INDIANAPOLIS — Before they were announced as the back-to-back state champions, the Carmel girls track and field team formed a huddle on the infield at North Central on Friday.
The Greyhounds were basking the moment and letting their state title victory sink in. When they were proclaimed state champions, each member of the team broke the circle and jumped into the middle out of joy.
Carmel had secured its second consecutive outdoor state track and field title. It’s the second season in a row where they clinched state titles in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track.
“Honestly, we were just already celebrating before they even announced it, just taking it all in,” said Carmel senior Sadie Foley. “For the seniors, it’s the last one and really just enjoying the moment (and) living in it. This doesn’t happen very often, it’s really special.”
With the state trophy centered in frame, the Greyhounds sat on the state podium and posed for a group photo. A year removed from clinching their first state title since 1999, the Greyhounds basked in championship glory again on Friday.
They did not need to wait another two decades to collect more championship gold. The Greyhounds posted 49.5 team points with a gap between second-place Bloomington South (35) and third-place Whiteland (33).
The base of Carmel’s state title win was the discus throw. Carmel junior Ellie Cooley placed eighth (138-7) in the event. The dominoes started to fall into place for Carmel after Cooley turned in early points. Kate Hammond took home seventh place (11-3) in the pole vault.
“Honestly, I think the way our field events started kind of set the tone because they were already in motion and doing well,” said Carmel coach Aaron McRill. “Kate Hammond PR’d today and she cleared her first three heights (in the pole vault), no problem.”
The Greyhounds also counted on their distance runners for points.
Holding a comfortable lead in the 4×800-meter relay, Carmel anchor runner Larkin Taylor threw her hands up in victory as she crossed the finish line.
The Greyhounds set a new state meet record in the first running event of the day: the 4×800-meter relay. The quartet of Taylor, Foley, Annabel Pollert and Kaitlyn Oshimura clocked in a time of 8:49.46, which was the third-best in the country. That time dethroned Bloomington South’s old record of 8:51.35, which was set last season.
Taylor, who ran anchor leg, crossed the finish line with about a 10-second lead over the Panthers (9:01.93), who entered Friday as the defending state champions.
It was Carmel’s first 4×800 win since the 2021 season.
“We didn’t know if this was a possibility this year — we lost a lot of good sprinters last year,” Taylor said. “We’ve been second the past two years in the 4×800, so getting the win was definitely exciting and the state record (too)”
Foley and Taylor were a two-punch combo in the individual races. Foley earned second place (4:49.51) in the 1600 meters, while Taylor placed third (4:51.47) behind her.
“That was the most exciting moment ever,” Foley said. “Larkin is one of my best friends and we train together all year. We knew we could do it but I didn’t think we actually expected it to happen, so to the fact that it did, it was so cool.”
Individually, Oshimura also placed third (2:10.69) in the 800 meters. Senior Gabriela Grande Rosas rounded out the top-five in the 400-meter run.
Carmel is the first girls’ track team to win back-to-back state titles since Warren Central did it in 2016 and 2017. The Greyhounds etched their name deeper into the state record book with a complete team effort.
“We knew we had to rely on our distance kids a little more this yearn than last year, but again we do the same thing that we always do: a full team effort,” McRill said. “So really we’re just winning as a team, not just one individual or anything like that.
“We’re not counting on one person to score 30 points. We’re trying to get them from everybody, and they all buy into that.”
Mallory Weller repeats as state champion in 1600 and 3200 meters
On Friday, the crowd at North Central witnessed the excellence of Mallory Weller. The Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran senior swept the 1,600 and 3,200 meter run for the second consecutive season.
The North Carolina State commit clocked in a time of 4:46.34 in the 1,600 meters. She also ran a 10:18.66 in the 3,200 meters.
Weller sustained greatness. The challenge of winning over and over didn’t break her. She added one more gold to her collection.
“Going in was to get my titles back from last year and to get place first in both again. I think I executed that well,” Weller said. “At the bigger meets like this, it’s more of getting the place over the time, so I was really just focused on racing, matching moves when girls made their move, and that was really fun to do because … I run alone a lot so to have people is really fun.”
Weller flashed her confidence on the oval. Her regional time of 4:33.77 fueled her self-belief entering the state meet. Come Friday, the sectional and regional champion completed her postseason trifecta with two state titles.
On a day when Weller competed in her final high school meet, she said she wanted to be remembered for her kind soul rather than her fast times.
