Kokomo Athletics

The season came down to this. A team that spent the early weeks searching for rhythm, trust, and identity found its stride when it mattered most. We weren’t always in sync at the start, but over time, we grew. We pushed each other, believed in each other, and became something stronger: a unified team. On Saturday at Sectionals, that transformation showed in every event, every exchange, and every finish line crossed. We headed to field events to start the day. Aubreanna Fitts threw 21' 9.75" to place fourth in shot put. Hayze Herron followed with 36' 0.5", and Ethan Lee recorded 25' 8.75", both earning fifth place finishes in their respective flights. Claire Rowe stepped up with a personal best of 15' 3.5". In long jump, MJ McColl jumped 17' 1" for second place, and Braedyn Booker followed with a solid 15' 7.5". Izzy Sargent earned a personal record and placed third at 8' 5.5", while Ellie Neuhauser improved with every attempt, finishing fifth with a steady 12-foot jump. That early consistency gave us our foundation. Then came the 100 meters, where things started to build. In Heat 3, Elmer Barber, seeded fourth, exploded off the line and won with a personal-best 15.37. Macy Rakestraw, seeded eighth, powered to a fourth-place finish and a new personal record of 16.82. Together, they scored 15 crucial points, raising Kokomo’s total to 50 and moving the team into a tie for fourth place. In Heat 4, Karsen Huffman ran a sharp 13.58, and Joshua Smith dropped his fastest time yet—13.83. Their performance added 11 more points, bumping Kokomo’s total to 61 and pushing us into the top three teams at that point in the meet. The 400 meters kept the momentum rolling. Justin Smith ran his best time of the season, winning his heat in 1:05.21. Joseph Randolph followed with a personal-best 1:12.29, and Devon Lee crushed his previous mark with a 1:01.19. Ethan Lytle closed our individual events with a determined 1:07.53. Every race mattered. Every point counted. The Kats held a two-point lead over Delta to stay in third. Then came the relays—the clearest reflection of how far this team has come. The boys’ 4x100 team of Justin Smith, MJ McColl, Karsen Huffman, and Braedyn Booker ran a season-best 50.80. More important than the time was how they ran it. The handoffs were clean, the rhythm was smooth, and the confidence was real. It was their best performance of the season, and it earned them a first-place finish. The girls’ 4x100 team—Claire Rowe, Maddie Armstrong, Isabel de Oca, and Ellie Neuhauser—matched that focus. They delivered crisp exchanges and a full-team effort, crossing the line in 1:08.42, their fastest of the season, taking third, and once again setting a Girls' 4x100M Unified School Record. By the end of the meet, Kokomo had stacked up personal records, climbed the standings, and proved what this team is made of. Not every step this season was easy, but every step led here. Next stop: Regionals.