Kya Crooke, Nicki Southerland approaching Indiana girls track and field history
INDIANAPOLIS – Kya Crooke and Nicki Southerland are approaching Indiana track and field history.
Crooke, a Heritage Christian junior, could become the first ever to win girls state titles in the long jump, in which she is defending champion, and high jump, in which she leads the state this year at 5 feet, 10 inches.
Southerland, a Delta senior, could be the first to be state champion at 800, 1,600 and 3,200 meters in a career.
On a hot, humid, windy Tuesday night at the Pike Regional, the two combined for five victories. Top three in each event automatically advanced to the May 31 state meet at Bloomington.
North Central scored 74 points for a fourth regional championship in five. Bishop Chatard was second with 59, Lawrence North third with 57 and Heritage Christian fourth with 48.
Crooke won the high jump at 5-6, long jump at 18-4 and 100 meters in 12.61 seconds against a headwind. She said this season is the most she has focused on the jumps, and she scratched out of the 100 for state.
Oddly, she has won national titles and represented Team USA in the high jump . . . but has gone without a state title. High jump is her favorite event, but she said she tired at two state meets because of other events.
“I think today was a good feel for what state’s going to be like, running back and forth and doing everything,” Crooke said.
Additionally, she will be accompanied by her sister, freshman Kenzie, who was fourth in the 300-meter hurdles in 45.75, meeting the standard.
“I think that’s going to be the highlight of my meet, watching my little sister run for the first time,” Kya said.
Elsewhere, Southerland won the 1,600 in 4:54.18, then the 800 in 2:08.10 – close to her state-leading time of 2:07.64. She anchored in 57.06 for a Delta 4x400 relay team that did not advance.
She won state titles in the 3,200 in 2022 and 1,600 in 2023. She said she didn’t know no Indiana girl had won a distance triple.
“I think that would be a really cool goal to go for,” said Southerland, a Notre Dame signee. “The 3,200 and 800 are completely different. And so it’s difficult to be at the top of the different events, since our state is so competitive anyway.”
State champion in the 3,200 could have been represented at this regional, considering Pendleton Heights junior Ava Jarrell clocked 10:11.87 in beating Southerland last month. Jarrell won at Pike in 10:30.60 after an opening 1,600 of 5:09.
Stunningly, Jarrell has improved 63 seconds since last year. At 2023 state meets, she was 12th in the 1,600 and 30th in cross-country. In the offseason, she said, she was diagnosed with low levels of ferritin (a protein that stores iron) and a stress fracture. She credited cross-training and, especially, weightlifting.
“Going into outdoor season, I started out way faster than I thought,” said Jarrell, who has committed to Indiana University.
Warren Central gears up for state bid
>> At Shelbyville: Laila Smith set regional records of 14.46 and 43.90 in the 100 and 300 hurdles, respectively, and Warren Central won its first regional since 2019. Warren scored 87 points to Whiteland’s 79. Jila Vaden long jumped to a regional record of 20-4.5, followed by teammate Smith at 20-0. Defending state champion Ahniyah Bennett of Connersville beat Vaden, 24.53 to 24.61, in the 200. Greenfield-Central’s Savannah Lake won the 100 in 11.76 over Vaden’s 11.77. Smith’s sister, freshman Kira, took the high jump at 5-8. Sisters Laila, Samaya and Kira Smith teamed with Vaden for a 3:56.13 victory in the 4x400.
>> At Lafayette Jeff: Carmel won its first regional since 2016, scoring 82 points to beat Brownsburg (79), Hamilton Southeastern (78) and Avon (68). Defending state champion Noblesville, winner of the past three regionals, was fifth with 65. Noblesville’s Hannah Alexander won the shot and discus with respective throws of 44-9.75 and 156-2. The Millers’ Delaney Teachnor vaulted 12 feet to beat Brownsburg’s Ashlyn Schwab in a duel of state co-leaders. Carmel’s Emily Norris won the 200 in 25.28 after finishing second to Fishers’ Maya Taylor in the 100. HSE freshman Anissa Lammie won the 400 in 53.58 over Zionsville junior Omema Anyanwu, whose time of 55.67 ranks No. 2 statewide behind Lammie’s 55.34. HSE won the 4x400 and 4x800 relays in 3:51.92 (state leader) and 9:28.33.
>> At Bloomington North: Hadley Lucas of Bloomington North broke her own state record in the discus with a distance of 175 feet. She won the shot put at 53-4.5, compared to her nation-leading mark of 54-10.75.
Contact IndyStar correspondent David Woods at dwoods1411@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA girls track and field regionals roundup: See who won, advanced
