October 6, 2018 at 8:18 p.m.
Jay girls, two boys make regional
Jay girls, two boys make regional
Copyright 2018, The Commercial Review
All Rights Reserved
MUNCIE — The Patriots' youth movement is in full effect.
A couple seniors also extended their season one more week.
Paced by five underclassmen, the Jay County High School girls cross country team advanced to regional for the first time in three years by placing fourth in the IHSAA cross country sectional meet Saturday at Muncie SportsPlex.
“They are a bunch of great kids,” said JCHS coach Paul Hyatt, whose team scored 113 points. “They all work really, really hard. They all do exactly what I tell them to do in practice. That's how they keep getting better.”
Delta, the host school, totaled 60 points to win the team title. Yorktown, which joined the sectional field for the first time this season, was second with 73 points, and Wapahani totaled 107 for third.
The top five teams and top 10 individuals not on qualifying teams advance to the regional meet, which is Oct. 13 back at Muncie SportsPlex.
Jay County seniors Skyler Myers and Tayler Smeltzer extended their seasons one more week by making regional.
“I think it's a pretty good feeling,” said Smeltzer, a first-time regional qualifier who placed 25th. “I've had that goal in my mind this entire season. I know last year I had the same goal but I knew I'd have another chance to do it.
“ I’m pretty happy that I got it this year.”
Jay County's boys totaled 189 points for seventh.
Yorktown scored 64 points to grab the team championship, ahead of advancing teams Delta (71), Muncie Central (75), Monroe Central (92) and Winchester (158).
Patriot sophomore Sophia Fugiett, who was fifth at sectional as a freshman and advanced all the way to the semi-state meet, was once again the top JCHS girl. A half mile into the race she was on pace to beat her position from last season as she was sitting in fourth. But at the 1-mile mark she dipped back to eighth place, and slid back one more spot a mile later. That was her position as she crossed the finish line in 22 minutes, 13.6 seconds.
“Still did a great job at the end of the day,” Hyatt said. “For her, still in the top 10, still a great runner. A lot to be proud of. Hopefully she'll come back out here for regional and do even better.”
Patriot freshman Raven Weaver finished 19th overall in 23:35.6 after not even being in the top 30 a mile in. She worked her way up to 21st just before the 2-mile mark and picked off two more before the finish.
Miranda Alig, a sophomore, also surged late as she placed 30th in 24:50.2. Freshman Lindy Wood was five spots behind her in 25.17.7, and sophomore Lita Chowning completed the team total by ending 44th in 26:27.4.
“They didn't run their best times but I don't think it was a very fast course today,” Hyatt said. “I think it was pretty muddy out there so I don't think you really saw any of the athletes out here run their best times.”
Randolph Southern junior Leah Keesling, who last year was runner-up to her older sister Emma, won the individual championship in 20:21.1.
Myers led the Jay County boys by finishing 12th, one spot higher than his finish from a year ago.
He was near the front of the pack 100 meters in, but quickly fell back to ninth at the half-mile mark. A mile later he dipped two spots, and lost one more position as he finished in 18:45.4.
He attributed his struggle in the final two miles to his fast start, which is not his normal race strategy.
“My goal was top 10 but I really died that last mile,” he said. “I don't know what happened. It's whatever. I'm still going into regional and I'm planning on going into semi-state.
“I'm just hoping I don't make the same mistake I made this week next week.”
Smeltzer was caught in the middle of the pack at the first mile but continued to make his way forward. With 100 meters to go he caught up to Luke Richmond of Randolph Southern, and the two battled the rest of the way to the finish line. Smeltzer had a time of 19:28.6, three hundredths of a second behind Richmond.
Contributing to the Patriot boys team score were Dustin Harris (45th), Ben Strausburg (53rd) and Ethan Adreshak (58th).
Also running for the JCHS girls were senior Vivienne Kunkler (60th) and junior Erica Hathaway (64th). For the boys were Seth Wilson (70th) and Ben Hunter (78th).
