Patriots end indoor season on good note

ANDERSON — The indoor season is coming to a close and the Patriots are dropping time and reaching further distances.

The Jay County High School indoor track team only had one top-five finish, but had five career best results and an indoor school record at the Blue and White Relays at Anderson University on Saturday.

Caleb Garringer had the highlight of the day, setting a new indoor school record in the 3,200-meter run with a time of 10 minutes, 53.53 seconds, and placed 23rd out of 47 athletes in the event.

Morgan DeHoff had the highest finish of any Patriots, placing fourth in the long jump with a distance of 15 feet, 4.25 inches.

Other top-ten finishes includes Molly Muhlenkamp and Jenna Dues with a new career best 5 feet in the high jump to tie for sixth and Matilda Mende with a time of 8.3 seconds in the 60-meter dash.

The 4x400 relay and 4x800 relay teams both placed 10th as well.

Other career bests came from Caden Gambill in the 60 dash (7.82 seconds) and Dues in the 60 dash as well (8.54 seconds).

The meet was the final of the indoor season, with the outdoor season beginning April 2 against Blackford at West Jay Middle School.

Fifth at state

MERRILLVILLE — The JC Flipsters had nine athletes compete at the Xcel State Meet over the weekend.

Carlie Runkle was the Flipsters’ top performer as she garnered 37.275 points to place fifth in the Xcel Bronze Junior C division. Runkle earned fourth place in the vault (9.375 points) and on the floor (9.425) while placing eighth on the bars and the beam.

Five more gymnasts finished in the single digits, three just behind Runkle in the Bronze division. Kendall Evans earned sixth with 36.975 points in Junior A.

A third-place finish pushed Emma Robinson to seventh in Child C division.

The other top-10 finish from the bronze was Brinley Steury. She had 37.125 points to take eighth in the Child B.

As the Flipsters’ only Xcel Silver competitor Charli Stephens took the top spot on the bars with a score of 9.725. She finished sixth all around in the Senior A.

Bella Sarver claimed sixth place in the Xcel Gold Junior C by placing fourth on the floor (9.35) and fifth on the bars (9.075).

Other finishes include:

• Oakli Bellis - 15th in Xcel Bronze Junior C

• Jordyn Champ - 15th in Xcel Gold Junior D

• Aubree Shannon - 15th in Xcel Gold Senior B