Lapel High School’s Cameron Smith flashes a number one as he crosses the finish line in the 3,200m race at the Boys Track Sectional at Mt. Vernon High School on Thursday, May 18,,2023.
Rob Baker | For the Times-Post
Pendleton Heights Andrew Blake cracks a smile as he crosses the finish line in second in the 3,200m Race at the Boys Track Sectional at Mt. Vernon High School on Thursday, May 18, 2023.
Rob Baker | For the Times-Post
Lapels JJ Baxter puts power behind his throw on his way to winning the Shot Put at the Boys Track Sectional at Mt. Vernon High School on Thursday, May 18, 2023.
Rob Baker | For the Times-Post
Pendleton Heights’ Layne Richardson competes in the Long Jump event at the Boys Track Sectional at Mt. Vernon High School on Thursday, May 18, 2023.
Rob Baker | For the Times-Post
Lapels Nate Belvo puts some power behind his throw on his way to a second place finish in the Shot Put at the Boys Track Sectional at Mt. Vernon High School on Thursday, May 18, 2023.
Rob Baker | For the Times-Post
Lapels Nates Belvo puts some power behind his winning throw in the Discus at the Boys Track Sectional at Mt. Vernon High School on Thursday, May 18, 2023.
Rob Baker | For the Times-Post
By Brady Extin | The Times-Post
MADISON COUNTY — Both the Pendleton Heights and Lapel girls and boys track teams advanced qualifiers into this week’s regional.
The girls competed Tuesday, May 16, at Pendleton Heights, and the boys competed at Mt. Vernon on Thursday, May 18.
Pendleton Heights (64) finished in third place as a team at the boys meet, and fourth (57.5) in the girls. Lapel placed fourth (58) on the boys side, and eighth (25) at the girls meet.
Lawrence North took the girls title with 165.5 points, and Mt. Vernon grabbed the boys title with 187 points.
Rounding out the boys scores were Lawrence North (139.5), Eastern Hancock (38), Anderson (36), Blue River Valley (24), New Castle (23), Shenandoah (19), Liberty Christian (16), Knightstown (11), and Anderson Prep (5.5).
On the girls side, following North Lawrence were Mt. Vernon (121), New Castle (101), Daleville (43), Eastern Hancock (37), Anderson (30), Shenandoah (17), Blue River Valley (10), Knightstown (6), and Anderson Prep (4).
The Arabians took home three individual titles, all on the girls side.
Sophomore distance runner Ava Jarrell smashed two sectional records en route to two sectional championships.
In the 800-meter race her time of 2:20.31 broke a 27-year-old record, and her time of 5:01.53 in the 1,600-meter broke a record that had stood since 2005 by 12 seconds.
Senior thrower Whitney Warfel advanced to the regional in both of her events, taking first in shot put and third in discus.
Lapel’s two champions came at the boys meet.
Cameron Smith outpaced the field in the 3,200-meter race with a time of 9:48.31, and JJ Baxter beat out teammate Nate Belvo to take first in shot put.
Belvo was runner-up to Baxter in the shot put, and advanced in the discus with a second-place finish as well.
Pendleton Heights’ Andrew Blake and Benson Davis placed second and third, respectively, to Lapel’s Smith in the 3,200-meter to make it a clean sweep for area runners in the event.
Jay Seeko advanced for the Arabians with a third-place finish in pole vault, and the Arabians 1,600-meter girls relay team placed third.
Sophie Goodwin advanced for Lapel with a time of 12:02.62 and runner-up finish in the 3,200-meter.
The girls competed in the regional meet at Pike on Tuesday after press time, and the boys were set to compete at 5:30 p.m. today, Thursday, May 25, at Lawrence Central. The top three in each event will advance to state finals on June 2.