All Rights Reserved
MUNCIE — The Patriots' youth movement is in full effect.
A couple seniors also extended their season one more week.
Paced by five underclassmen, the Jay County High School girls cross country team advanced to regional for the first time in three years by placing fourth in the IHSAA cross country sectional meet Saturday at Muncie SportsPlex.
“They are a bunch of great kids,” said JCHS coach Paul Hyatt, whose team scored 113 points. “They all work really, really hard. They all do exactly what I tell them to do in practice. That's how they keep getting better.”
Delta, the host school, totaled 60 points to win the team title. Yorktown, which joined the sectional field for the first time this season, was second with 73 points, and Wapahani totaled 107 for third.
The top five teams and top 10 individuals not on qualifying teams advance to the regional meet, which is Oct. 13 back at Muncie SportsPlex.
Jay County seniors Skyler Myers and Tayler Smeltzer extended their seasons one more week by making regional.
“I think it's a pretty good feeling,” said Smeltzer, a first-time regional qualifier who placed 25th. “I've had that goal in my mind this entire season. I know last year I had the same goal but I knew I'd have another chance to do it.
“ I’m pretty happy that I got it this year.”
Jay County's boys totaled 189 points for seventh.
Yorktown scored 64 points to grab the team championship, ahead of advancing teams Delta (71), Muncie Central (75), Monroe Central (92) and Winchester (158).
Patriot sophomore Sophia Fugiett, who was fifth at sectional as a freshman and advanced all the way to the semi-state meet, was once again the top JCHS girl. A half mile into the race she was on pace to beat her position from last season as she was sitting in fourth. But at the 1-mile mark she dipped back to eighth place, and slid back one more spot a mile later. That was her position as she crossed the finish line in 22 minutes, 13.6 seconds.
“Still did a great job at the end of the day,” Hyatt said. “For her, still in the top 10, still a great runner. A lot to be proud of. Hopefully she'll come back out here for regional and do even better.”
Patriot freshman Raven Weaver finished 19th overall in 23:35.6 after not even being in the top 30 a mile in. She worked her way up to 21st just before the 2-mile mark and picked off two more before the finish.
Miranda Alig, a sophomore, also surged late as she placed 30th in 24:50.2. Freshman Lindy Wood was five spots behind her in 25.17.7, and sophomore Lita Chowning completed the team total by ending 44th in 26:27.4.
“They didn't run their best times but I don't think it was a very fast course today,” Hyatt said. “I think it was pretty muddy out there so I don't think you really saw any of the athletes out here run their best times.”
Randolph Southern junior Leah Keesling, who last year was runner-up to her older sister Emma, won the individual championship in 20:21.1.
Myers led the Jay County boys by finishing 12th, one spot higher than his finish from a year ago.
He was near the front of the pack 100 meters in, but quickly fell back to ninth at the half-mile mark. A mile later he dipped two spots, and lost one more position as he finished in 18:45.4.
He attributed his struggle in the final two miles to his fast start, which is not his normal race strategy.
“My goal was top 10 but I really died that last mile,” he said. “I don't know what happened. It's whatever. I'm still going into regional and I'm planning on going into semi-state.
“I'm just hoping I don't make the same mistake I made this week next week.”
Smeltzer was caught in the middle of the pack at the first mile but continued to make his way forward. With 100 meters to go he caught up to Luke Richmond of Randolph Southern, and the two battled the rest of the way to the finish line. Smeltzer had a time of 19:28.6, three hundredths of a second behind Richmond.
Contributing to the Patriot boys team score were Dustin Harris (45th), Ben Strausburg (53rd) and Ethan Adreshak (58th).
Also running for the JCHS girls were senior Vivienne Kunkler (60th) and junior Erica Hathaway (64th). For the boys were Seth Wilson (70th) and Ben Hunter (78th).
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