News
Noblesville emerges from the pack for first Unified Track crown
BLOOMINGTON - Noblesville High School has always been a big supporter of Unified athletics.
On Saturday afternoon the school got over the hump, winning the program’s first state championship in Unified Track and Field.
The Millers finished with 112 points, three ahead of Carroll (Fort Wayne) and Valparaiso who tied for second with 109.
“All season they kept pushing themselves and getting PR after PR,” Noblesville head coach Matt Johnston said. “Even if some didn’t do as well today, they continued to push themselves and it made a difference. It was great to see them do that.”
Penn was fourth with 104 points.
With four teams separated by just eight points, Johnston said it emphasized how important everyone is on the team and how every point matters.
“It really came down to every point,” Johnston said. “It didn’t matter if it was a seventh place, or an eighth place, every one made a difference for us. Everyone contributed and it was just awesome to see.”
Some of those valuable points came from senior Noah Morris in the 400.
Morris won his flight in his favorite event - one of six flight wins for the Millers.
One of the six seniors on the roster, Morris said he couldn’t have imagined a better finish to his high school career.
“It’s awesome,” said Morris. “I am so excited for the team and everything the team did this year. Winning our first state title in my senior year, I am so excited about that.”
Morris was just one part of a complete team win.
They had nine top-3 flight finishes and also got flight wins from Sarah Millikan in the 100, Isaac Yost in the 400, the 4x100 relay team of Britton Cole, Cole Richardson, Kuljeet Mehra and Blake Koven, Gabby Rupert in the long jump and Luke Davis in the shot put.
Noblesville’s previous top finish was second in 2016 and placed sixth a year ago.
The Millers won the Franklin Central Sectional, then placed fourth in the Bedford North Lawrence Regional to advance to state.
“With Unified, you never know what your day is going to be,” Johnston said. “There is always a hope and a belief that you can do it, but you never want to say ‘oh, we got this one.’ There are so many good teams, so many great kids that just go out and excel. That happened with a lot of teams today, they excelled really well. Fortunately, our kids stepped up today and excelled too.”
Noblesville was one of the original 13 schools to have a Unified Track and Field team.
Johnston said the support of the Noblesville community has been awesome, and to break through after being one of the 13 original schools competing in Unified Track, was a special feeling.
“We’ve been involved in Unified since the beginning,” Johnston said. “We had a second place years ago but we were never able to break through and win that championship. To be able to win it this year is a big deal for us. Noblesville is great, and not just with our athletics. It’s everything with our kids. It is wonderful to see that we are such a great community that is so supportive of our kids with special needs.”
Johnston said it is also encouraging to see the growth of Unified athletics around the state.
This year, 93 schools participated in sectionals in track and field and 41 participated in flag football in the fall.
Those numbers continue grow as well.
“It’s grown in all sports, but especially track,” Johnston said. “More and more schools are getting into it and giving kids an opportunity to participate when they never would have before. Maybe they aren’t a track person, but they are a football person, or into bowling or another sport. So that is great to see.”
Along with the Millers strong performances, runner-up Carroll got flight wins from Matthew Dupuis in the 100, Jackson Dressler in the long jump and Carter Kline in the shot put. Valparaiso’s Victor Rans won his flight in the 100 and long jump.
Unified Sports® enables persons with and without intellectual disabilities to participate on the same team for sports training and competition. The “Champions Together” partnership between the Indiana High School Athletic Association and Special Olympics Indiana was launched in 2012. While the IHSAA provides the framework for competition, Special Olympics Indiana provides technical support and financial grants to a number of schools who start new Unified Track ® programs.
| Ninth Annual IHSAA Unified Track & Field State Finals | |
| Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex | |
| Indiana Univeristy | |
| Bloomington, Indiana | |
| Final Results | |
| 1. Noblesville | 112 |
| T2. Carroll (Fort Wayne) | 109 |
| T2. Valparaiso | 109 |
| 4. Penn | 104 |
| 5. Elkhart | 97 |
| 6. Bloomington North | 95 |
| 7. Pendleton Heights | 84 |
| 8. Westfield | 83 |
| 9. Bedford North Lawrence | 75 |
| 10. Portage | 73 |
| 11. Bloomington South | 64 |
| 12. Avon | 63 |
Justin Lovell and Andrew Cockerham of Bloomington North High School Awarded Bobby Cox Spirit of Unified Mental Attitude Award
At the conclusion of the Unified State Finals, the IHSAA Executive Committee presented Justin Lovell and Andrew Cockerham of Bloomington North the Bobby Cox Spirit of Unified Mental Attitude Award.
This award is presented annually to an athlete and partner athlete participating in the state finals. It is named in honor of Bobby Cox, who served as the IHSAA's eighth commissioner from 2011 to 2020, whose embrace of the Champions Together Initiative led to the establishment of Unified Flag Football and Unified Track and Field as IHSAA sports.
An athlete, nominated by their principal and coach, must excel in mental attitude, joy, courage, self-advocacy, and commitment during their time in high school. A partner athlete, also nominated by their principal and coach, must excel in mental attitude, inclusive behavior, courage, advocacy, and commitment during their time in high school.
