Harrison's girls track team established itself as the sectional favorite with a City/County championship two weeks ago.
As the sectional approached, the Raiders adjusted to their front-runner status.
"We knew we kind of had a target on our back, but it didn't really stop us at all," Harrison senior Natalie Newton said. "We just kept going and it made us want it even more."
Harrison's athletes huddled quietly on the Scheumann Stadium track Tuesday night, then erupted when announced as the 2009 sectional champion. The Raiders won their first title since 2004 and ended West Lafayette's four-year championship reign by outscoring the Red Devils 155.5-123.
Harrison's only victories came from Newton in the 100 hurdles and the 1,600 relay team. But the Raiders scored at least four points in each event and held a 44.5-16 edge over runner-up West Lafayette in field event points.
"We are so deep in a lot of our events," said Harrison junior Rachel Krauss, a regional qualifier in three events. "We work together; we push each other. We have so much competition within our team that we live on it. That's our fire."
A record-setting performance by Kelsey Lewark and Ellen MacDonald's three victories led second-place West Lafayette. The top four finishers in each event advance to next week's West Lafayette Regional.
Newton produced the meet's biggest surprise by upsetting defending champion Queennetta Reese of Lafayette Jeff in the 100 hurdles. Newton's time of 15.31 won outright, but Reese was later disqualified for knocking one of her hurdles into a competitor's lane.
"I never really thought that it would actually happen," said Newton, who had never beaten Reese. "... As soon as I crossed the finish line I knew I had a smile on my face and couldn't really take it off, so it felt pretty good."
Krauss teamed with Abbie Newton, Amanda Elmore and Taylor VanArsdel to win the meet-ending 1,600 relay.
Lewark went out fast in the 1,600 and held a substantial lead throughout. The crowd, which followed Lewark's record-challenging progress on the scoreboard, cheered the senior's approach to the finish.
Though she tripped and fell past the line, Lewark won in a time of 5:12.29 that eclipsed former West Side runner Jessica Gall's meet record by two hundredths of a second. The New Mexico-bound runner thought she had fallen off the record pace.
"When I was on the front stretch I could hear the crowd start to kind of go, 'Ooooooh,' and I was like, oh, I'm close," said Lewark, who overtook teammate Linsey Daluga to win the 3,200. "So then I really tried and just booked it to the line."
MacDonald won the 100 and 200 and ran the anchor leg of the Red Devils' victorious 400 relay. She was also waiting and ready to run in the 1,600 relay if the team title had still been in doubt.
"In the beginning it used to stress me out a little bit," said MacDonald, a sophomore who owns four individual sectional titles and two relay championships in her short career. "But now I think it really makes me stronger, so I don't even mind."
Emily Bittner led off the Red Devils' 400 and 800 relay winners and later won the 400. Jessica Bernard also ran on both winning relays.
Reese recovered from the 100 hurdles disappointment to defend her 300 hurdles title. Esther Tirado (800) and Sherri Wilson (shot put) also won for the Bronchos.
Frankfort senior Christen Kuzmicz won the pole vault and discus.
Delphi senior Olivia George (high jump) and Clinton Prairie senior Courtney Hodgen (long jump) also won.
By Jamie Lynn Chevillet/ Journal & Courier-- Marissa Frank of Harrison competes in the Discus Throw at the 2009 IHSAA Girls Track Sectional Meet at Lafayette Jefferson High School on Tuesday, May 19, 2009.
By Jamie Lynn Chevillet/ Journal & Courier-- Jacklyn Williams of Harrison competes in the High Jump at the 2009 IHSAA Girls Track Sectional Meet at Lafayette Jefferson High School on Tuesday, May 19, 2009.
By Jamie Lynn Chevillet/ Journal & Courier-- Chelsea McKay of Harrison competes in the High Jump at the 2009 IHSAA Girls Track Sectional Meet at Lafayette Jefferson High School on Tuesday, May 19, 2009.
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