GOSHEN — Lauren Arevalo’s energy was infectious.
The Penn sophomore pole vaulter took home the individual title in her event at 11-03 feet, notching 10 of her team’s 70 points.
She couldn’t wipe the smile off her face at the end of the event Tuesday, May 26, and her teammates were ecstatic for and with her. After all, those points helped Penn win an IHSAA regional championship for the first time since 2010.
“This is literally amazing; I’ve never even been to regionals,” Arevalo said. “It means a lot to me. I haven’t even processed it yet. It’s got me so excited for state; the fact that I was able to go and do what I love the most and I was able to win, that’s crazy to me. I’m grateful I even got this opportunity in the first place.”
Arevalo never picked up a pole until last season. One year later, she is a sectional and regional champion.
Her constant giggling and positive attitude is just who she is, not so much an act for the cameras or a result of her success when the lights were brightest.
Arevalo said “there’s just something special” about Penn this year, a squad that has now won a Northern Indiana Conference (NIC) championship, sectional championship and regional title. Sophomore Shreya Nayee was the only other Penn athlete to claim an individual crown at regionals, winning the 1,600-meter run in 5:05.77.
The Kingsmen’s depth did most of the scoring, placing in the top three six times in five events. Only South Bend Adams had that beat with seven top three finishes in six events, yet the Eagles finished in second place overall with 63 points.
Qualifying for three events at the IHSAA state finals Friday, June 5 at North Central High School in Indianapolis was Adams sophomore Jaidyn Kimbrough. While the NIC MVP did not win her primary two races — the 100-meter and 200-meter dash — she claimed victory as the final leg of the Eagles’ 4×100-meter relay.
Top-seeded Goshen fumbled the baton during the race, which meant the finish came down to Adams and Warsaw. Kimbrough powered through to help earn victory by one 24th of a second.
After finishing fourth in the 200-meter dash at last year’s state finals while running on a torn ACL, Kimbrough said her second-place finish at regionals serves as extra motivation this time around.
“I know I could’ve done way better; I know I could’ve won that race,” Kimbrough said. “Next week, I’m going to make sure I take my turn. I’m going to practice coming off the blocks, and I’m going to make sure I push myself to my limit, knowing that I can.”
Goshen puts on show for home fans
Goshen sophomore Amari Lind was the one who beat Kimbrough in the 200-meter dash, doing so in regional record time at 24.35 seconds. Her performance was one of four record setting times Tuesday, another of which included her efforts in the 4×400-meter relay.
Alongside her was sophomore Destiny Sanchez, freshman Lainey Trenshaw and senior Dartmouth commit Kristina Petkova. The RedHawks won the regional title in 3:51.35, beating the rest of the field by nearly nine full seconds. Petkova also set a regional record with her first-place finish in the 400-meter run at 56.18 seconds.
“Throughout this season, I’ve been going a little bit easy,” Petkova said. “I kind of went a little bit hot on the [first] 200 — I just wanted to see if I just went, what would happen? Next time, I’ll go a little bit slower. I was just like, ‘Gosh, I’m going to die.’ I was excited to just go out and race, but I wasn’t expecting anything.”
Petkova said Goshen came into regionals with added inspiration, wanting to successfully defend its home turf. While the RedHawks may not have won the team title, setting regional records in three races is more than a worthwhile alternative.
“In the final, I just really pushed it,” Lind said. “It felt really good … It’s a chance at state, and we have a pretty special group here. It was really important that we get this group there.”
The fourth regional record set was by none other than South Bend Washington senior defending state champion Adriana Swanson. In the 100-meter hurdles, Swanson won her fourth consecutive regional title in 13.85 seconds. She also won the 300-meter hurdles in 43.72 seconds.
Swanson continues historic career
The Indiana University commit was routinely cool, calm and collected about her history-making performance. She has larger goals ahead, wanting desperately to become the first South Bend girls track athlete to ever win back-to-back state championships next Friday.
