INDIANAPOLIS — For two minutes, Cougar hearts were beating faster than James Bosco’s after an all-out leg at the end of the 4×400 relay.
Caleb Winders’ hamstring held up well through the 4×800 and the 800 as Bloomington North took the titles in both events. But on the second leg of the 4×400, it gave out, taking North from being on track to score out of the second heat to no points at all.
Franklin Central trailed by nine points, and a win would give the Flashes the team state title. They were the top seed, but also going in without their star, Rylan Hainje, who couldn’t go on after sweeping the hurdles in record-setting fashion. So, North watched and worried as FC took the lead after two laps.
“No, no, no, no,” Winders cried, hands on his head, watching a state team championship slip away.
But the Flashes ran out of out gas after the final handoff, falling from second to fifth. The Cougars, in spite of everything, were IHSAA state champs after placing fourth, third and second the past three seasons.
It’s the first state boys track championship for the city since Bloomington High School won the first title on Indiana University’s Jordan Field way back in 1904. It’s the second title in the last two years for retiring 46-year assistant track coach/head boys cross country coach Charlie Warthan, following up on the cross country title in 2024.
“It’s super amazing,” Warthan said. “I knew this group of kids the distance runners coming in was a special group. But you don’t win a state championship with just distance runners.”
“It’s unbelievable,” Winders added. “My coach (Warthan) has been coaching for 46 years and this is his last year, so we had to do it for him. We had to get it done this year. We worked so hard this year and I’m super proud of the team. Everyone did their role and we got it done.”
It was a tough, tough day to get through, with two weather delays totaling around two hours. The air-conditioned bus helped, but the rest the Cougars had to literally sweat it out.
“It’s not fun to sit there and not be in control of your own destiny,” North coach Justin Helmer said. “It’s great the way it turned out, and I’ll leave here happy and I’ll leave here wishing for one more. But that’s what you do, right?
“I’m proud of the team. It’s not easy to win one of these. Fourth, third, second, first, that’s special. Scoring 39 points, that’s kind of crazy to win a state meet, but it kind of shows around the state for the most part, the talent was spread out. Fortunately, we were able to put it together.”
“It feels great,” said senior Caelan D’Onofrio added. “So relieved right now. We knew we could do it. There was a lot going on a lot that happens. Great end to a great year.”
North kept its four-year string of wins in the 4×800 alive as Shep Jackson, this year’s new addition, Jake Gentry and Caelan D’Onofrio put Winders in great position to hang in second place before tearing away in the last 200 for a win in 7:38.87.
“It’s been such an amazing group that I’ve been with since I was a little kid,” Gentry said. “We’ve all been moving up together. To get a state medal, it’s fantastic.”
Winders put down a huge finish to take the 800 in 1:49.36 that was just .11 off Austin Mudd’s state record, with D’Onofrio able to push himself to a 1:53.01 for ninth. That had followed a tough race in the 1,600 in which Westview senior Noah Bontrager won in a state record while D’Onofrio ran a 4:08.53, just a hair off his school record.
“The (800) was so hard, after all the delays,” D’Onofrio said. “We got a point. I’ll take it.”
Wait and worry
North looked like it might sew things up a bit earlier as Alan Hays raced toward the finish line to cap off the best 300 hurdles race of his life. Instead, it became the worst when he hit the last hurdle and fell. The winner went past him to post a 38.00, which says how fast he was going.
More drama would follow, but it worked out.
“That was tough,” Helmer said. “You go back to Alan Hays and that was such a crushing moment. He might have gotten second out of that middle heat. He was probably 36-high, 37-low, He finishes that and the meet’s over. But then all of a sudden, Franklin Central gets a guy in the 200 final and scores five points and put them right back into it again.”
Winders’ hamstring issue opened the door just enough to give FC hope.
“I would have been so mad if we lost that,” Winders said. “I was just trying to do what I could in the four-by-four. I don’t think I warmed up for it properly. Between the 800 and four-by-four I didn’t get enough strides and drills in, so I think that’s on me.”
Bosco, who had earlier placed fourth in the 400 (48.43), was exhausted. The idea was Kellen Bishop, Winders and RaShon English would set the junior up to take care of the lead.
“Because I can run better alone,” he said. “And it turns out I almost did run alone but not the right way. But Calebs such a warrior, so RaShon got our really fast and I got in behind and just see what I can do.”
