State Champs: The Chesterton girls 3,200 Relay team shattered the state record in running a 9:03.77 Saturday afternoon to win the IHSAA State title. The time was less than five seconds away from the national record. Pictured are, front row (l to r) Sarah Kehe and Ali Bishel. Standing behind are (l to r) Kelly Peller and Allyson Harvey.

 (Tribune photo TR Harlan)

By TR HARLAN

When something gets taken away from you, getting it back can be a sweet reward. The Chesterton girls 3,200 Relay team can explain it to you.

The Trojans finished fifth overall with 29 points and picked up a state championship in the 3,200 Relay at the IHSAA State Finals Friday night at Indiana University in Bloomington.

The Chesterton quartet of Allyson Harvey, Kelly Peller, Ali Bishel and Sarah Kehe put the state on notice right out of the gate with a State Finals record of 9:03.77 in picking up a win in the 3,200 Relay. It was five seconds better than the record set by Northridge last year and five seconds away from the national record.

“It was awesome,” Bishel said. “There really are no other words to describe it.”

Harvey led off the race with a 2:19 leg that put the Trojans in third place as eventual 1,600 state champion Lauren Hardesty of Valparaiso set the pace. It was Harvey’s first sub-2:20 of the season.

“It’s hard to put an exclamation point on the meet at the beginning, but they did,” Chesterton head coach Steve Kearney said. “They knew they were in the realm of that possibility even though we didn’t talk about it.”

Peller took the baton in the second leg, and like she has all year, used a fantastic kick in the final 100 meters to put the Trojans in first place.

“It was fun,” Peller said. “To run in the 4x800 today was just amazing.”

Bishel took the baton and effectively ended the race with an unbelievable 2:13 leg.

“I didn’t know how fast I was running,” Bishel said. “Sometimes its easier to run from behind, but I was scared. I didn’t want anyone to catch me. That was my motivation for running fast.”

When Kehe took the baton, the only thing in doubt was the record.

“Apparently we were supposed to save something for our other races in the 3,200, but I definitely didn’t do that,” Kehe said. “I ran as hard as I could just like everyone else did and we had an unbelievable race.”

“The total time surprised me,” Kearney said. “But when I looked at their splits, I can tell you they all are capable of doing that.”

The Trojan also set school records in picking up an eighth place medal in the 4x400 and finishing 12th in the 4x100.

“I don’t think we’ve ever placed in the 4x400 at the state meet,” Peller said after anchoring. “It’s great. A great ending to an excellent year.”

For Kehe, the 4x400 was her fourth medal of the day and 20th of her career.

“I wanted to leave the meet with a medal,” Kehe said. “We’ve worked so hard in the mile relay to get here.”

The 4x100 also set a school record with the quartet of freshman Bailey Huddleston, sophomores Katie McColly and Becky Lewis and junior Lena Raffin.

“We had a lot of young kids get down here and get a taste of what it’s like,” Kearney said. “Our biggest breakthrough was Bailey Huddleston in the 4x100. I’m positive she ran a 12.99 leading off.”

McColly also finished fifth in the long jump, while senior teammate Jessica Pesut finished 11th.

“Katie did a good job in the long jump to get a medal,” Kearney said. “You see that and those are steps down the road to where you want to be.”

Kehe finished fifth in the 800 and in the mile, but pointed back to the 3,200 Relay as part of the reason.

“I felt like my mile suffered a little bit,” Kehe said. “I had to take one race at a time just like everyone else did. It was a beautiful day.”

Bishel was the other points scorer for the Trojans with an eighth place finish in the 1,600.

“Sarah, Kelly and Ali might have placed higher if we didn’t run that fast (in the 3,200 Relay),” Kearney said. “You can’t reign them in though. You just have to let them run.

“We weren’t going to win the overall state title anyway.”

Other competitors for the Trojans were Jessica Pesut (11th in the long jump), Sagan Newham (18th in the discus) and Ashley Fozkos (27th in the pole vault).

“We had a super effort by everybody,” Kearney said. “I’m really happy for Jessica (Pesut) and Sagan (Newham).”

The fifth place finish matched the best-ever finish by the Trojans and their 29 points was the most in school history.

“We scored so much more than last year,” Kehe said. “We had more people in more events and it’s so nice to give that back to our coaches. They deserve to have a team that does well at the state finals.”

