The regional portion of the boys IHSAA track and field season will be held on Thursday across eight sites. It will be an opportunity for the top track and field athletes to clinch a spot at the state meet.
Here are five things to know before the action begins on Thursday.
The 4×100 relay at Greenfield-Central will be a sight to see
To be the best, you have to beat the best. The sectional meet at Greenfield-Central will be an opportunity for some of the top teams in the state to prove their superiority.
Warren Central, Franklin Central, Lawrence Central, North Central and Cathedral will all fight for the top spot in the 4×100.
Franklin Central, the state leader in the 4×100, placed second at regionals last week at Greenfield Central. They were defeated by Warren Central, who took home a gold standard time of 41.55. Lawrence Central (42.06) won the event on its home turf, while North Central (42.07) placed second and Cathedral took home third place.
Based on sectionals, every team in the 4×100 will be battle tested at regionals in one of the competitive races in the state.
Franklin Central is built for the postseason
The Flashes have made an impact so far this postseason, especially in every relay event. They placed first in the 4×400 (3:17.03) and 4×800 (7:58.38) and placed second in the 4×100 (41.74) at the regional track meet at Greenfield-Central last week.
They were about 20 seconds better than Greenfield Central (8:22.31) in the 4×800 and about seven seconds better than the host team (3:24.13) in the 4×400 relay.
With strong lane discipline and experienced runners, the Flashes are a team not to mess with as the state meet inches closer.
Rylan Hainje is a postseason machine
Hainje climbed to the top of the state leaderboard in the 300 hurdles and 110 hurdles last week at sectionals at Greenfield-Central.
He won the 110 hurdles with a time of 13.52 and the 300 hurdles at 36.98. The Franklin Central senior is the man to beat in the hurdles, an athlete that won a double state championship in both events last season as a junior. He also set state records during that time. The Marian University commit qualified for the New Balance Nationals in 2025 and 2026, so he has become accustomed to the big stage.
So far, he has taken the Indiana high school track world by storm. Come Thursday, he will compete against a more competitive field. Based on his reputation, Hainje will be focused going into regionals.
Banner Barnes in the middle distance
Barnes was a force to be reckoned with at regionals last week. He swept the 800 meters (1:51.66) and 1600 meters (4:17.70) at Fishers. The Noblesville junior edged out his sophomore teammate Isaiah Vohs (1:54.14) in the 1600.
Can he double at regionals when the field is deeper?
Ranked second in the 1600 and fourth in the 800 in the state, Barnes is a distance runner that can control the pace and be tactical. The regional title favorite will get a chance to further solidify his talent on Thursday.
Watch out for Konrad Hayden in the high jump
Hayden, a Fishers senior, placed third in the high jump at state last season. This season, he’s been on a hunt to improve that ranking. He leads all high jumpers in the event with a leap of 7 feet, 1 inches, which he earned at the Brownsburg vs. Fishers boys track meet on April 14.
At sectionals, he didn’t need to clear seven feet. He went 6 feet, 6 inches to win gold at his home field. He’s become that guy in the high jump. The high school veteran that opposing jumpers see in the air and wish they can jump as high.
Hayden will compete at Lafayette Jefferson for regionals.
Marc Ray is a high school sports reporter at the IndyStar. He can be reached at marc.ray@indystar.com , and on X, formerly Twitter, at @themarcszn.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA boys track and field regional preview: What, who to know in regional meets
Reporting by Marc Ray, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
