.93) before saving his best for last, a career best 10.84 for 11th at state, just missing a spot in the finals. In the 200, third at sectional before a career best 21.94 for third at regional. Placed 25th at state.
School record setter in the 100, lowering the mark to 10.75 and matching that on several occasions, including at regional as a runner-up—sectional champ, 17th at state in 10.93. In the 200, won sectional and lowered the school record to 21.54 while winning regional. Went 21.66 at state for sixth. CI champion in both sprints. Member of the 4x100 team that set the school record of 42.17. Repeat All-Area.
Tops in the area in the 3,200 in the postseason, winning a sectional title before going a career-best 9:35.26 for fourth at regional.
Made big gains this season in the throws to earn a spot at state in discus, where he placed 20th. Was a sectional runner-up in the shot put and discus before taking third at regional (160-0) in discus and fifth in shot (53-11¾). Had season bests of 163-3 and 54-2.
H-T Track Athlete of the Year again, but it was his most difficult season yet with a hamstring injury hampering the back half of his season. In the 800, finally broke the school record with a 1:47.87. Just barely made it through sectional on a bad wheel, came back to win regional in a meet record 1:51.91. Kept out of relays until state, where he anchored the 4,800 to a title for the fourth straight year in 7:38.87. Usual member of the 4x400 relay. Four-time All-Area. Will run at North Carolina.
HONORABLE MENTION: Brody Arther, North, Sr. (400; 4x400 relay); Kellen Bishop, North, Sr. (400, 4x400); Liam Chaveas, North, Sr. (110 hurdles); Liam Conlin, North, Jr. (110 hurdles, 300 hurdles); Isaiah Dilger, South, Jr. (3,200); RaShon English, North, Jr. (400, 4x400); Aaron Hudson, Eastern Greene, So. (400, 4x400, 4x800); Monte Kester, Edgewood, So. (3,200, 1,600); Phillip Kroeger, South, Sr. (long jump); Andrew Mathis, South, Sr. (pole vault); Carter Matthew, North, So. (200); Garrett Pitkin, South, Jr. (800, 4x800); Luke Reinhart, South, Jr. (1,600); James Rice, South, Jr. (800, 4x400, 4x800); Eric Shin, North, Jr. (4x100); Caden Stewart, Lighthouse Christian, Jr. (800); August Wu, South Sr. (110, 300 hurdles); Jaxon Young, South, Sr. (discus, shot put); Matthew Zinkan, South, Sr. (1,600, 4x800).
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: D'Onofrio, Winders, Banks, Hamidovic lead All-Area Boys Track and Field
Continue reading...
For Winders, it meant fighting through an irritated hamstring that allowed him to just barely make it through sectional and held up long enough to win two races at state before giving out in the third.
D'Onofrio's healthy legs were just as important, if not more so, helping the 4x800 do what it needed to at regional in Winders' absence. At state, he pulled off a strong triple, first in the relay, fourth in the 1,600 and ninth in the 800 as the Cougars needed every point they could get.
Together, they were the fastest (Winders) and most dependable (D'Onofrio) and will share the honor as the 2026 Herald-Times Track Athletes of the Year.
You must be registered for see images attach
"Caelan was just always there for us," North coach Justin Helmer said of his team's Gold Winner as team MVP. "I loved the way Caelan approached everything. His role got real important at sectional and especially regional."
Winders, last year's Athlete of the Year, has had an important role since he was a freshman spinning a 1:50.2 finish back in 2023 to start North's run of four straight state titles in the 4x800 relay and helping the team go from fourth, to third to second to first. He was a repeat state champ in the 800 this year, just missing the state record.
That all looked up in smoke with 300 meters to go in the sectional 800 and Winders' start visibly hopping and limping down the back stretch. Somehow, he hung on for third.
"Caleb has been a massive part of what we've been able to do for four years," Helmer said. "We've known about the hamstring for a while, to where it was never awful; it would just get a bit tight after certain races. When he had that moment at sectional, I thought, 'There goes the state meet.'
"But his ability to not give up on it. A kid of that caliber, in that moment, he's signed with New Balance, has a spot in the U20 National Championships, he's got a big summer of racing ahead. He had a decision to make, and decided to go after it and hope the hamstring holds up. You know he's going to have an amazing career after Bloomington North, so his willingness to rehab and go through treatment and give up a chance to win state says a lot about him and his dedication to the team."
