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After two runner-up finishes, Brownsburg wins first state title
BLOOMINGTON - The coach stood alone, away from Brownsburg’s celebrating athletes, with tears in his triumph and memories in his heart.
This state championship in boys track and field meant more, Casey Popenfoose said. His father, Joel Popenfoose, a coach and pastor, died March 16. He was 64.
“Even though I played football and the reason I came to Brownsburg is for football, I love track because of my dad,” the coach said Friday night.
“He would have been here, and he would have really enjoyed this.”
In a solitary sport like track and field, no one is ever really alone. Popenfoose could not have raised this program – the Bulldogs were last in the Hoosier Crossroads Conference in his first season -- without a foundation. Or without the 180 boys on the team. Or without a devoted coaching staff. Or without the legacy of 2022 graduates John Colquitt, a two-time double hurdles state champion, and Hayden Diemer-McKinney.
Or without two points here, two points there. Or 10 points from Dominic Calhoun, who was the last qualifier in the 200 meters and first in the final. Brownsburg qualified for state in 14 of 16 events and scored in 10.
“All of those things matter,” Popenfoose said.
After finishing second in 2021 and 2022, Brownsburg was first for the first time.
The Bulldogs scored 55 points to hold off Carmel, whose late surge netted 50 points. Defending state champion Plainfield was third with 48. Bloomington North – the only top 10 team outside the Indianapolis area – tied Fishers for fourth with 31.
“The whole team bought in and really wanted it really badly,” Popenfoose said. “I don’t think there was a more focused team.
It all came down to the 4x400 relay, in which Plainfield was third, Carmel fifth and Brownsburg seventh.
That ended a night featuring three state meet records, a breakout by freshman half-miler Caleb Winders, and wins by three national stars: shot putter Luke Himes, pole vaulter Cody Johnston and high jumper Bode Gilkerson.
Start with the records:
>> In the opening 4x800 relay, Winders’ 1:50.24 anchor carried Bloomington North to 7:37.24, the No. 2 time in the nation and breaking the record of 7:37.90 by Columbus North last year. Zionsville was second in 7:37.84 (fourth nationally) and Carmel third in 7:39.56 (11th). Carmel’s Kole Mathison began his bid for a distance triple, seizing the lead on the final lap before being overtaken down the stretch.
>> Brownsburg’s Deandre Cooper, Josh Handy, Caleb Heldman and Calhoun clocked 40.70 in the 4x100 relay, under the 41-year-old record of 41.02 held by Gary Roosevelt. The Bulldogs ran 40.88 in the regional, breaking Roosevelt’s all-time Indiana record of 40.91. “I felt it was just getting the stick around. We knew what we could do,” Calhoun said. The 40.70 is 14th nationally, according to athletic.net, and first outside California, Texas, Florida and Georgia.
>> Plainfield’s Nayyir Newash-Campbell repeated in the 400 meters, shaving .01 off the record with a time of 46.98. He had earlier set an all-time Indiana record of 46.67 in his sectional. He received a congratulatory tweet from Merrillville’s David Neville, who ran a record 46.99 in 2002. Neville went on to win a bronze medal in the 400 at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Yet it is not all about the records in this sport. Take it from the main combatants in the 1,600 meters.
Mathison: “All I wanted to do is just score as many points as possible.”
Martinsville junior Martin Barco: “It’s not about the time. It’s about the place, in my opinion.”
Marco reprised his April 14 victory over Mathison. After New Albany twins Aaron and Aidan Lord led through a 59.5 first lap, the pace slowed. Aaron Lord continued to lead at 3:09.96 with a lap to go, before Mathison went to the front.
Yet there was no distancing himself from Barco, who ran the closing 400 in 57.28 to win in 4:07.45. Brebeuf Jesuit junior Cameron Todd was second in 4:08.76. Mathison, the defending champion, was third in 4:09.44.
“You put me in any race, if I’m there in the last 100 meters, I can beat, I think, just about anyone,” said Barco, who plays soccer for his school in fall and a club team all spring.
Barco was in the slow section of the 800 but nearly won anyway. His time of 1:52.70 didn’t stand up, but only because North Central senior Nate Killeen spurted away late to clock 1:51.84. Winders was second, lowering his own Indiana freshman record to 1:52.68. (National freshman record is 1:49.87.)
