For The Tribune
Daniel Hauersperger and Mikaela Grout had a long list of accomplishments for their respective Seymour track and field teams this spring.
Hauersperger was Hoosier Hills Conference and Bedford North Lawrence Sectional champion in both the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs.
Grout was a sectional champion in the pole vault and broke the school record in that event by clearing 9-feet-6.
Hauersperger and Grout were rewarded for their accomplishments by being named most valuable members of their teams during the awards program conducted Thursday night in the school cafeteria.
“Daniel carries us meet in, meet out,” Boys track coach Randy Fife said. “He competed very well in the sectional, and he dominated the HHC in track and cross-country. He was our leading scorer by far.
“He was a leader in practice. It’s nice when your best athlete is your hardest worker.”
Hauersperger was the only senior to receive his fourth varsity track award, and he also helped the Owls win the 4×800 relay at sectional.
Hauersperger and Joe Mullis were named academic all-state. Fife said this is the second time both have been named to the honor.
Grout, a junior, also kept very busy at the meets as she ran the 400, 4×400 relay and long jumped in addition to pole vaulting.
Girls coach Bob Sexton said during most meets he asked Grout if she had “another 400 in her,” and she said she did and would go out and perform.
Sexton handed out the mental attitude award to Katy Nolting.
Nolting broke the 100-meter hurdle record at 16.8 seconds.
Marie Lenart was awarded the 110 percent award.
“It was a different kind of season for us,” Fife said. “Half of our coaching staff was new. I let our assistant coaches coach. They know track and field.
“We started out slow, and they started to come around. They got better individually. The conference was the only meet we underperformed.”
The Owls were 4-2 in dual meets, then finished seventh in the HHC and second in the sectional.
Owls sophomore Seth Ragon was a sectional champion in the high jump.
“We had a successful season on the girls’ side,” Sexton said. “I asked the athletics director if he could find a couple of meets for us and we went to the Big Blue Invitational (at Jennings County) and to the Warren Central Relays.
“That was a different kind of meet with all the relays. They had a distance medley and I didn’t know how we would do in that, but we got second.”
Megan Winter was an HHC and sectional champion in the 1,600, and she will run in that event tonight at the state meet.
Nolting, Mariah Lewis and Madison Hayes received their fourth varsity awards.
Sexton presented what he called “coaches top awards and most improved.”
Nolting was named the top sprinter while Lauren Fleetwood was named most improved.
Winter garnered the top distance runner while Lily Mullis was named most improved.
Grout received the top jumper award and Macy Warren was named most improved.
Brooklin Klopf was named the top thrower, Mazie Caudill got most improved, and Oriana Morales received the top mid-distance runner.
Warren tied for fifth in the high jump at the sectional. Sexton said Warren only got a sliver of the ribbon because of a five-way tie, but he said every point was important as the Owls won the sectional by two points over Jennings County.
This was the fourth-straight year for Seymour to win the girls sectional.