“I just want people to look at me as a really positive and fun runner,” Weller said. “That I’m not overly stressed but I’m just having fun with my competitors and my teammates. Hopefully, just see me as a nice girl that can also happen to run fast. I know my times are going to get beat eventually down the line. I mean, it’s inevitable, but I really just hope I leave my legacy of just being a really fun and positive girl.”
HSE brings home individual and relay titles
The Royals placed fifth in the team race, but they still got winning production from junior Anissa Lammie, who clinched her first solo state title in the 400-meter dash. Lammie, the sectional and regional champion, ran a time of 54.32. She edged out Hamilton heights junior Norah Reiger (55.25) and Mt. Vernon sophomore Kat Simmons (55.33).
“I just feel like you’ve got to finish all the way to the finish,” Lammie said. “The race is never over, and even if you’re far behind, you can still come back.”
Lammie ran second leg for the HSE 4×400-meter relay team that repeated as state champions. The quartet of Lammie, Cianna Cunningham, Kaleah McCarter and Chloe Senefeld ran a 3:47.29 to clinch gold.
“It just feels amazing,” Lammie said. “We’ve worked so hard, we’ve had some setbacks today and our team hasn’t performed exactly how we wanted to, so we all just figured this is our last race. One of the girls on our team is a senior, so it was just really special … and we really deserve it, so we just wanted to go out there and give it our best shot.”
Ellie Barada repeats as 800 champion
Barada, a two-time national champion, successfully defended her 800-meter state title. The North Carolina recruit clocked in a time of 2:05.33 on Friday, which was better than the 2:07.30 that she posted last season.
The Bloomington South senior came close to the state meet record of 2:04.95.
“I’ve been looking forward to coming back out here, trying to defend my state title,” Barada said. “I got to run in my 4×800 before this (800) earlier tonight and that’s really awesome. My last run with that team, so I really love those girls … They’re my hype women, so they gave me the confidence to come out here today and win another state title.”
In her final high school relay event, Barada ran anchor leg for the second-place 4×800-meter relay. The Panthers ran a time of 9:01.93 with Barada, Lexi Kollbaum, Mary Asplund and Jasmine Martoglio in the lineup.
That runner-up finish was a great prelude to what Barada cooked up in the 800 meters. It was a state title victory that she hopes will power a strong run at the Nike Outdoor Nationals and USATF U20 Outdoor Championships later this month.
“I was really going for it and I’m happy with what I was able to do by myself,” Barada said. “I think it sets me up nicely for some of my races later on this summer.”
IHSAA girls track and field state meet results
Team scores (1-8)
1. Carmel, 49.5 points
2. Bloomington South, 35 points
3. Whiteland, 33 points
4. Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran, 29 points
5. Hamilton Southeastern, 28 points
6. North Central, 22 points
7. Bishop Chatard, 21 points
8. Merrillville, 20 points
t-8. Lawrence Central, 20 points
t-8. Lake Central, 20 points
Event winners
*state meet record
• 100: Chesterton’s Kenedi Bradley, 11.94
• 200: De’Janay Layne, Evansville North, 24.30
• 400: Hamilton Southeastern’s Anissa Lammie 54.32
• 800: Bloomington South’s Ellie Barada, 2:05.33
• 1600: Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran senior Mallory Weller, 4:46.34
• 3200: Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran senior Mallory Weller, 10:18.66
• 110 hurdles: Merrillville’s Jordyn Fort, 13.86
• 300 hurdles: Eastern Hancock’s Isabella Sotelo, 41.49
• 4×100 relay: Lawrence Central’s Jariah Rayford, Aniyah McKenzie, Aniya Pinner, Jakiya Alvies, 46.37
• 4×400 relay: Hamilton Southeastern’s Cianna Cunningham, Anissa Lammie, Kaleah McCarter, Chloe Senefeld
• 4×800 relay: *Carmel’s Annabel Pollert, Sadie Foley, Kaitlyn Oshimura, Larkin Taylor, *8:49.46
• Pole vault: Guerin Catholic’s Amelia Smith, 13-00
• Long jump: Whiteland Community’s Elnora Stevenson, 19-07.25
• Discus: Franklin Community’s Maddison Judge, 152-08
• High jump: Warren Central’s Kira Smith, 5-10.00
• Shot put: Western’s Ellyse Walden, 47-08.50
Marc Ray is a high school sports reporter at the IndyStar. He can be reached at marc.ray@indystar.com , and on X, formerly Twitter, at @themarcszn.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Results, state champions from Indiana high school girls state track and field
About the Author