In the same way, D'Onofrio did not take the easy way out again in the postseason. He went all out for the relay, nearly matched his school record in the 1,600, a race won in record time by Noah Bontrager, and drained himself again in the 800 on a tough day full of weather delays.
"Junior year, he did that triple but didn't know any better," Helmer said. "He just did it. At the end of the meet, he said, 'That was really hard.' I don't know how he did that.
"Coming in as a senior, he had a whole different mindset. The triple he had expectations of doing just as good if not better, so he felt that pressure and had a hard time wrapping his head around it, even though he was all in."
During the season, Winders missed the Conference Indiana Meet, and D'Onofrio won the 800 and 1,600. He showed the ability to run smart races to set up his next event. State offered no such relief. After 4:08.53, he pulled out a career best 1:53.01, spending time waiting on a bus between races during weather delays.
"Ideally, you can run those races with as little energy as possible, but with the talent in those races, he was going to have to run hard," Helmer said. "That 800 was harder for him, but he still ran well there—just his willingness to do what the team needed all year long.
"He did it with a great attitude and was a great teammate."
You must be registered for see images attach
Believe it or not, Winders had to keep chasing the school's 800 record (John Hiestand's 1:50.4 from 2004) until midway through his senior season. He had run faster, just not during the official high school season, until posting a 1:47.87.
He never had any problem, however, being at his best on the anchor of the relays, which drew the best North had to keep the ball rolling every year.
"The confidence of having that guy on the anchor, we knew if it was close, we'd probably win," Helmer said. "The fact they were breaking the state record or really close to it, yeah, we had Caelan and Caleb, but we also had two other guys who were excited to be a part of it. Our depth there in the 800 as a whole was impressive."
That depth will certainly be called upon next season if North is to make it five in a row. Winders, one of the nation's best mid-distance runners who was invited to the USATF's U-20 National Championships, will compete at North Carolina, while D'Onofrio is off to run at Butler, which has a strong history in the distance events.
"I'm extremely excited to see what they will do in college," Helmer said. "You look at Caleb, it's the 800, maybe the mile. Caelan's range looks different, with his ability to run fast in the 800, but he also has a great 5k. So maybe steeplechase, if he looks at it? He has the ability to do a lot of things, so it'll be fun to see what direction he goes."
You must be registered for see images attach
Hamidovic, Banks tops in their fields
One is a lifer while the other is not far removed from being a raw beginner.
North senior thrower Adis Hamidovic and South junior pole vaulter Arthur Banks still both found themselves finishing in the top four at the state meet and sharing the title of 2026 Herald-Times Field Athlete of the Year.
For Hamidovic, taking third in discus (185-0) was the end of a redemption tour, having fouled on all three attempts at last year's state finals when he was seeded to medal. North was second by two points. As fate would have it, Hamidovic was seeded third this year, and North won by three points.
"It definitely weighed heavy on his mind with his performance the year before," Helmer said. "You look back, he sat on it; it cost the team a state championship. But he's such a competitor. His mom (Sara) has coached him forever. He always shows up at meets. He's such a strong competitor, but for whatever reason, as a junior, he tried too hard.
"But he bounced back and had a fantastic season. He was just a lot more consistent and gave us valuable points at the state meet."
You must be registered for see images attach
Banks, last year's H-T Field Athlete of the Year, was also returning to the state meet to ... win.
Fifth last year, he was set to do just that, South head coach Larry Williams said, but the delays caused by thunderstorms that day foiled a promising start for Arthur.
"The weather took away from a very interesting and I think spectacular finish to that event," Williams said, thinking back to what he saw in warmups.
"I think Arthur was jumping best of the group," he said. "Then we got caught up in the stoppages. They were all under the same thing."
But a vaulter's legs have only so many great jumps in them. Arthur, like several others, warmed up as the event started, then waited three hours to go, Banks checking in at 14-6 for his first attempt. Then had to go sit on the team bus. When the competition resumed, he vaulted twice and had to stop again and warm up again.
