By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – Isaac Newton, ancient math genius, is credited for a law of motion that has stood for almost 350 years. His Second Law states, in calculating the force necessary to move an object, mass is multiplied by acceleration.
Apply that equation to track. Bedford North Lawrence’s stud throwers are tossing around weight (3.53 pounds for the discus, 12 pounds for the shot put). The Stars hope to accelerate from the throwing pits and generate the energy for a trip to the IHSAA state finals.
With strength in the marquee field events, BNL will look to defend its sectional championship when the postseason begins in May. Winning the team title requires a lot of depth, with 16 events on the scorecard, and talent. With 38 athletes on the roster, it becomes a numbers game.
BNL will count on power with Tripp Stahl (the sectional champion in the shot put) and Orion Hill (a regional competitor in the discus) as the foundation for points. Stahl, on his way to UIndy, is already pushing the shot in the 54-foot range, while Hill is primed for a big fling in the discus after missing a state meet invitation by less than four feet last season.
“Tripp’s goal is the state finals, and that’s Orion’s goal as well,” BNL coach Brett Deckard said. “They’ve both improved.”
In speed events, BNL will count on contributions from seniors Luke Morris (hurdles) and Driven Axsom (relays), while Malakai Goodman will be a frontrunner in the sprints. Ben Conner will tackle the tough middle distances, while Eli McFarland will be a key competitor in the distances.
While the Stars have some noticeable holes to fill (especially in the high jump and pole vault), the excitement level from last year’s team title (the sixth in program history and the first since 2019) has carried over. The Stars have not won back-to-back crowns since 1992-93.
“With the upperclassmen, the momentum has carried over,” Deckard said. “They think we can do it again. But we have to pick up some slack in some places, because we lost some really good seniors.
“We didn’t do it by winning events, we did it by placing two in every event. That’s what we have to do this year. If we can score in every event, we’ll be competitive again.”
BNL will open the season on April 2 in a home meet with Mitchell, Barr-Reeve and Orleans.
