Post-Tribune

 

By David Robb

 

ST. JOHN -- Ericka Markiewicz was mere months removed from tearing her MCL. Complicating matters, the Lake Central standout fell sick the day of last year's girls track and field state finals.

She still took fourth in the pole vault. Her classmate, Gianna Mirabelli, took third in the vault a year after fracturing her L5 vertebrae. Her team took seventh, the program's best-ever finish, despite a roster made up of mostly underclassmen.

Makes you wonder what the Indians, with Markiewicz and Mirabelli leading the way, are capable of this year.

"I want to go 13 (feet) or higher this year," said Mirabelli, who cleared 12 feet in last year's finals. "And I also want to win state."

"Me too," said Markiewicz, who cleared 11 feet, 9 inches.

Both are realistic goals. Just as it's reasonable to think Lake Central can compete for a team title.

The Indians, winners of 17 consecutive sectional titles, have long had one of the region's premier programs. But even by their standards of excellence, the talent, depth and experience on this year's team is staggering.

The Indians return 18 of the 20 athletes that made it to state last year. They are exceptionally strong in the distance events and the vault.

"We want to do really well at state, win it if possible," Mirabelli said. "And with all the talent coming up, we want to lead them in a positive way."

Mirabelli and Markiewicz have already set the bar high for this their senior season. During the indoor season, Mirabelli cleared 11-6 and Markiewicz cleared 11. Both vaults surpassed the postseason automatic qualifying height.

"I would guess there's not more than two other people at that height at this point in the season in the state of Indiana," Lake Central coach Ron Fredrick said last month. "I think all three of them expect to do better this year. They're all feet above where they were (at this point) last year."

Yes, there's a third vaulter Fredrick expects to qualify for state. That would be Ericka's younger sister, Alyssa Markiewicz, who cleared 11-1 last year but missed the IHSAA's automatic qualifying deadline by a day.

Between those three, you'd be hard-pressed to find a team with a better group of vaulters in the state. Or a more competitive practice environment.

"They're going to be among each other's stiffest competition this year," Fredrick said. "So they push each other."

Ever the competitor, Mirabelli still sprinted as a sophomore even after being diagnosed with a broken back -- the gradual result of several years of vaulting, gymnastics and cheerleading -- right before the season. But she couldn't vault.

"Not being able to compete was a huge motivation for going to state junior year," she said.

Ericka Markiewicz's motivation was getting back to Bloomington after finishing sixth in the vault as a sophomore.

"Just being able to go again was really cool," she said.

For Markiewicz, Mirabelli and a host of teammates, getting back to state is all but a foregone conclusion. The goal this year is to bring back more hardware than they did a year ago.