LAFAYETTE — Ashley Caplinger walked off the Lafayette Jeff track at Scheumann Stadium Tuesday night, got to the 8-yard line of the football field and dropped straight onto her back, staring off into the clouds while completely exhausted.
One week after breaking an 800-meter sectional record at Harrison, the junior upped her game when she had to most, dropping nearly another 2.5 seconds off her time to cross the finish line third in 2:12.48.
Until Tuesday, a Faith Christian runner had never advanced to the IHSAA state track and field meet.
After Caplinger’s gutsy performance, passing two runners on the final lap to assure an automatic spot at the state meet June 5 at North Central High School, the Eagles had three, all sisters who made both a proud coach and father out of Bob Caplinger.
“I just want to give her credit for all the work and preparation and determination, not only the months leading up to the race, but as she executed the race,” Bob Caplinger said of Ashley’s 800. “She was seeded fourth with Carmel girls one, two and three. That’s a big name there. They’ve got a legacy, a notoriety, so to execute a race with that top talent is special.”
Until now, the only Faith Christian state qualifiers came in field events: Alli Holder in the high jump in 2022 and Madi Schultz in discus in 2018.
Caplinger will be joined at the state meet by twin sister Allison Caplinger, whose time of 57.62 in the 400 meters was the state’s fastest regional performance for a non-automatic (regional top three finisher) qualifier.
Freshman Kimberly Caplinger also earned one of the slots dedicated to the best regional times for non-automatic qualifiers when she finished the 1,600-meter run sixth in 5:06.52.
“My three sisters (one in junior high) are my best friends in the whole world,” Allison Caplinger said. “We push each other. We train together every single day.”
Until this season, Faith Christian didn’t even have a track facility at its school. Athletes would travel across town to Central Catholic to practice. That changed in the fall with the completion of Rohrman Stadium.
Tuesday was evidence of the importance of having a training facility to call their own.
“It gets a lot more kids out from our school,” Ashley Caplinger said. “We’ve got a bigger team, just a better atmosphere and more friends to make.”
For a school with an enrollment of less than 300, Faith Christian boasted the most area athletes to advance to the state meet behind only Harrison, which qualified Eva Stokes in both shot put and discus, regional champion Makayla Ketterer in high jump and Kaitlyn Manfra in the 1,600.
West Lafayette’s Audrey Alexander advanced in both shot put and discus, while Benton Central’s Sophia Zarate (discus) and North White’s Olivia Dahlenburg (high jump) also qualified.
It was a proud moment for the Caplinger family, and, more importantly, for Faith Christian.
“I love our school. I love getting to highlight them, shine a light on them, that’s awesome,” Ashley Caplinger said.
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Sister trio makes Faith Christian track history at regional
Reporting by Sam King, Lafayette Journal & Courier / Lafayette Journal & Courier
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
