Carmel’s Sadie Foley (left) and Gabriela Grande Rosas (right) were key runners on the Greyhounds’ state champion track and field team last season. Both are back for their senior seasons. (Photos provided)
By RICHIE HALL
The Carmel girls track and field team would like to see history repeat itself this season.
The Greyhounds broke a 26-year drought by winning the IHSAA team state championship last year. Carmel’s previous state title came in 1999, which was a defense of its first-ever state title in 1998.
Can the Greyhounds repeat this year? They do have several members back from last season, including several solid seniors and juniors that have been varsity runners for years.
“We’re excited,” said McRill. “We got to find some points, but we got some great things to work with. I know repeating is super hard, especially in track. Winning in track is hard, but we’re going to best to see if we can do it.”
The Greyhounds are also coming off a cross country state championship this past fall, with some of those runners making an impact in both sports.
Senior Sadie Foley, an Indiana University recruit, placed fifth in the 1600 run and was a part of the Hounds’ runner-up 4×800 and 4×400 relays. She finished third in the state cross country meet last November.
Foley’s three other fellow 4×800 runners are also returning for the Greyhounds. Kaitlyn Oshimura is a senior, while Larkin Taylor and Annabelle Pollert are both juniors.
Taylor placed fourth in the open 800 run at state last year, while Pollert finished third in the 3200 run. Both were also All-State honorees for cross country, with Taylor taking 10th at state and Pollert finishing 23rd.
Another returning senior is Gabriela Grande Rosas. At last year’s state meet, she was on the runner-up 4×400 relay and the only junior on Carmel’s third-place 4×100 relay team. Grande Rosas also qualified for state in the open 400, placing 15th.
“Her personality is fantastic,” said McRill. “Always upbeat, always excited about the meets, always wants to compete, always has a smile, which is fantastic. The great thing about her is, between practice time and then, she works very, very hard and leads by example more than anything.”
A key contributor in the field events is sophomore Amaya Holder. As a freshman, Holder qualified for state in the discus, where she placed 15th. Holder was one of only two freshmen to reach the state finals last year.
Livi Miller and Kate Hammond, both juniors, have shown improvement in the pole vault. Both advanced to the regional last year, with Hammond clearing 10 feet and Miller clearing 9 feet, 6 inches. McRill said both girls vaulted 10 feet, 6 inches over the summer, “so we’re excited about that.”
Freshman Molly Foley (Sadie’s sister) is a potential new star. McRill said Molly Foley ran the open 800 in 2:19 as an eighth-grader.
“She could be a contributor, if not in the open [800, then] in the 4×8 or 4×4,” said McRill.
The Greyhounds began their season at Indiana Wesleyan University for the Hoosier State Relays Qualifier #2, which took place Saturday, March 7. Carmel swept four relays at the meet.
Grande Rosas and Miller teamed with sophomores Kalinda Lee and Jenna Harris to win the 4×200 relay in 1:47.52. Harris is the sister of Kelsey and Haley Harris, who were track and cross country stars for the Greyhounds, graduating in 2015.
Carmel won the 4×400 relay; the team of Miller, Molly Foley, Oshimura and Grande Rosas finishing that race in 4:01.02.
The Greyhounds were victorious in the 4×800 relay; Sadie Foley, Oshimura, Anna Yoon and Halle clocked in at 9:15.89. Yoon was part of the cross country team.
Finally, Carmel claimed the distance medley relay after Sadie Foley, Grande Rosas, Oshimura and Margo Halle finished in 12:02.40. Halle, another runner on the cross country team, also won the 3200 run in 11:09.70.
The Hounds return to IWU this Saturday for the HSR Qualifier #3. Another qualifier takes place March 21 at Brownsburg before the Hoosier State Relays meet on March 28 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Carmel’s first outdoor meet takes place on April 14 at Ben Davis.
