HIGHLAND | Munster girls track coach Rick Sluder hopes his team will look back on Tuesday evening 25 years from now, never forgetting the history they made on that warm, spring night.
The Mustangs were impressive all night long, winning eight events to amass 192 ½ points and capture the first girls track sectional championship in Munster school history. Second-place Highland finished with 91 points and West Side placed third with 86 points.
“I’m so proud of these girls,” Sluder said. “We knew that West Side and Highland would both have good teams. West Side, on the seed sheets was within 18 points of us. We were really nervous and excited to come in and compete against them.”
As a team, Munster advanced 18 girls in individual events and all three relays to Tuesday’s Chesterton Regional. That total included dual victories from Colleen Ogren in the 1,600-meter run (5:39.91) and the 3,200-meter run (12:32.59).
However, perhaps the most impressive performance of Munster’s evening was senior Alex Meier, who took the 300-meter hurdles championship in 45.30, tying a 22-year-old sectional record set by Roosevelt’s Tasha Harris.
However, knowing she had to run the anchor leg in the 1,600-meter relay — an event Munster won in 4:05.97 due to a Bowman Academy disqualification — Meier saved some of her energy for that final race.
“I didn’t think I would break any records or tie anything,” said Meier, who also finished second in the 100-meter hurdles (15.43). “I knew I could go faster than my previous times. I had to slow down, because I had more events to run. I can’t let my team down.”
From top to bottom, Sluder was impressed with his team. By his count, 25 of 26 girls who could have scored points came through for the Mustangs.
“This means a lot for us,” Sluder said. “We’ve won two regionals, but never a sectional title.”
Besides Munster, other winners were Hammond’s Paris Nunnally in the 100-meter dash (12.62), Bowman’s Jazmin Cowsen in the 200 (26.45), Bowman’s Chayil Henderson in the 400 (58.72), Highland’s Amber Przyborski in the 800 (2:27.46), West Side’s Kortney Mabone in the 100 hurdles (15.23), West Side’s 400 relay (49.78), Noll’s Stephanie Rarick in the long jump (15-11 ¼) and Noll’s Asya Hobbs in the high jump (5-3).
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