October 19, 2021 at 5:05 a.m.
Wood to run another week
Wood to run another week
MUNCIE — Two weeks ago, Lindy Wood started fast and finished sixth to earn all-conference honors.
Last week, she started fast and finished sixth to earn a regional berth.
But not all races are created equal.
Wood flipped her strategy at the regional meet, easing off of her starting pace and then picking off rivals as the race developed. Again, her plan paid off.
The Jay County High School senior placed 22nd in Saturday’s regional meet hosted by Delta at Muncie SportsPlex to advance to the semi-state meet for the first time in her career.
“(It feels) really good,” said Wood. “Last year I kind of had a little bit of an opportunity, but I didn’t make it … It will be great. It will be a really good experience.”
The top five teams and top 10 individuals not on advancing teams at the regional earn semi-state berths. Wood was seventh among runners not on advancing teams.
Last week, she started fast and finished sixth to earn a regional berth.
But not all races are created equal.
Wood flipped her strategy at the regional meet, easing off of her starting pace and then picking off rivals as the race developed. Again, her plan paid off.
The Jay County High School senior placed 22nd in Saturday’s regional meet hosted by Delta at Muncie SportsPlex to advance to the semi-state meet for the first time in her career.
“(It feels) really good,” said Wood. “Last year I kind of had a little bit of an opportunity, but I didn’t make it … It will be great. It will be a really good experience.”
The top five teams and top 10 individuals not on advancing teams at the regional earn semi-state berths. Wood was seventh among runners not on advancing teams.
Wood will compete in the New Haven semi-state at 11:15 a.m. Saturday at Huntington University. The six teams and top 10 individuals not on advancing teams will qualify for the state finals.
“Considering that she’s had a cold all week, I think it was a pretty phenomenal performance for her,” said JCHS coach Bruce Wood, adding that his daughter broke out in hives at one point during the week. “I think she had a great race. …
“I’m super proud of her. That was one of the goals. Obviously you want to set PRs and things like that, but one of the goals was to get her to semi-state. She’s done the work. She had a great preseason. She put the miles in, the work in, that it takes to get this far.”
No. 13 Hamilton Southeastern had three of the top eight runners as it scored 45 points to hold off Fishers (51) for the regional title. Pendleton Heights (80), Delta (141) and Yorktown (163) rounded out the top five.
Nicki Southerland of the host Eagles was dominant again, posting a time of 18 minutes, 48 seconds, to win the regional title by 1:23.
After her quick starts at South Adams and the SportsPlex the previous two weeks, Wood took a more measured approach on the sloppy course for the regional. Instead of trying to hang close to the leaders in the opening quarter-mile — it included a run through a stretch of standing water left from recent rain about 100 meters in — she held back as she again started from the far right side of the field. She was well back in the regional pack as the runners headed out along the woods on the north side of the course.
It was all part of the plan.
“I tried not to go out too hard,” said Lindy Wood. “I knew that a lot of people at the very start, that people were really going to go out there. So I tried to stay calm and not go with the crowd at first.
“I didn’t want to get stuck behind a group of people … So I worked a little more today than I have in previous races, just because there was a lot going on at the beginning. I just have to keep picking them off as I go.”
While some who tried to sprint out with the top 10 runners at the start faded away as the race went on, Wood climbed the charts. By the mile mark, she was jockeying for position in the mid-20s along with a group of a half-dozen other runners. At 2 miles, the field had thinned out and she was 26th just behind Ali Smith of Yorktown.
Wood was especially strong in the final mile plus as she passed four runners, including Smith, to finish 22nd in 22 minutes, 24 seconds.
She was 20 seconds ahead of the final regional qualifier — Lilly Thomas of Alexandria, who finished 29th.
“I think that first mile strategy last week was good,” Bruce Wood said. “I don’t think that was going to work this week. She ran more even splits today. I think that was a smart plan by her.
“The difference between the sectional and regional is that top 10 is a lot faster this week than last week’s top 10. So if you get caught in that trap of, ‘I want to be in the top 10, 15’ … and you’re not paying attention to what that pace is, then there’s heck to pay in mile three.”
Wood’s previous best finish in a regional meet was 41st last year. She was 43rd as a sophomore and 60th as a freshman.
Wood follows Sophia Fugiett and Lydia Keihn, who both qualified for semi-state last year.
Keihn, who now runs for East Noble, will also be at the semi-state Saturday after she placed 16th Saturday to help the Knights to a runner-up finish at the West Noble regional.
“Considering that she’s had a cold all week, I think it was a pretty phenomenal performance for her,” said JCHS coach Bruce Wood, adding that his daughter broke out in hives at one point during the week. “I think she had a great race. …
“I’m super proud of her. That was one of the goals. Obviously you want to set PRs and things like that, but one of the goals was to get her to semi-state. She’s done the work. She had a great preseason. She put the miles in, the work in, that it takes to get this far.”
No. 13 Hamilton Southeastern had three of the top eight runners as it scored 45 points to hold off Fishers (51) for the regional title. Pendleton Heights (80), Delta (141) and Yorktown (163) rounded out the top five.
Nicki Southerland of the host Eagles was dominant again, posting a time of 18 minutes, 48 seconds, to win the regional title by 1:23.
After her quick starts at South Adams and the SportsPlex the previous two weeks, Wood took a more measured approach on the sloppy course for the regional. Instead of trying to hang close to the leaders in the opening quarter-mile — it included a run through a stretch of standing water left from recent rain about 100 meters in — she held back as she again started from the far right side of the field. She was well back in the regional pack as the runners headed out along the woods on the north side of the course.
It was all part of the plan.
“I tried not to go out too hard,” said Lindy Wood. “I knew that a lot of people at the very start, that people were really going to go out there. So I tried to stay calm and not go with the crowd at first.
“I didn’t want to get stuck behind a group of people … So I worked a little more today than I have in previous races, just because there was a lot going on at the beginning. I just have to keep picking them off as I go.”
While some who tried to sprint out with the top 10 runners at the start faded away as the race went on, Wood climbed the charts. By the mile mark, she was jockeying for position in the mid-20s along with a group of a half-dozen other runners. At 2 miles, the field had thinned out and she was 26th just behind Ali Smith of Yorktown.
Wood was especially strong in the final mile plus as she passed four runners, including Smith, to finish 22nd in 22 minutes, 24 seconds.
She was 20 seconds ahead of the final regional qualifier — Lilly Thomas of Alexandria, who finished 29th.
“I think that first mile strategy last week was good,” Bruce Wood said. “I don’t think that was going to work this week. She ran more even splits today. I think that was a smart plan by her.
“The difference between the sectional and regional is that top 10 is a lot faster this week than last week’s top 10. So if you get caught in that trap of, ‘I want to be in the top 10, 15’ … and you’re not paying attention to what that pace is, then there’s heck to pay in mile three.”
Wood’s previous best finish in a regional meet was 41st last year. She was 43rd as a sophomore and 60th as a freshman.
Wood follows Sophia Fugiett and Lydia Keihn, who both qualified for semi-state last year.
Keihn, who now runs for East Noble, will also be at the semi-state Saturday after she placed 16th Saturday to help the Knights to a runner-up finish at the West Noble regional.
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