FRANKLIN – Bedford North Lawrence finished second during the Unified track regional on Saturday.
The Stars scored 110 points. Bloomington South won the team title with 115. The top four teams in the regional advanced to the state finals at North Central in Indianapolis on June 7.
“Once again, today’s performance was definitely a team effort,” BNL coach Mike Branam said. “We had a few kids who fell a bit short of what they had hoped for, but then we had others who went out and picked up spots to offset the points lost in other events. Today showed how much of a team effort it takes to do well in this sport.
”Today’s meet was an extremely close one. There were several teams fighting for the top spots to move on. But our kids showed how much heart they have and battled back on the track.”
Winners for BNL included Ellie Matheny (100), Rex Evans (400), Patric Matson (long jump), the boys 400 relay(Trace Walters, Matson, Josh Morales, and Jaxon Donnell), and the girls 400 relay (Tori Logsdon, Ellie Matheny, Alex Nubbie and Sophie Jackson).
”Ellie and Rex, among several others, were able to run personal bests,” Branam said. “Our girls relay team set new season-best marks the last two weeks to win their races, and our boys relay team has been a dependable 10 points all season long.
“I am hopeful that, with another week of practice, we can continue to peak and set even more personal bests and season bests. At this point in the season, every team is good. Every team has a shot at the state title. It is all about the kids’ heart and determination.”
BNL will make its sixth trip to the state finals. The Stars won the state championship in 2022.