However, Swanson was uncharacteristically emotional when she reflected on her final time competing in her home area and being just two races away from her high school career coming to a close.
“It’s definitely hit me,” Swanson said, fighting back tears. “It’s something that’s very exciting, but it’s also something that hurts me, because it’s something I’ve worked towards. It just sucks to know that this is the last time I’ll be with my teammates, with my dad as my coach and with my family surrounding me.
“It’s a good experience to have, and I’m so, so grateful that I had the opportunity to be here all four years and succeed every time I step on … I feel like some days are harder than others — mentally, physically — I just feel like I had to work really hard today. I’m proud of myself, but it also made me think, ‘Dang, this is really it.’”
Swanson’s words served as a reminder that even one of the most accomplished athletes in the history of South Bend Community School Corporation is human, despite consistently doing superhuman things.
Full results and state qualifiers (in order of completion)
4×800-meter relay: Northridge (9:21.31)
Penn (9:22.40)
East Noble (9:27.35)
100-meter hurdles: Adriana Swanson, South Bend Washington senior (13.85)
Isis Robbins, Elkhart sophomore (14.79)
Jersey Hunter, Plymouth senior (15.05)
100-meter dash: Emma Walter, Fairfield junior (11.75)
Jaidyn Kimbrough, South Bend Adams sophomore (12.11)
Alana Allen, Plymouth senior (12.31)
1,600-meter run: Shreya Nayee, Penn sophomore (5:05.77)
Annika Luta, Trinity Academy junior (5:08.65)
Mia Hodgson, Wawasee senior (5:08.63)
4×100-meter relay: South Bend Adams (48.35)
Warsaw (48.59)
Jimtown (48.98)
400-meter dash: Kristina Petkova, Goshen senior (56.18)
Emma Kincaid, Bremen senior (57.08)
Hanna Clyde, NorthWood senior (57.55)
300-meter hurdles: Adriana Swanson, South Bend Washington senior (43.72)
Getsemani Cruz, South Bend Adams senior (45.28)
Betty Shepard, Tippecanoe Valley senior (45.67)
800-meter run: Kate Kincaid, Bremen sophomore (2:15.17)
Eden Metz, Warsaw senior (2:15.85)
Agnes Hasler, South Bend Adams junior (2:18.92)
200-meter dash: Amari Lind, Goshen sophomore (24.35)
Jaidyn Kimbrough, South Bend Adams sophomore (25.37)
DiMayah Marsh, South Bend Adams sophomore (25.48)
3,200-meter run: Dakotah Moore, Northridge senior (10:49.33)
Lila Van Hoveln, Penn junior (10:50.09)
Shreya Nayee, Penn sophomore (11:09.86)
4×400-meter relay: Goshen (3:51.35)
South Bend Adams (4:00.24)
Penn (4:01.23)
High Jump: Claira Foust, Fairfield junior (5-04)
Lanie Lyles, Culver Academies freshman (5-04)
Kaylee Neuenschwander, Fremont junior (5-04)
Pole Vault: Lauren Arevalo, Penn sophomore (11-03)
Madi Collins, Elkhart junior (11-0)
Joya Holsopple, Fairfield junior (11-0)
Discus: Maudie Lash, East Noble freshman (128-08)
Audrey Mapes, Churubusco sophomore (128-06)
Cassie Jackson, Warsaw junior (128-0)
Long Jump: Lydia Goodsell, South Bend Saint Joseph junior (18-03.25)
Brynn Weirich, Concord freshman (17-11)
Tinayja Summers, South Bend Riley junior (17-01.5)
Shot Put: Brooklyn King, Jimtown senior (41-05)
Andrea Hoover, North Miami sophomore (40-05.5)
Kayle Jordan, West Noble senior (39-10.25)
Kyle Smedley is a sports reporter at the South Bend Tribune. Contact him via email at ksmedley@usatodayco.com or follow him on X @KyleSmedley03.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Penn girls track and field wins first regional championship since 2010
Reporting by Kyle Smedley, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
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