In completing one of the most decorated distance careers in Indiana history, Mathison overtook junior teammate Tony Provenzano to repeat in the 3,200 in 8:53.18. The two Greyhounds were also 1-2 in the state in cross-country.
In other events:
>> Himes, a Heritage Christian junior, threw 65-1.5 on his final attempt in the shot put to extend his lead. His season best of 67-10 is tops in the nation. He conceded it was difficult managing a day of heat, humidity, and 12 throws covering shot and discus. “I had one of those spray bottles with the fan on it. That saved me,” Himes said.
>> Johnston, a two-time national indoor champion from Hobart, repeated in the pole vault at 17-0. He missed at what would have been a state meet record of 17-6.5. “That’s what stinks. I feel like I had so much left in me,” he said. By the time he opened at 16-0, everyone else was out. Johnston’s brother Riley, grandfather Jim, uncle Robb and cousin Kyle also won state titles in the vault, but none did so twice.
>> Gilkerson, of Plainfield, repeated in the high jump at 7-0. He was the only high school jumper over 7-0 indoors.
>> Center Grove’s Parker Doyle, after tripping over the final barrier in trials of the 110-meter hurdles, came back and won the 300 hurdles in 37.78. He also ran a leg on the 4x400 relay team that won in 3:16.41.
>> Pre-race favorite Jasiah Rogers of Park Tudor, after a 10.30 in the regional, developed leg cramps before the final of the 100 meters and proceeded to finish last. His club training partner, Elijah Jackson of Lawrence Central, was first in 10.52. “I knew something was wrong. I feel really bad for him,” Jackson said.
119th Annual IHSAA Boys Track & Field State Finals
Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex
Indiana University, Bloomington
June 2, 2023
Top 10 Teams
1. Brownsburg 55
2. Carmel 50
3. Plainfield 48
T4. Fishers 31
T4. Bloomington North 31
T6. Mt. Vernon (Fortville) 28
T6. Zionsville 28
8. Center Grove 24
9. Lawrence Central 22
10. Warren Central 21
State Champions
3200 Relay: Bloomington North (Caleb Winders 9, Kyle Clark 12, Dominic D'Onofrio 11, Reed Pierce 11), 7:37.24 State Record
100 Meters: Elijah Jackson, 12, Lawrence Central, 10.52
110 Hurdles: George Burhenn, 12, Mt. Vernon (Fortville), :14.33
200 Meters: Dominic Calhoun, 11, Brownsburg, :21.30
1600 Meters: Martin Barco, 11, Martinsville, 4:07.45
400 Relay: Brownsburg (Deandre Cooper 10, Josh Handy 11, Caleb Heldman 12, Dominic Calhoun 11), :40.70 State Record
400 Meters: Nayyir Newash-Campbell, 12, Plainfield, :46.98 State Record
300 Hurdles: Parker Doyle, 12, Center Grove, :37.78
800 Meters: Nate Kileen, 12, North Central (Indianapolis), 1:51.84
3200 Meters: Kole Mathison, 12, Carmel, 8:53.18
1600 Relay: Center Grove (Micah Coyle 12, Brevin Holubar 10, Parker Doyle 12, Zach Grellar 12), 3:16.41
Discus: Seamus Malaski, 11, Crown Point, 187-08
Shot Put: Luke Himes, 11, Heritage Christian, 65-01.50
Long Jump: Alex Meyer, 12, Angola, 24-02
High Jump: Bode Gilkerson, 12, Plainfield, 7-0
Pole Vault: Cody Johnston, 12, Hobart, 17-0
Sean Woods of Corydon Central High School Wins Hinshaw Mental Attitude Award
Members of the IHSAA Executive Committee named Sean Woods of Corydon Central High School as the winner of this year’s Robert S. Hinshaw Mental Attitude Award in Boys Track and Field.
Woods competed in Pole Vault during today’s finals and finished 21st. He was a two-time sectional champion in the event and also qualified for the State Meet last year placing 18th.
Sean has earned a weighted GPA of 3.77 in the classroom and is a member of Corydon's Student Council and National Honor Society. He is also Vice President of their Spirit Club. Sean volunteers his time coaching and refereeing youth leagues and camp in his community. Sean was also a member of Corydon's Football and Basketball teams.
The son of William and Rayne Woods of Corydon, Indiana, Sean will be attending Hanover College to study engineering.
The IHSAA Executive Committee, on behalf of Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, presented a $1,000 scholarship to Corydon Central High School in the name of Sean Woods.