Randy Fife doesn’t use this word often, but he thought it fit perfectly in describing Seymour’s boys track and field season.
The veteran head coach admits he underestimated his team early on in the season, but at the team’s postseason banquet Tuesday evening inside Seymour High School’s auditorium, Fife said it was a “darn good season.”
Darn was the word Fife rarely uses, but he emphatically stated it was a darn good season for the Owls, which featured a sectional championship where they outlasted Jennings County by three points.
Even though track and field is technically listed as an individual sport, Fife was pleased with how his athletes came together as a team this year. Their willingness to do what was best for the team was how the Owls came out on top at sectional.
Then came the time for Fife to hand out individual awards. He brought up Anthony Juarez and Eian Henderson to the stage and commended them for their hard work, never giving up and improving all season. He gave them a three-clap salute, which Fife believes is the best salute for a track athlete.
Earning JV letters for the Owls were Juarez, Henderson, Sam Baker, Aydon Harrell, Marcus Hoyle, Dunigan Huddleston, Lucas Jablonski, Tsubasa Kato, Owen Kruse, Alexander Landes, Benjamin Marks Jr., Sotaro Miyagawa, Carter Morris, Boone Nicholson, Evan Royer, Braxton Smith, Charles Tungate, Cameron Wheeler, Hunter Wick, Andrew Wiggam and Jadrix Zumhingst.
Earning first-year varsity letters were Carter Murphy, Kyler Leslie, Reid Kruse, Collin Hankins, Alexander Franklin, Bryson Darlage, Jude Bane and Preston Applegate.
The two-year varsity letters went to David Juarez, Brandon Kleber and Michael Proffer. The three-year varsity letter athletes, which would’ve been four years if it weren’t for COVID-19, were Elijah Abner, Chandler Drummond, John Ortman, Josh Pennington and Isaac Schafer.
Fife called those seniors the backbone of the team this season.
The outstanding runner award went to Kleber, who advanced to regional in the 3200-meter run. The outstanding athlete award went to Pennington, who advanced to the state finals in the 110-meter hurdles, and the most valuable athlete award went to Drummond, who was the most versatile member of the team this season.
David Juarez and Schafer were academic all-state first team, and Proffer was academic all-state honorable mention.
The boys team wasn’t the only one that had a lot of success this season, either.
Seymour’s girls track and field team also took home the sectional championship, doing so in dominating fashion.
Head coach Spencer Sunbury had expectations for how many points his team could put up at the sectional, and the girls blew his expectations out of the water. Seymour won the sectional by 70.5 points.
Earning JV letters for the girls were Alyson East, Meghan Gross, Jenifer Hankins, Olivia Hendrix, Isabel Maschino, Trina McDonald, Nicole Rebber, Caitlin Thomasma, Alexandria Woodward and Aleigha Zike.
Sunbury was very impressed by how many first-year varsity letters he gave out as the Owls had 19. Those were Alexandra Born, Kate Connell, Hannah Dart, Katie Deppen, Emilee East, Maria Valle Garcia, Ashlyn Henderson, Celeste Huddleston, Samantha Jacobi, Addison Lemon, Grace Lewis, Miracle Marks, Micah Maschino, Sydney Montgomery, Jaidyn Nichols, Vivienne Siefker Kiley Sons, Brooke Trinkle and McKenzie Wirtz.
Earning second-year varsity letters were Hayley Harpe and Lillian Sunbury.
Like the senior boys, coach Sunbury said the three-year varsity letter receivers would’ve been four years if not for COVID-19, and those girls were Kaleigh Maschino, Jamya Miller and Lara Skaggs.
All-conference honorable mention went to Trinkle, Siefker, Jacobi and Lillian Sunbury for their second place finish in the 4×800 at conference.
The middle distance award went to Harpe, who won the 400 at sectional. The sprinter award went to Kaleigh Maschino, the field event award went to Skaggs and the MVP went to Trinkle, who was the lone state qualifier for the Owls in the 1600-meter run.
Jacobi and Deppen earned academic all-state.