By Kevin Leibrock and Todd Taylor
Hendricks County Flyer

Highlighted by Avon’s sectional title run, Hendricks County’s boys’ track teams had a successful 2009 season. Four schools — Avon, Brownsburg, Danville, and Plainfield — sent athletes to the state meet. All six squads return plenty of talent and are aiming for another solid season in 2010. Avon The Avon track team racked up three medals at the state meet last year and repeated as sectional champions. Despite the loss of a talented senior class, head coach Dave Teany is confident his team can take another step forward. “Honestly I think we’re probably a little better than last year and we finished 11th in the state,” he said. “I think we’re probably gelling a little better as a team. It’s an individual sport, but we try to emphasize the team concept.” The Orioles will be missing several members that traveled to the state meet, but return two of them – senior Ryan Griesenauer, who ran on the seventh place 4x800 relay team, and senor Shayne Cureton, who finished 13th in the high jump. Cureton was regional runner up in the high jump. Additionally, he won the long jump at county last season and was runner up at sectional and regional. Griesenauer was also a regional qualifier in the 800. Other regional qualifiers returning for Avon include senior Bradley Vivace (shot put) and 4x100 relay team members Malcolm Jones (junior), Darren Oliver (junior), and Jordan Shirrell (sophomore). Teany feels Vivace and junior Robert Dickison will lead the Orioles in throwing events. “Bradley Vivace is already throwing 54-5 indoors, I think he’s going to be very strong for us,” Teany said. “Robby Dickison was pretty good for us and is back in the discus.” Senior pole vaulter Michael Beall also returns to help the Orioles in field events. With about 82 team members – up roughly 20 from last season – and a strong freshmen class, the Orioles are anticipating another solid season. 

 

 Two athletes earned medals at state for Brownsburg last season. Both are back. The Bulldogs are aiming for even more success from high jumper Todd Nibbs and distance runner Scott Vicenzi. Nibbs, a junior, earned county and conference titles in high jump last year, and finished seventh in the event at state. “He’s put on a lot of muscle since last year,” Brownsburg coach Bret Neylon said of Nibbs. “We’re hoping that means higher jumps for him.” Vicenzi, a senior, took both the 1600 and 3200 at county and sectional a year ago. He placed eighth in the 3200 at state. “Scott’s looking real good,” Neylon said. “He’s definitely better than he was last year.” Providing distance depth behind Vicenzi are sophomore Wyatt Rondot and junior Daniel Purdy. Brownsburg figures to be strong in the sprint events. Todd Nibbs, Torrey Nibbs, Charles Torwudzo, and Matt Phillips are expected to contribute in the 100, 200, and 400. In the field, the Bulldogs will be led by a pair of long jumpers — Torwudzo and Blakelynn Green — and pole vaulters — Kurt Darling and Dillon Easley. Brownsburg aims to improve on last year’s runner-up finishes at county and sectional and sixth-place showing at conference. 

 

 Graduation hit the Quakers hard, as Plainfield enters the new season without three of its four state qualifiers from a year ago. The one that does return — senior Andrew Wilhelm — is expected to be a major factor in the 800, 1600, and several relays. “Experience is important because it’s something you can build on,” Plainfield coach Brian Pelkey said. “Last year we had some guys like Andrew who really stepped up.” Experience will lead Plainfield’s distance group. Seniors Jon Wiseman, Grant Collicott, and Dalton Boyer will run the 1600 and 3200. Junior Jordan Brouillard and freshman Robert Weisbach will also compete in those events. Filling some of the holes left in sprints will be a trio of juniors — Joey Cadwell, Jordan Massey, and Tyler Williams. In the field, Plainfield will feature county champion pole vaulter Tyler Cozart, in addition to throwers Massey, Cal Harris, Zach Brickey, and Zach Johnson. “We’d surely like to win county, conference, and sectionals,” Pelkey said. “But I think the favorites in our sectional again will probably be Avon and Brownsburg. The county’s always good.”

 

First-year Danville coach Pat McKenzie inherited a team coming off a Sagamore Conference championship and sees no reason the Warriors can’t accomplish that goal again with plenty of talent returning. “We were able to get conference last year so I think it’s definitely a reasonable goal,” he said. “It’s a really good group of kids and I feel like I have a great set of assistant coaches that are very comfortable with their coaching areas.” Leading the way for Danville will be senior pole vaulter Trent Schaffer who placed 18th in the event at last year’s state meet. Schaffer also won the event at conference and regional. Senior sprinter Justin Gillespie is hoping for an appearance at the state meet this season after just missing out last year. He won the 100 at conference, county and sectional. He was fourth in the event at regional. “His primary goal is to get to the state meet,” McKenzie said. “He barely missed getting there last year, he was fourth and it came down to thousandths of a second.” Gillespie also excelled in the 200, winning the event at conference and placing second at sectional. Danville also returns a pair of top five sectional finishers in senior Kyle Mackey (800) and junior Daniel Haak (1600). Maddison Russell will contribute in distance events and finished 10th in both the 1600 and 3200 last year. Senior Michael Cooprider is expected to help fill the void left by Luke Robinson in the 400. Briar Lillard will return in the shot put. Along with their conference title last season, the Warriors finished fourth at sectional and county and placed 13th at regional. 

 

The Cascade Cadets graduated all three of their regional qualifiers from a season ago, but head coach Steve Harris is optimistic about the group he has this year. Distance events will be a strength for Cascade, as it will feature several members from the school’s regional qualifying cross country team. Harris expects big things out of junior Zach Earhart who recently finished sixth in the 3200 at the Hoosier Relays qualifier. “He’s been working real hard all winter and it’s paying off for him already,” Harris said. “He had a frustrating cross country season in his eyes and has busted his butt ever since.” Incoming freshman Levi Musson placed 12th in the 3200 at the same event and junior Bill Hedley was also a top 25 finisher. Jarrett Settles, Cody Blackburn, Mike Powell, and Brton Feuquay will all contribute in the throwing events this season. Feuquay placed 10 th at sectional in the discus last year. Senior Jordan Younge and junior Jake Stout will both help in sprints. Harris also expects Michael Ferguson, Alex Swinehart, and Archie Purvis to be among this season’s contributors. Cascade will look to improve on its 10th place finish at sectional and fourth place finish in the West Central Conference last season.

 

Tri-West must adjust to a season without its top point-scorer from last year — graduated thrower Jake Allen. Bruins coach Luke Baker is confident several athletes will step up, especially hurdlers Matt Moore and Daniel Hoover. Last season, Moore won the 300 hurdles at conference and was runner-up at sectional and county. Hoover missed most of last season due to injury. “We’d like to get Matt back to state,” Baker said. “He went his sophomore year. One of our strongest events is going to be the hurdles.” Other contributors in hurdles will be junior Nick Haste and freshman Austin Lazaro. Hoover, also a cross country standout, will run the 1600 and 3200. In sprints, the Bruins will look to freshman Chris Williams and senior Collin Alvernaz — who’s entering his first year in track. Baker said thrower Tommy Riggs could score about as many points as the graduated Allen.

 

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