Slight progress

MUNCIE — A year ago, the Patriots found themselves sitting in sixth place at the sectional with only one athlete who punched his ticket to the regional.

While the Patriots still found their name sixth spot in the sectional standings, two athletes got back on the bus knowing their season was extended an extra week and three more got a callback later that night.

Adam Alig and Caleb Garringer both earned a pair of third-place finishes for the Jay County High School boys track team at the IHSAA Sectional 12 hosted by Muncie Central on Thursday, clinching qualifications for the regional meet and helping the Patriots to sixth place.

Jay County finished with 51 points, just six behind fifth-place Wapahani, which claimed sectional titles in four events. There was a drop off following the Patriots in the 13-team field as seventh-place Monroe Central claimed 36 points. Yorktown ran away with its sixth sectional title by gathering 143.5 points.

“I think the kids did well,” said JCHS coach Joe Imel. “It’s where I expected us to be when it’s all said and done. Last year we left here with one in a high jump. We’re for sure leaving this year with a high jump and 3,200-meter run and then most likely the 110s and 300s for a callback. It’s looking pretty good for that. We’ll see if the 4x8 can get called back after looking at all the different results tonight. But all in all, we’re heading in the right direction and I feel pretty good and confident in that.”

In 2024, Alig was the only Patriot to make the regional — the top three finishers from four sectionals automatically qualify, with the four best remaining times getting callbacks — and did so in the high jump. He followed suit on Thursday as he tied with Cooper Mote of Winchester Community and Muncie Central’s Michael Williams for third place at 6 feet. The trio all passed the mark on the first attempt to secure their spots.

“I’ve been really inconsistent with high jump this year,” Alig said. “My knee drive (helped today). When you drive up, I jump off my right leg and you’ve got to get your left knee up as high as you can. That was something I really focused on today and I think that’s what helped me clear those bars.”

Alig finished behind Monroe Central’s Easton Foster, who reached 6 feet, 8 inches, and Cade Utsler of Delta, who made the 6 foot, 2 inch, mark.

While had automatically qualified in the high jump, Alig had to wait for results to roll in on the 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles to know if he’d made it in either event.

His time of 42.33 seconds in the 300 hurdles put him in fourth place and 0.24 seconds behind Marcus Bright of Delta for the final qualifying spot. He ended up making it in as the third-best non-qualifying time after a pair of athletes from the North Side sectional.

Alig placed fifth in the 110 hurdles with a time of 15.82, but only Kye Hiatt of Muncie Central had a better time at 15.54 seconds, earning him another callback.

This is the third time Alig will compete at the regional in the high jump and the first trip he will make for either hurdles events.

Garringer’s performance in the 3,200 run also earned the sophomore a spot at the regional.

Through the first four laps he trailed teammate Dash Thacker and a pair of runners from Yorktown before claiming first place for himself by lap No. 5. Through the next three times around the track, Garringer fought with Wapahani’s Mason Tomboni for the top spot, as neither wanted to concede.

Tomboni (10 minutes, 1.32 seconds) took over for the final 400 meters and Yorktown’s Isaiah Loney (10:05.70) came from behind to overtake Garringer, but the JCHS sophomore held on to finish third in 10:07.76.

“I’ve ran with these kids all year, so I knew what they were going to do, but I was trying to make sure they didn’t know what I was going to do,” Garringer said. “I was trying to stick with them but not let them know I was with them. … That Wapahani kid made me kick in my third gear. He got a little aggressive so I thought, ‘If I’m going to win I need to be aggressive.’ So I just tried to stick with him as long as I can.”

Garringer will also run in the 4x800-meter relay at the regional. He was joined by Thacker, Joseph Boggs and Max Klopfenstein to put out a time of 8:44.76, falling 12.59 seconds short of Delta in the final qualifying spot. The Patriot team had the third-best time of the non-qualifying teams.

Other athletes to score points for Jay County, but not qualify were:

•The 4x100 relay team (fourth)

•Thacker in the 3,200 run (fifth) and the 1,600 run (sixth)

•Peyton Yowell in the pole vault (fifth)

•Kaiden Reynolds in the 110 hurdles (seventh) and the 300 hurdles (seventh)

•Lukes Powers in the pole vault (seventh)

•Austyn LeMaster in the discus (seventh)

•Caden Gambill in the 200 dash (eighth)

•Boggs in the 800 run (eighth)