County athletes bound for track state finals

Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Laura Weatherford finished advanced to state in both the 200 and 400 meters.

Track season isn't over just yet for a trio of Putnam County girls. In Tuesday's track regional action, Cloverdale's Ashley Koosman and Greencastle's Laura Weatherford and Caitlin Gannaway all advanced to the IHSAA State Finals.

Koosman, in action at the Bedford North Lawrence Regional, jumped 5-feet-2-inches in the high jump to capture third place, edging out four competitors on a judge's decision.

At West Lafayette, Weatherford was Greencastle's star of the night, placing second in both the 200 and 400. This marks Weatherford's third straight trip to the state finals.

The senior bested the state standard in the 400, running a 57.70 to earn runner-up. In the 200, Weatherford posted a 26.41, just five hundredths of a second off of the winning time.

Gannaway also brought home a second-place finish with a distance of 39-feet-5.75-inches in the shot put.

For Greencastle's 400 relay team, Tuesday was a heartbreaker, as the Cubs finished fourth, just one place short of their third consecutive state finals berth. The team of Dee Wood, Weatherford, Jamie Patterson and Laura English ran a 50.66.

In the 1,600, Greencastle's Hannah Serlin ran a 5:34.30 to come home in seventh place. D'Aundrea Williams threw for 35-feet-3.5-inches to place eighth in the shot put.

The Cubs' 1,600 relay team of Melissa Ball, English, Serlin and Weatherford placed 12th.

For South Putnam, three-time sectional champion Shelby Johnston could not recreate last week's magic, as she was unable to advance in any of her three events.

The high jump yielded Johnston's highest finish of the night, as she finished fifth with a leap of 5-feet-0.5-inches. The senior placed eighth in each of her two hurdle events, running a 17.36 in the 100 hurdles and a 48.95 in the 300 hurdles.

The Eagles' Brittany Cox finished 12th in the discus at 109-feet-5-inches.

Back at Bedford, the Clovers also had good performances from Elizabeth Cheatham and Brynlea Mattocks.

Cheatham placed fifth in the shot put with a throw of 34-feet-11.5-inches. The junior was eighth in the discus with a distance of 104-feet-1-inch.

Competing against her teammate and classmate, Mattocks was ninth in the high jump with a height of 4-feet-10-inches.

Koosman also competed in the 100 hurdles, but did not make the finals, so no time was available.

Koosman, Weatherford and Gannaway all advance to the IHSAA Girls' Track State Finals on Friday, May 30 at Indiana University in Bloomington.

At West Lafayette

Girls' Track Regional

Westfield 86, Hamilton Southeastern 80, Lafayette Jefferson 52, West Lafayette 45.333, Brownsburg 45, Zionsville 39, Carmel 36, Greencastle 34, Avon 31, Harrison 29, Plainfield 20, Noblesville 18, Southmont 16, McCutcheon 12, Western Boone 11, Fishers 10.5, Danville 8, Frankfort 6, Tipton 6, Cascade 5.33, South Putnam 5, Carroll (Flora) 4, Sheridan 4, Benton Central 3.333, Seeger 3, Tri-County 3, Clinton Central 3, Rockville 3, Central Catholic 2, North Newton 2, Twin Lakes 1.5

High jump -- 5. Johnston (SP) 5-0.5.

100H -- 8. Johnston (SP) 17.36.

Discus -- 12. Cox (SP) 109-5.

1,600 -- 7. Serlin (G) 5:34.30.

400 -- 4. Greencastle (Wood, Weatherford, Patterson, English) 50.66.

400 -- 2. Weatherford (G) 57.50*†.

300H -- 8. Johnston (SP) 48.95.

200 -- 2. Weatherford (G) 26.41*.

1,600 relay -- 12. Greencastle (Ball, English, Serlin, Weatherford) 4:28.09.

Shot put -- 2. Gannaway (G) 39-5.75*, 8. Williams 35-3.5.

*--State qualifier.

†--State standard.

Next meet -- Weatherford and Gannaway will compete in the Girls' Track State Finals on Friday, May 30 at Indiana University, Bloomington.

At Bedford North Lawrence

Girls' Track Regional

Bloomington South 96, Bloomington North 95, New Albany 56, Jeffersonville 42, Brownstown Central 40, Silver Creek 25, Floyd Central 24, Madison Consolidate 22, Martinsville 19, Eastern Greene 19, Corydon Central 18, Paoli 17, Seymour 17, Orleans 14, Monrovia 13.5, Edgewood 12, Cloverdale 11, Owen Valley 11, Henryville 10, Scottsburg 8, Bedford North Lawrence 8, Mooresville 8, Crothersville 6, Crawford County 6, Mitchell 6, Austin 5, Brown County 4.5, Salem 3, South Central (Elizabeth) 3, Lanesville 3, New Washington 1, Borden 1

100 H -- -- Koosman (Cl) NT.

High jump -- 3. Koosman (Cl) 5-2*, 9. Mattocks (Cl) 4-10.

Shot put -- 5. Cheatham (Cl) 34-11.5.

Discus -- 8. Cheatham (Cl) 104-1.

*--State qualifier.

Next meet -- Koosman will compete in the Girls' Track State Finals on Friday, May 30 at Indiana University, Bloomington.

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