Arthur was still one of four over 16-0, but only one made it over 16-3 at the end of a ridiculously long day. Banks would actually match his career best 16-3 at the Indiana Midwest Meet of Champions before his pole snapped. As one of the best ever at South, he has joined the elite company of vaulters to tap into the Panthers' collection of poles reserved for 17-foot jumpers, made necessary most recently by Drew and Deakin Volz.
The brothers grew up steeped in the discipline thanks to their father Dave. Banks has had to learn on the fly, literally in some cases, and has soaked a lot in over the past two years.
"I think the big difference is he is more technical," Williams said. "Last year, he was doing so well because he was so physical. He has great awareness of his body and what it's doing. He began to master, learning to turn on the pole and when and how to provide energy. That allowed him to start working on 14-7 to 15-1 poles."
Hamidovic's growth this year was not only in discus (he had a career best of 189-8 that was inches from the school record); he also improved his shot put dramatically, winning a regional title there as well, reaching 57-8.
"I think a big piece of it was he was just a year bigger and stronger," Helmer said. "He looked different his senior year. He's always been very good on the technical side of it, and he was continuing to clean things up there. His approach to meets was also different all season long."
Hamidovic committed to Army West Point and will throw there. Banks is certainly earning attention from college coaches and is likely to get even more next spring if he gets where he's aiming to be. There was only one senior in the top 10, so he won't be the only one motivated to get over the top.
"It'll be interesting to see how he does next year," Williams said. "Sixteen is one thing, but it takes another gear to get to 17 and beyond that."
You must be registered for see images attach
All-Area Boys Track Team
Khaliq Akou, South, Sr.
Season was cut short by injury, but did go as fast as 10.96 in the 100 and 22.08 in the 200 after setting the school record last year. Anchor for 4x100 relay when it lowered the school record to 42.17. Will run at Eastern Illinois. Repeat All-Area.
Arthur Banks, South, Jr.
H-T Field Athlete of the Year for a second time, keeps climbing the ladder in the pole vault, reaching as high as 16-3 this year. Won Conference Indiana, sectional and regional titles before taking fourth at state at 16-0. Repeat All-Area.
Simon Barnes, South, Jr.
State qualifier in the 200, taking 18th in 22.04. Was a runner-up at sectional and at regional, where he had a career-best race of 21.83. Posted a career-best 10.96 in the 100. Runner-up in the 100 and 200 at CI Meet. Member of the 4x100 that set the school record at 42.17.
James Bosco, North, Jr.
State medalist in the 400, taking fifth (48.43). Conference Indiana champ. Won sectional and broke the school record in that event at regional, taking second to the eventual state champ in 47.97. Also ran on 4x400 relay that broke the sectional record and won regional title before finishing 12th at state. Repeat All-Area.
Evan Cheng, North, Sr.
Injury in the first weeks of the season sidelined the long jumper until postseason, when he took second at sectional and at regional (21-8) to make it back to state. Four-time All-Area. Williams
Caelan D'Onofrio, North, Sr.
A major factor in the Cougars' state title run. In the 1,600, won sectional and regional titles before running to fourth at state in 4:08.53, just .6 off his school record. In the 800, won sectional and was fifth at regional while meeting the state standard before grabbing a ninth-place medal at state in a career-best 1:53.01. CI champ in both races. Member of the 4x800 relay for the third year in a row that won a fourth straight title (7:38.87), with D'Onofrio posting a 1:53.73. Earned seven career state medals. Will run at Butler next season. Three-time All-Area.
Noah Field, South, Sr.
Standout in the shot put had a season-best regional mark of 56-2¾ that was good for fourth and earned a call-up to state. During the off-season, Purdue-bound Athlete is one of the state's best high schoolers in the hammer throw. Repeat All-Area.
Jake Gentry, North, Sr.
A state champion the past two seasons with the 4x800 relay, had a 1:57 leg this time as the Cougars extended their championship streak to four years with a 7:38.87. DePauw.
Noah Hall, Owen Valley, Sr.
School record holder in the high jump at 6-10, won a regional title to make state for a third time, finishing 19th. WIC champ. Had a season-best long jump of 20-9½. Will compete at Marian University. Three-time All-Area.
Adis Hamidovic, North, Sr.
Co-Field Athlete of the Year came through in the discus with sectional and regional titles and a third-place finish at state (185-0) for his first medal. Had a career best this season of 189-8, just six inches from the school record. Also had a career best of 57-8 in shot put. Won sectional and took third at regional to make it to state finals in that event as well. CI champ in both events. Will compete for Army West Point. Repeat All-Area.
