David Woods| Special for IndyStar
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- Fishers scored nearly as many points at state as it did at regional (73).
- Fishers' Tyler Tarter, Martinsville's Martin Barco and Bloomington North's Jaidyn Johnson were all double-winners.
BLOOMINGTON – There are safe havens on a rainy, blustery spring day. A slippery discus circle — diameter of eight feet — is not among them.
That is where Joel Gates found himself after two discus attempts Saturday. His longest throw was 40 feet less than his best. He was going to miss the final when his Fishers Tigers needed every point to win their first state championship in boys track and field.
“It just takes one,” he said.
One? It took everyone.
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Gates came through, as did so many teammates, notably double hurdles champion Tyler Tarter. Fishers outlasted crosstown rival Hamilton Southeastern 60-54 in a duel coming down to the 4x400-meter relay.
Both teams scored more points than projected.
Counting regional marks, the Tigers were seeded to score one point from discus, 4x100 relay and 4x800 relay. Instead, they scored 24.
Thus Fishers — after losing in indoor state, conference, county, sectional and regional meets — won the biggest trophy. Improbably, Fishers scored nearly as many points at state as it did at regional (73).
“They almost ran a flawless meet,” coach Nathan Warnecke said, “and they’re going home state champs.”
Indoor champion Bloomington North was third with 40, Franklin Central fourth with 26 and Carmel fifth with 25.
Despite steady rain that forced all three jumps indoors to Gladstein Fieldhouse, Indiana showcased those meriting a national stage.
Besides Tarter in the hurdles, double winners were Martinsville’s Martin Barco in the 800 and 1,600 meters and Bloomington North’s Jaidyn Johnson in the 100 and 200.
But first, go to the last.
Before the 4x400, Fishers had 56 points and HSE 49. If top-seeded HSE were to win the relay for 10 points, Fishers needed to be sixth to secure a one-point victory.
Tarter’s 49.1-second leadoff put Fishers in front. HSE went on to finish fifth and Fishers sixth.
There was no holding back the Tigers.
“It’s awesome. I can’t wait to get on the bus my with boys to celebrate,” Tarter said.
It was starkly contrasting to 365 days ago. The Indiana University signee pulled a hamstring at the end of the 110-meter hurdles, could barely move for a month, could not sprint for four months.
“I’ve been thinking about that every day for a year,” he said, “and it finally paid off.”
His diligent rehab allowed him to make it a 3-for-3 state sweep. After setting an indoor state record in the 60 hurdles, he won the 110 hurdles in 13.85 and 300 hurdles in 37.25.
The latter was slower than the state record of 36.17 he set at regional — he ranks No. 2 in the nation — but was anticlimactic after the 110 hurdles. Given the slight headwind, cool temps and standing water, that time was astounding. Only once since 2007 had anyone run faster than 13.85 at state.
“Halfway through that race, I was like, ‘Oh, shoot, I’m cookin’. Let’s go,’ “ Tarter said.
Before his 110 hurdles prelim, Fishers was already sitting on 23 points.
Gates threw the discus 166 feet, 2 inches on this third attempt to earn three more, then improved to 180-3. That earned second behind Josiah Bird, an HSE thrower whose distance was 182-9.
Fishers was second in the 4x800 relay, as was JonAnthony Hall in the long jump. Another pivotal event was the 800, in which Matthew Kim was fifth, one spot behind HSE freshman Mason Schmitz.
There was no separating from Fishers, and no separating from Barco.
Barco, a University of Washington recruit, became the first to win a middle-distance double since Olympian Hocker of Cathedral in 2019. He is the first to repeat in the 1,600 since Fishers’ Drew Shields in 2009.
In the 1,600, cross-country state champion Cameron Todd of Brebeuf Jesuit ran the opening 800 in 2:02.74, too slow to gap Barco. Barco, a soccer player, ran the closing 400 in 59.47 and finished in 4:06.34 to Todd’s 4:08.53.
In the 800, Schmitz led through a 54.44 first lap, again too slow. Barco kicked past everyone and finished in a personal best of 1:50.97, compared to Mudd’s meet record of 1:49.25.
Because of a timing malfunction, Johnson nearly had to repeat a heat of the 100 meters but was eventually advanced to the final, in which he clocked 10.52. The Bloomington North sprinter became the first to double since Evansville Harrison’s Noah McBride in 2017.
Hall, a top football prospect in the junior class, achieved a different kind of state double, having played for Fishers’ Class 4A champions in basketball. Only two other schools have won state titles in basketball and track in the same year: Anderson in 1946, Carmel in 2021.
Another two-sport champion was Ben Davis shot putter Nylan Brown, who set a school record of 63-1.5. Brown, known as “Big Ocho” for wearing a No. 8 jersey, is a Kent State linebacker recruit who helped the Giants win a state football championship.
This might have been his last track meet, although not because he hates all this.
“I love shot put. I love discus,” Brown said. “I love the sport. It’s a great environment.”
It was a great day for Fishers, which won without injured Sam Quagliaroli, a junior who was third in the state in cross-country.
The Tigers were fourth in state track and field in 2023, 2022 and 2021, and were coming off second place in cross-country. After coming close so often, Fishers closed it out.
“We saw the potential a few months ago, and we were like, ‘Yeah, let’s focus in,’“ Tarter said. “We’ve got a great team bond, and I’m just glad we’re finally on top.”
Contact IndyStar correspondent David Woods at dwoods1411@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.
IHSAA boys track and field state meet winners
Team scores:1. Fishers, 60; 2. Hamilton Southeastern, 54; 3. Bloomington North, 40; 4. Franklin Central, 26; 5. Carmel, 25; 6. (tie) Brebeuf Jesuit, 24; 6. (tie) Center Grove, 24; 6. (tie) North Central, 24); 9. (tie) Martinsville, 20; 9. (tie) Penn, 20.
100 dash:Jaidyn Johnson, Bloomington North (10.52)
200 dash:Jaidyn Johnson, Bloomington North (21.77)
400 dash:Cainen Northington, Evansville North (48.38)
800 run:Martin Barco, Martinsville (1:50.97)
1600 run:Martin Barco, Martinsville (4:06.34)
3200 run:Tony Provenzano, Carmel (8:51.40)
110 hurdles:Tyler Tarter, Fishers (13.85)
300 hurdles:Tyler Tarter, Fishers (37.25)
4x100 relay:Hamilton Southeastern (41.79)
4x400 relay:North Central (3:16.88)
4x800 relay:Bloomington North (7:47.94)
High jump:Elliot Ryba, Greenfield-Central (6-10)
Long jump:Elijah co*ker, Penn (23-3)
Discus:Josiah Bird, Hamilton Southeastern (182-9)
Shot put:Nylan Brown, Ben Davis (63-1.5)
Pole vault:Peyton McQuinn, Hamilton Heights (16-3)