Team Results

1. Warren Central, 47; 2. tie, Ft. Wayne Northrop and Muncie Central, 41; 4. Ben Davis, 40; 5. Chesterton, 29; 6. Lawrence North, 24; 7. Pike, 23; 8. tie, Lowell, Valparaiso and North Central, 21.

Individual Results

3200 Relay—1. Chesterton (Allyson Harvey, Kelly Peller, Ali Bishel, Sarah Kehe), 9:03.77 (MEET RECORD); 2. Northridge, 9:17.60; 3. Valparaiso, 9:18.98.

100—1. Tamara Adams (Ft. Wayne Northrop), 11.85; 2. Candyce McGrone (Warren Central), 11.95; 3. Falana Mason (Pike),12.17.

100 Hurdles—1. Tamara Adams (Ft. Wayne Northrop), 13.94; 2. Vanneisha Ivy (Muncie Central), 13.96; 3. Katie Johnson (Laf. Harrison), 14.05.

200—1. Candyce McGrone (Warren Central), 24.36; 2. Nikki Smith (Muncie Central), 25.17; 3. Joy Summers (Indpls. Arlington), 25.29.

1600—1. Lauren Hardesty (Valparaiso), 4:56.48; 2. Alex Banfich (Culver Academy), 4:58.03; 3. Kristine Krasich (Westfield), 4:58.76; 5. Sarah Kehe (C), 5:03.29; 8. Ali Bishel (C), 5:04.63.

400 Relay—1. Warren Central, 46.72; 2. Ben Davis, 47.35; 3. Indpls. Bishop Chatard, 48.04; 12. Chesterton (Bailey Huddleston, Lena Raffin, Becky Lewis, Katie McColly), 48.89 (SCHOOL RECORD).

400—1. Hannah Farley (Park Tudor), 55.24; 2. Kandise Thompson (Ben Davis), 55.61; 3. Ashley Caldwell (Indpls. North Central), 55.66; 24. Kelly Peller (C), 1:00.51.

300 Hur—1. Vanneisha Ivy (Muncie Central), 42.67; 2. Margaret Harris (SB Riley), 43.17; 3. Erica Moore (Sullivan), 43.55.

800—1. Kathy Klump (South Dearborn), 2:11.15; 2. Mary Catherine Quiett (Mishawaka Marian), 2:13.73; 3. Allison Malone (Rensselaer), 2:14.57; 5. Sarah Kehe (C), 2:15.12.

3200—1. Alex Banfich (Culver Academy), 10:47.20; 2. Kelsey Nielsen (Bremen), 10:51.81; 3. Amy Hamilton (Terre Haute North), 10:55.10; 26. Malorie Crafton (C), 11:55.38.

1600 Relay—1. Warren Central, 3:52.471; 2. Indpls. North Central, 3:52.478; 3. Ben Davis, 3:52.51; 8. Chesterton (Ali Bishel, Lena Raffin, Sarah Kehe, Kelly Peller), 3:57.97 (SCHOOL RECORD).

High Jump—1. Emily Breslin (Indpls. Cathedral), 5-6; 2. Kristen Mathews (Griffith), 5-6; 3. Chennelle Martin (Ben Davis), 5-6.

Long Jump—1. Erynn Young (Muncie Central), 19-2 1/4; 2. Leah Eber (Columbia City), 18-2 3/4; 3. Kim Lienhoop (LaPorte), 18-1; 5. Katie McColly (C), 17-8 1/4; 11. Jessica Pesut (C), 16-10 1/4.

Discus—1. Sabrina Johnson (Jeffersonville), 141-2; 2. Rachel Deloney (Bloomington North), 140-8; 3. Courtney Kuzmicz (Frankfort), 138-5; 18. Sagan Newham (C), 116-0.

Shot Put—1. Rachel Thiel (Lowell), 45-3 1/4; 2. D’Ana McCarty (Indpls. Pike), 45-2; 3. Faith Sherrill (Ft. Wayne Northrop), 44-10 3/4.

Pole Vault—1. Katie Veith (Homestead) 13-6; 2. Stephanie Chin (Bloomington South), 12-0; 3. Abby Kimball (Ft. Wayne Carroll), 12-0; 27. Ashley Fozkos (C), NH.

Posted 6/5/2006