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A dominating performance led the Warren Central Warriors to capture the 43rd Annual Girls Track and Field State Championship at Indiana University’s Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex on Friday night.

The Warriors amassed 70 points to outdistance themselves from the pack; Pike came in second with 48, and Ben Davis and Penn tied for third with 28.

For the third year in a row, Pike sprinter Lynna Irby blazed through the sprints and continued to cement herself in Indiana track and field history. The junior again took home the 100, 200, and 400 meter dashes, bringing her title count to nine in three years. Irby tied her own state record in the 100, matching last year’s 11.50.

Pike senior Sandra Brown cleared 12-9, good for first in the pole vault. Brown and Irby teamed with junior Sydney Martin and freshman Jailyn Ross to finish second in the 4x400 relay (3:54.40).

The Warriors capitalized on strong sprint and hurdle performances throughout the evening. The 4x100 (46.17) and 4x400 (3:48.88) relays dominated the field. Senior Bryeana Byrdsong placed second in the 100 and third in the 200; freshman Mikeisha Covington burst on to the scene with a second place finish in the 200, and junior Ashley Baker added a fifth place finish in the 100 to help the Warriors’ cause.

Kayland Jackson (junior) took the 100 hurdle title (14.00), and sophomore teammate Kennedy Batts finished in eighth.

Victoria Farley of Portage also had a repeat performance; the junior’s toss of 46-11.75 gave her a first place finish in the shot put. Lafayette Jefferson junior Essence Henderson’s throw of 151-01 was good for first in the discus, and she took third in the shot at 45-01.

Homestead senior Grace Walther’s final push down the straightaway led her to a first place finish in the 1600 meter run (4:48.68); she clocked in with the fastest winning time in the past five years. Walther later took third in the 800 (2:12.89).

This is Warren Central’s fourth state championship, their last coming in 2008 (2006, 2007, 2008, 2016).

The official attendance for Friday night’s event in Bloomington was 4,486.

43rd Annual IHSAA Girls Track & Field State Finals
Robert C. Haugh Track & Field Complex, Bloomington
June 3, 2016

Top 10 Teams
1.   Warren Central: 70     
2.   Pike: 48     
T3. Ben Davis: 28     
T3. Penn: 28     
5.   Hamilton Southeastern: 27     
T6. Carmel: 23     
T6. West Lafayette: 23     
8.   Homestead: 22     
9.   Crown Point: 21     
10. Fishers: 20

State Champions
3200 Relay: Penn (Lorena Daugherty, 11; Emma Jankowski, 11; Elli Mott, 11; Ashleigh Macleod, 11), 9:01.41
100 Meters: Lynna Irby, 11, Pike, 11.50 Tied State Record
100 Hurdles: Kayland Jackson, 11, Warren Central, 14.00 
200 Meters: Lynna Irby, 11, Pike, 23.53
1600 Meters: Grace Walther, 12, Homestead, 4:48.68
400 Relay: Warren Central (Ashley Baker, 11; Bryeana Byrdsong, 12; Mikeisha Covington, 9; Prommyse Hoosier, 9), 46.17
400 Meters: Lynna Irby, 11, Pike, 53.71
300 Hurdles: Addison Coy, 11, Culver Academies, 43.24
800 Meters: Madison Kiser, 11, Pioneer, 2:11.41
3200 Meters: Alex Buck, 12, Pendleton Heights, 10:28.97
1600 Relay: Warren Central (Ashley Baker, 11; Bryeanna Byrdsong, 12; Dejah Johnson, 11; Mikeisha Covington, 9), 3:48.88
Discus: Essence Henderson, 11, Lafayette Jefferson, 151-01
Shot Put: Victoria Farley, 11, Portage, 46-11.75
Long Jump: Mikaylah Woods, 12, Penn, 19-02.50
High Jump: Corin Erwin, 11, Munster, 5-08
Pole Vault: Sandra Brown, 12, Pike, 12-09

Megan Grabowski named Mental Attitude Winner
Members of the IHSAA Executive Committee named Megan Grabowski of Bloomington South High School as the winner of this year’s Mental Attitude Award in Girls Track and Field.

A state qualifier in each of her four years as a Panther, Grabowski holds the school record in the 100, 200, 400 M dash and 400 M and 1600 M relay. She also holds the sectional and regional meet records for the 100, 200, 400 M dash and 400 M relay. The state runner up in last year’s 100 and 200 M dash events, she was named the 2015 Herald Times Track Athlete of the Year. In addition to track, she has also played basketball all four years of high school and participated in cross country.

Grabowski has excelled academically, posting a 4.252 GPA upon graduation. She was a member of Bloomington South’s National Honor’s Society as well as the Panthers’ Student Council President.

Beyond the classroom and playing field, Grabowski was engaged in the community as well. She volunteered with Bloomington’s Best Buddy program and Dance Marathon to support Riley Children’s Hospital, and volunteered for Hoosiers Outrun Cancer and Christmas Angel Tree.

The daughter of Missy and Tom Grabowski of Bloomington, Megan plans to attend Indiana University next year to study Secondary Education.

The IHSAA executive committee, on behalf of Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, presented a $1,000 scholarship to Bloomington South High School in the name of Megan Grabowski.