The Reporter-Times

 

By Ross Flint

 

The loss of some key seniors from a year ago have left the Indian Creek High School boys’ track and field team looking for replacements, but coach Philip Arnold said he’s looking to the current crop of seniors to do the heavy lifting for the Braves.

“We do have some returning seniors who look to contribute heavily to our scoring this spring,” he said.

They include Trey Gardner, who “looks to be a force in the high jump,” Kevin Michener (long jump), Jesten Yager (distance), Matt Coleman (sprints), Cory Harshman (pole vault and hurdles), Jon Haugh (distance) and Shaughn Elmore (throws).

Four other seniors joined the team — Josh Bales (throws), Brett Brunson (400-meters and long jump), Isaiah Tworek (throws) and Fabian Degan (sprints), and Arnold expects the juniors and underclassmen to also contribute.

Junior William Lehman will contribute in the middle distance and 300 individual medley, while juniors Ben Hancock will compete in the throwing events and Matt Salamander in the pole vauth.

Sophomores Connor Waldkoetter (pole vault), Jordan Jackson (sprints), Adam Teeters, Ryan Haddan and Jerry Minnick (all in distance), and Caleb Tworek, Evan Bobo and Curtis Rainwater (throwers), and freshmen Matt Cecil (hurdles) and Marcus Hobbs (distance) make up the rest of the team.

“With this group, we are looking forward to making a strong run in the Mid-Hoosier Conference in hopes of capturing our fourth title in six years,” Arnold said.

He’s also hoping to advance more of his team to the Connersville regionals and beyond this year.

Indian Creek advanced three athletes to last year’s regionals — two of whom graduated and the third isn’t competing — and advanced one to state. The Braves finished last season 16-3 and finished fourth in the Johnson County meet and were Mid-Hoosier Conference champions.