Enough to get North to 12th. Then the last heat started.
“I was on my back the whole time,” Bosco said. “But I was getting race updates from Caleb. I felt pretty bad, but I think I’m going to feel good in about 30 minutes.”
Hamidovic break through
Senior Adis Hamidovic got one in.
Just that 150-footer was a welcome sight, considering he’d fouled three times last year.
Then his next was in, up to 170. Then he was back in the 180s, keeping everything between the lines this time until he took third place in discus with a 185-0. Shot put was another story and all three attempts were fouls, but it was OK after getting the job done in discus.
“I’m just so thankful I was able to do it,” Hamidovic said. “I threw that 157 and I was real, real nervous. Then I got that 181 and I was first going into the finals. Doing what I needed to do for the team and that’s all I really cared about.”
South grabs two medals
South senior Gabe Taylor was sixth in the 200 (21.66) and 17th in the 100 despite a 10.93 as the winds were fickle during the preliminaries.
“It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while,” Taylor said of earning a medal in the 200. “I know it’s not top three or top five or anything, but I’m just grateful I was able to run today. Had a good showing in prelims. I’m excited. This is a big stage. Surreal.”
The weather break after the 100s allowed him to reset for the 200s.
“Last year, I had a good PR here,” Taylor said. “But being able to get on the podium finally. I’ve been taking it seriously in the weightroom and on the track, so I’m just grateful for God’s blessing.”
In pole vault, junior Arthur Banks continues to climb the ladder, but he’s not stopping until he gets to the top.
He nearly did this time. Just four remained after reaching 16-0, but only Crown Point’s was able to get over on his last try at 16-3. Banks was fourth on misses, a step up from fifth last year at 15-0.
“I won’t be happy until I win,” Banks said.
But he was after making it over 16-0 on his last try.
“It more just relief getting over the bar,” Banks said.
It was a day with a lot of sitting around for Banks, who didn’t enter until 14-6.
“It was definitely a struggle, but I just had to come out of it with the mentality of all these can happen, but everybody else is going through the same thing,” Banks said. “I just visualized what I needed to get done.”
Area roundup
Martinsville’s Rayce Wolff was sixth in the 800 in 1:52.20.
The Panthers also took 21st in the 4×800. Noah Field fouled on all three shot put attempts, while Bedford North Lawrence’s Tripp Stahl took seventh in the shot put with a 58-10¾. Stahl was 21st in discus and Luke Morris 24th in the 300 hurdles.
Edgewood’s William Hosey was 25th in the 100 (11.08) and the 4×100 team improved on its regional time with a 43.47 for 29th. South’s Simon Barnes was 18th in the 200 (22.04). Owen Valley’s Noah Hall bowed out in the high jump at 6-2.
For North, Josiah Powell had a career best 10.84 in the 100 but was the 11th qualifier to just miss the finals. He also had a 22.29 in the 200 for 25th. Eric Shin was 34th in the 100; Evan Cheng was 24th in long jump (21-3¾); Jackson was 22nd in the 1,600; Quinn Walters was 20th in discus and Hays was 21st in the 110 hurdles.
IHSAA BOYS STATE TRACK FINALS RESULTS
Top 20 team scores: Bloomington North 39, Franklin Central 36, Avon 33, Brownsburg 27, Chesterton 26, Churubusco 24, Bishop Chatard 21, Danville 20, Westview 20, Mt. Vernon (Fortville) 20, Evansville Reitz 18, Warsaw 18, Homestead 17, Fishers 15, Kokomo 15, Northridge 14, Hammond Morton 13, Crown Point 13, Carmel 13, Jeffersonville 12, Elkhart 12, Noblesville 12, Lakewood Park Christian 12. 26, Bloomington South 10; T53. Martinsville 4; T61. Bedford North Lawrence 3.
Top seeds and area competitors (state record in parenthesis)
100 (10.31, 1981): 1. Collin Bumgarder, Danv 10.58; 2. Michael Walker, HamMort 10.65; 3. Elijah Cheeks, Jeff 10.69. (11. Josiah Powell, BNorth 10.84; 17. Gabe Taylor, BSouth 10.93; 25. WIlliam Hosey, Edgwd 11.08; 34. Eric Shin, BNorth 11.30).
