LC comes up short, but still shines

BLOOMINGTON -- There were no delusions of grandeur. No false hopes. No unrealistic goals.

Ron Fredrick made sure his team was firmly grounded in reality before Lake Central boarded the bus for the 36th annual Girls Track and Field State Finals at Indiana University's Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex on Saturday.

State title hopefuls before the season, the Indians knew that goal was dashed when they failed to advance three pole vaulters and all three relay teams to Bloomington.

So following the Chesterton Regional, Fredrick gave his veteran team a new goal: a program-best finish.

But that quickly became a naive

Both were state-title hopefuls.

At the end of the day, the Indians settled for a 10th-place team finish -- followed closely by Munster (12th), Valparaiso (13th) and Merrillville (13th) -- a year after taking seventh to set a new program best.

While it wasn't quite the finish the Indians had hoped for, there was still plenty to be proud of. Starting with the performance of Megan Plenus. The junior has two herniated discs in her back, which limited the amount of time she could spend on the track this season.

Little wonder, then, that Plenus was moved to tears after placing second in the 800.

"I wasn't expecting that at all," she said. "I've had a lot of setbacks since cross country season."

Plenus also anchored the 1,600 relay, which took eighth and helped LC get into the top 10 overall. She also anchored the 3,200 relay. But by the time she got the baton, after Rachel Zajac fell while running the opening leg, LC had no hope of catching the leaders.

"But we still got fifth place," Plenus said. "That's still pretty darn good for falling."

After taking sixth as a sophomore and fourth as a junior, Markiewicz had hoped for a top three finish. But finishing seventh wasn't a total disappointment. "Just to come down to state for the third time, I was really happy with it," she said.

No longer a spectator

As a freshman, Taylor Rose made a trip to Bloomington ... as a spectator.

"I came down freshman year just to watch," she said. "I knew I wanted to be out there. It's nice to finally make it down here."

Rose made the most of her first trip to state, clearing 11-3, setting a personal best and placing fourth in the pole vault.

"I'm really still in shock that I got an 11-3," she said. "I've been jumping well in practice, but it doesn't count until you're here."

Freeman fights injury, illness

Shin splints have plagued Munster hurdler Whitney Freeman all season. As if that weren't enough to contend with at the state meet, Freeman also came down with strep throat.

She still managed to place third in the 100 hurdles and fourth in the 300 hurdles.

"My legs have been bothering me all year," she said. "They played a major part in my performance in the 300 hurdles."

Hostile running

A fleet-footed distance runner, Michigan City's Mary Kate Mellen used a strong kick in the final lap to place third in the 1,600. But first she had to survive the initial two laps of close-quarters running.

"There was a little elbowing and spiking and getting stepped on," she said, "but I never got boxed in."

Other local state medalists

LaPorte's Brittany Coburn placed ninth in the discus, Munster's 3,200 relay placed sixth and West Side's 400 relay placed ninth.