Noblesville High School track and field coach James Pearce knew his team was determined.
“When we were taking individual photos with the runner-up trophy last year, the kids were all saying, ‘Coach Pearce, we have so many people back next year, we’re going to win next year.’ They were all set on that goal all year long,” Pearce said. “We had to make up for losing Kiana Siefert, who graduated last year and scored almost a third of our team points all year and was an Indiana All-Star. I think what was more amazing for us this year was the depth we built in all areas of our team.”
The Millers finished with 45 points, one more than Warren Central June 3 in the IHSAA girls track and field state finals in Bloomington.
“We knew going into the meet that the score would be close,” Pearce said. “Carmel and Warren Central could really score points, and then Bloomington North, Center Grove and Brownsburg had some excellent athletes who could score highly. We always talk about every last point, every last fraction of a second, competing for the team. Another key was that we use the phrase, ‘Let’s just go out and do what we do and have fun.’ It’s all about confidence and knowing the team will always be there to support you if your own day was a bit off.”
Junior Hannah Alexander won the discus and placed third in the shot put.
“Hannah’s first throw in discus was not her best, for sure, but she has this ability to just relax and move on to the next throw,” Pearce said. “She’s so competitive yet relaxed while she competes. She never really presses. I think if (2022 state champion) Hadley Lucas of Bloomington North had passed her, (Alexander would) have thrown well enough on the last throw to win. In shot put, she told us before we got on the bus she wasn’t going to finish where she was seeded (ninth). She barely scraped into the finals in 10th place, then moved up to seventh. Before her last throw, she just needed a foot or so to place fourth, so she went out and got third. Just the kind of competitor she is.”
Senior Malina Miller placed second in the high jump at 5 feet, 9 inches.
“Malina has improved significantly this year,” Pearce said. “She went 5-7 last year and 5-10 this year. Three inches seems so small, but at those heights, it is hard to improve. Five-10 is up there. She’s going to be an excellent jumper at Ball State next year. Coach Bill Craig, our high jump coach, and I both think she’ll evolve into an Olympic Trials jumper in college.”
Junior Delaney Teachnor placed fourth in the pole vault with a height of 12 feet, which was just six inches off her personal best.
Senior Paige Hazelrigg was sixth in the 1,600-meter run and junior Summer Rempe was sixth in the 800.
Rempe, sophomores Riley Flynn, Brinkley Cooper and freshman Ansley Applegate placed fourth in the 3,200 relay.
Pearce said the future looks bright.
“It may have been the strongest JV team we’ve ever had,” he said. “With our kids returning next year and our incoming kids, we’ll have a deep, strong lineup going forward. I’m really excited about these kids who are really going to do well as a group.”