200 (21.09, 2025): 1. Baumgardner, Danv 21.15; 2. Alonzo Newbern, Elk 21.42; 3. Jordan Redmon, Brwnbrg 21.51; 6. Gabe Taylor, BSouth 21.66. (18. Simon Barnes, BSouth 22.04; 25. Powell, BNorth 22.29).
400 (46.80, 2025): 1. Camran Mitchell, Chrstwn 47.36; 2. Keith White, NewHav 47.99; 3. Rocky Duplessis, Fish 48.07; 5. James Bosco, BNorth 48.43.
800 (1:49.25, 2011): 1. Caleb Winders, BNorth 1:49.36; 2. Jace Works, ColN 1:50.70; 3. Caden Cassada, MTV 1:51.34; 6. Rayce Wolff, Mart 1:52.20; 9. Caelan D’Onofrio, BNorth 1:53.01.
1,600 (4:02.60, 2025): 1. Noah Bontrager, Westview 4:01.83 (state record); 2. Banner Barnes, Nob 4:04.89; 3. Carter Zieren, EvReitz 4:06.86; 4. D’Onofrio, BNorth 4:08.53. (22. Shep Jackson, BNorth 4:21.47).
3,200 (8:51.15, 2012): 1. Bontrager, Westview 8:47.57 (state record); 2. Calvin Seitz, SprgVly 8:53.10; 3. Zander Ritenour, LkPrk 8:58.65.
110 hurdles (13.28, 2025): 1. Rylan Hainje, FrnkCent 13.16 (state record); 2. Evan Williams, LawC 13.90; 3. Braylin Tisdale, Hmstd 14.27. (21. Alan Hays, BNorth 14.68).
300 hurdles (35.82, 2025): 1. Hainje, FrnkCent 35.26 (state record); 2. Omar Daniels, Koko 37.91l 3. Carter Campbell, Winch 38.00. (24. Luke Morris, BNL 41.24; 29. Hays, BNorth 49.45).
4×100 relay (40.70, 2023): 1. Brownsburg 40.60 (state record); 2. Chesterton 40.65; 3. Warren Central 41.06. [21. Bloomington North (Landon McAlister, Brayden Johnson, Carter Matthew, Shin) 42.37; 29. Edgewood (Brody Day, Hosey, Jaden Lucas, Daylin Pairitz) 43.47.
4×400 relay (3:13.66): 1. Bishop Chatard 3:!5.49; 2. Chesterton 3:15.76; 3. Mt. Vernon (Fortville) 3:16.46. [12. Bloomington North (Kellen Bishop, Winders, RaShon English, Bosco) 3:21.88.
4×800 relay (7:37.01, 2025): 1. Bloomington North (Jackson, Jake Gentry, D’Onofrio, Winders), 7:38.87; 2. Avon 7:42.07; 3. Carmel 7:43.14. [21. Bloomington South (Garrett Pitkin, Jack Taylor, Matthew ZInkan, James Rice) 8:04.35].
High jump (7-4, 2018): 1. Jordan Randall, Warsaw 7-2; 2. Konrad Hayden, Fish 7-0; Korbin Presl Manch 6-10. (19. Noah Hall, Owen Valley 6-2).
Long jump (24-7¾, 1995): 1. Leon Fowler, Mish 24-6; 2. John Adebayo, Avon 24-0¼; 3. Jeremiah Young, Koko 23-11. (24. Evan Cheng, BNorth 21-3¾).
Pole vault (17-6¼, 2018): 1. Isaac Roman, CrwnPt 16-3; 2. Tucker Reed, Warsaw 16-0; 3. Owen Hudspith, Frnkft 16-0; 4. Arthur Banks, BSouth 16-0.
Shot put (67-11¼, 2021): 1. Westen Ott, Churb 65-2; 2. Keenan Mowery-SHields, SPut 61-10½; 3. Colson Yoder, Northwd 60-1; 7. Tripp Stahl, BNL 58-10¾. (Noah Field, BSouth, NM; Adis Hamidovic, BNorth, NM).
Discus (217-1, 1993): 1. Ott, Churb 191-10; 2. Rasheed, Avon 191-2; 3. Hamidovic, BNorth 185-0. (20. Quinn Walters, BNorth 153-8; 21. Stahl, BNL 152-11).
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Bloomington North has the heart to win first IHSAA boys state track title
Reporting by Jim Gordillo, The Herald-Times / The Herald-Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jim Gordillo, The Herald-Times | USA TODAY Network