You must be registered for see images attach
William Hosey, Edgewood, So.
Sprinter exploded in the sprints this season with a career-best 10.84 in the 100 at sectional, then took fourth at regional (10.92) before taking 25th in his first state appearance. Anchor for the 4x100 that made an appearance at state as well after a season-best 43.85 for third at regional. Leadoff for 4x400 that qualified for regional. Had a season best of 22.92 in the 200 as a WIC champ.
Shep Jackson, North, Jr.
A steady presence in the distance events this year, made it to state in the 1,600. Sectional runner-up and third at regional in a career-best 4:19.30. Placed 22nd at state. Joined the 4x800 this season, running a 1:55.95 leadoff as the Cougars won the event for a fourth straight year. Had a 9:23.33 in the 3,200.
Alan Hays, North, Sr.
Took over the lead role in the hurdles this season and came oh so close to the school records in both events. Sectional champ and regional runner-up in the 110s, before finishing 21st at state. Had a season-best time of 14.28. CI, sectional and regional champ in 300 hurdles; had a season best of 38.24. Member of the 4x400 team at regional, helping team to title in a season best 3:20.38. Repeat All-Area.
Josiah Powell, North, Sr.
Found another gear late in the season to make a run to state by joining the sub-11 club in the 100 dash and sub-22 in the 200. In the 100, took fourth at sectional in 10.91 and was fifth at regional in a state standard time (10.93) before saving his best for last, a career best 10.84 for 11th at state, just missing a spot in the finals. In the 200, third at sectional before a career best 21.94 for third at regional. Placed 25th at state.
Gabe Taylor, South, Sr.
School record setter in the 100, lowering the mark to 10.75 and matching that on several occasions, including at regional as a runner-up—sectional champ, 17th at state in 10.93. In the 200, won sectional and lowered the school record to 21.54 while winning regional. Went 21.66 at state for sixth. CI champion in both sprints. Member of the 4x100 team that set the school record of 42.17. Repeat All-Area.
Jackson Walker, North, Jr.
Tops in the area in the 3,200 in the postseason, winning a sectional title before going a career-best 9:35.26 for fourth at regional.
Quinn Walters, North, So.
Made big gains this season in the throws to earn a spot at state in discus, where he placed 20th. Was a sectional runner-up in the shot put and discus before taking third at regional (160-0) in discus and fifth in shot (53-11¾). Had season bests of 163-3 and 54-2.
Caleb Winders, North, Sr.
H-T Track Athlete of the Year again, but it was his most difficult season yet with a hamstring injury hampering the back half of his season. In the 800, finally broke the school record with a 1:47.87. Just barely made it through sectional on a bad wheel, came back to win regional in a meet record 1:51.91. Kept out of relays until state, where he anchored the 4,800 to a title for the fourth straight year in 7:38.87. Usual member of the 4x400 relay. Four-time All-Area. Will run at North Carolina.
HONORABLE MENTION: Brody Arther, North, Sr. (400; 4x400 relay); Kellen Bishop, North, Sr. (400, 4x400); Liam Chaveas, North, Sr. (110 hurdles); Liam Conlin, North, Jr. (110 hurdles, 300 hurdles); Isaiah Dilger, South, Jr. (3,200); RaShon English, North, Jr. (400, 4x400); Aaron Hudson, Eastern Greene, So. (400, 4x400, 4x800); Monte Kester, Edgewood, So. (3,200, 1,600); Phillip Kroeger, South, Sr. (long jump); Andrew Mathis, South, Sr. (pole vault); Carter Matthew, North, So. (200); Garrett Pitkin, South, Jr. (800, 4x800); Luke Reinhart, South, Jr. (1,600); James Rice, South, Jr. (800, 4x400, 4x800); Eric Shin, North, Jr. (4x100); Caden Stewart, Lighthouse Christian, Jr. (800); August Wu, South Sr. (110, 300 hurdles); Jaxon Young, South, Sr. (discus, shot put); Matthew Zinkan, South, Sr. (1,600, 4x800).
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: D'Onofrio, Winders, Banks, Hamidovic lead All-Area Boys Track and Field
Continue reading...
