Seymour’s Brooke Trinkle, center, runs in the 800 during the track regional in May at Bloomington High School North. Trinkle has been named The Tribune’s Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year.
Tribune file photo
Seymour’s Brooke Trinkle, right, comes out of the turn on the first lap of 1600 during the track and field sectional in May at Seymour High School. Trinkle has been named The Tribune’s Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year.
Tribune file photo
Seymour’s Brooke Trinkle holds the lead in the 1600-meter run this past spring against Columbus East. Trinkle has been named The Tribune’s Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year.
Tribune file photo
Brooke Trinkle saved her best race for her last race of the 2022 track and field season.
After getting to the IHSAA state finals for the second straight season in the 1600-meter run, Trinkle ran a season-best time of 5:16.39 to place 17th overall when she was seeded 20th before the race.
Trinkle also qualified for state in the 4×800 relay along with Hayley Harpe, Samantha Jacobi and Vivienne Siefker. The Owls ran a PR in that event, as well, going 9:47.65 to place 16th overall when they were seeded 21st.
Due to Trinkle’s success on the oval this past spring, she has been named The Tribune’s Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year.
“That was amazing,” Trinkle said after racing in the state meet. “To PR on our last meet at state, then having our two seniors (Harpe and Jacobi), it was a really good feeling.”
With it being her second time at the state meet earlier this month, Trinkle was more comfortable, especially because this year, she had her teammates with her in the 4×800.
For the mile, she knew not to get boxed in like the previous year, which she said helped her get off to a better start and have a better race.
“Coming into it, I wasn’t as nervous because I had my teammates,” she said. “I just kept making moves on my last lap and just sprinted out the final 100. Last year, I definitely got boxed in. So this year, in my head, I just wanted to get a really fast start and settle into my pace. I think it really helped a lot.”
In her path to the state finals, Trinkle had a dominating performance at sectional May 17.
She was part of the winning 4×800 team to start the meet. She then won the 1600 in 5:27.80, followed that by winning the 800 in 2:23.90 and then was part of the winning 4×400 team to close out the meet. Seymour won sectional as a team.
“Very excited,” Trinkle said after the meet. “To win sectional two times in a row is definitely amazing. It’s such a great feeling.”
The solo 800 was something new that Trinkle raced in the postseason. She wasn’t sure about it at first, but she was happy to be the sectional champ in that event.
At regional, Trinkle and the 4×800 squad started out with a second-place finish to qualify for the state meet in 9:50.66.
Then Trinkle, who was the defending regional champion in the mile, wound up placing third with a time of 5:18.01.
“It feels amazing,” she said after qualifying. “I can’t believe it.”
The soon-to-be-senior hopes to make it a third straight year getting to the state finals next year. She said she hopes to do it in the mile again, but any other event would be an additional bonus.
But before focusing on her next track season, Trinkle will have her hands full with soccer in the fall and basketball in the winter.
Remaining members on the girls track and field all-county team:
Hayley Harpe, Seymour, Sr.: state qualifier in 4×800, regional qualifier in 400 and 4×400, sectional champion
Samantha Jacobi, Seymour, Sr.: state qualifier in 4×800, regional qualifier in 800, sectional champion
Vivienne Siefker, Seymour, So.: state qualifier in 4×800, regional qualifier in 3200, sectional champion
Kinsley Folsom, Seymour, Jr.: regional qualifier in 3200
Hannah Dart, Seymour, So.: regional qualifier in shot put and discus
Kate Connell, Seymour, Jr.: regional qualifier in pole vault
Camryn Thompson, Brownstown Central, Jr.: regional qualifier in 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles, 4×100, 4×400; conference champ in 100 hurdles
Paige McKain, Brownstown Central, Sr.: regional qualifier in 1600
Addie Shelton, Brownstown Central, Sr.: regional qualifier in shot put
Jazz Yeadon, Brownstown Central, Sr.: regional qualifier in 4×100, 4×400
Maddy Schepman, Brownstown Central, Jr.: regional qualifier in 4×100, 4×400
Noe McPherson, Brownstown Central, Fr.: regional qualifier in 4×100, 4×400
Kennadi Lakins, Crothersville, Sr.: regional qualifier in long jump and high jump
Ella Plasse, Crothersville, Sr.: fifth-place finish in 1600 at sectional, also ran 3200 during season
Kaylyn Holman, Crothersville, Sr.: top distance runner for Tigers, ran 1600, 800, 3200
Emalee Goss, Trinity Lutheran, Fr.: regional qualifier in high jump