New Palestine junior Rylee Hurst is a two-time HHC champion in the 400-meter dash.
The Daily Reporter File Photo
NEW PALESTINE — It’s nice to do well at the beginning of the season, but the New Palestine girls track and field team has its sight set on the month of May.
“The very first thing we talk about as a coaching staff is what are we going to do at conference. The county, conference and sectional part of the year is where we put all of our energy in,” New Palestine head coach Eric Branch said. “Our girls, the last few years, the progress we’ve made, we’re shooting to be a conference champion every year.”
A year ago, the Dragons were second by just 3.5 points to rival Mt. Vernon in the Hoosier Heritage Conference meet. They were runner-up to the Marauders by only 12 points at the Hancock County meet.
The Dragons won the conference title in 2022 and took three consecutive crowns from 2017-19 prior to the cancellation of the spring sports season in 2020 due to COVID-19.
Junior Rylee Hurst returns as one of the area’s top 400-meter dash runners. She won the Warren Central Sectional with a time of 59.76 seconds and is a two-time HHC champ, as well as the defending county champion in the event.
“We know we’ll have big year from her,” Branch said. “She’s a junior now so she has upperclassman status after already having two great years. She likes the 400 and anything below it she does a great job with, too.”
Sophomore Abby Journay is a top high jumper and will add depth with Hurst on sprints and sprint relays.
Journay has qualified for the indoor state championships on March 23 in Indianapolis after clearing a personal best 5-feet, 2-inches in the high jump. She just missed out qualifying for last year’s outdoor state finals, finishing fifth — the top three advance — at 5-1.
The team has some talented seniors that have also succeeded in big meets to go with Hurst and Journay, too.
Becca Johnson and Ezra Wagner are experienced pole vaulters. Johnson finished eighth in last year’s regional.
Courtney Study, who doubles as a pitcher for the softball team, leads an impressive group of senior distance runners, including Cami Massari and Amelila Stone, both placed in last year’s HHC 3200-meter run.
Sophomore McKenzie Hacker and newcomer Margaret Barrett should help in middle distances races.
Alaina Doran is a senior hurdler heading a young group that includes Taylor Burke, a sophomore with strong potential.
Another sophomore, Olivia Frank, was part of last year’s county champion, and regional-scoring 4×400 relay team with Hurst and Journay.
The Dragons will have some big shoes to fill in throwing events. Both Quin Lumbley (Purdue) and Sydney Miller (Ball State) have graduated and moved on to Division I universities. Both won multiple county and conference titles and were state-placers in their speciality event as juniors, Miller in the discus (fourth) and Lumbley in the shot put (eighth).
Jen Dugan, a two-time state qualifier in Michigan is the program’s new throws coach. She has 11 throwers working daily hoping to score points in big meets.
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2024 New Palestine Girls Track and Field Schedule
Date;Opponent;Time
April 4;vs. Greenfield-Central/Shelbyville;5:30 p.m.
April 6;at Bishop Chatard Invitational;11 a.m.
April 9;at Southport/Rushville;5:30 p.m.
April 11;at Greenwood/Perry Meridian;5:30 p.m.
April 16;vs. Lawrence Central;5:30 p.m.
April 18;at Pendleton Heights;5 p.m.
April 26;at Zionsville Invitational;5:30 p.m.
May 1;County Meet (at MV);5 p.m.
May 7;HHC Meet (at MV);5:30 p.m.
May 14;at Warren Central Sectional;5:30 p.m.
