Lawrence Central's Evan Williams makes history at Hoosier State Relays
· Yahoo Sports
INDIANAPOLIS – In a span of 15 minutes, Evan Williams made track and field history in Indiana.
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The rest of the country might be learning more about him, too.
Williams nearly set a breaststroke record in middle school. Turns out he was better in track than swimming.
“I was always convinced he was better on the ground than he is in the water,” said Micah Williams, his father and hurdles coach at Lawrence Central.
Evan Williams set Hoosier State Relays records in winning the 60-meter hurdles and 60-meter dash Saturday at the Indiana State Fairgrounds’ Fall Creek Pavilion.
His time in the hurdles, 7.57 seconds, broke the state indoor record of 7.58 set by Franklin Central’s Rylan Hainje on March 11. Minutes later, Williams clocked 6.71 in the 60 dash, breaking the large-school meet record of 6.74 set by Brownsburg’s Dominic Calhoun in 2024.
Moreover, Williams’ hurdles time is No. 5 on the all-time high school list. He is No. 2 in the nation this year behind the 7.44 by Zacchaeus Brocks of Novi, Mich.
Williams was third behind Brocks in the New Balance nationals in Boston two weeks ago. Their rivalry will continue in the Big Ten because Brocks is headed to Ohio State and Williams to Indiana University.
Meanwhile, the most epic hurdles rivalry in Indiana prep history persists. Williams beat Hainje, who won the 110- and 300-meter hurdles at state last June. In this race, the two were even through three hurdles before Williams gained separation over the last two.
“Iron sharpens iron” said Hainje, who was second in the 60 hurdles in 7.72.
Hainje limped through the end of his 60-meter heat and withdrew from the 4x400-meter relay, in which Franklin Central was seeded No. 1. He said a hamstring injury might keep him sidelined until the sectional May 21.
“That’s my guy. Love the guy so much,” Williams said. “Just racing him, it’s an ethereal feeling. Just having him next to you is one of the best things that could ever happen."
Hainje led off the 4x200 relay for Franklin Central, which set a state indoor record of 1:26.56, or No. 6 in the nation this year. That represented Hainje’s eighth state record in a 53-week span.
In boys team standings, Bloomington North won a third straight state title, scoring all of its 60 points with wins in the 4x400, 4x800 and distance medley relays. Relays count for double points (20-16-12-10, etc.).
Franklin Central was second with 46 and Brownsburg third with 35. Avon and Carmel tied for fourth with 30 each.
Bloomington North’s Caleb Winders ran the anchor of the 4x800 in 1:50.37. He then ran the leadoff 1,200 of the distance medley in 3:06, and he came from behind in the 4x400 with a 48.28 anchor. He won the 800 at New Balance nationals in 1:48.83.
Winders also came from behind in the 4x800, delivering Bloomington North a time of 7:48.24 to Whiteland’s 7:49.24.
“Probably the DMR was the hardest, just because it was the longest event,” Winders said. “I wasn’t feeling great before that.”
In the DMR, Bloomington North anchor Caelan D’Onofrio held off Noblesville’s Banner Barnes, who dove at the finish in an attempt to be a double champion.
Barnes sprinted the closing 200 in 27.17 to win the 3,200 in 9:08.29. Warsaw’s Jackson Gackenheimer was second in 9:08.74 and Carmel’’s Lucas Barrlett third in 9:10.07.
“I knew if I wanted to have a chance to win, I’d have to just sit and then go with 200 to go and give it all I got,” Barnes said. “So that’s what I did.”
Elsewhere, meet records were set by Warsaw high jumper Jordan Randall (7-0 ½) and Kokomo long jumper Jerome Young (23-11 ½).
Girls recap: Brownsburg sprinter, Carmel dominate
When you are breaking a state record held by an Olympic gold medalist, it is worth listening to that gold medalist.
Brownsburg sophomore Nife Ogunyele blasted to a time of 7.36 in the girls 60 meters. She bettered the 7.42 set in 2016 by Pike’s Lynna Irby, who went on to win two relay medals at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
Ogunyele recently met Irby, who spoke at a Brownsburg track clinic.
“She just told us that we need to continue to put in work, on and off track season,” Ogunyele said. “And that recovery is a really important part of it as well.”
Ogunyele was third at state in the 100 last June behind Fort Wayne Carroll’s Nadia Ford, who was second in the 60 in 7.44.
In team standings, Carmel won a fourth straight state title, prompting its athletes to hold up four fingers on the award stand.
Carmel scored 63 ½ points to 50 for runner-up Bloomington South. North Central was third with 40 and Whiteland fourth with 30.
Carmel scored 36 in two distance relays but didn’t stop there.
“We don’t want to be known just as a distance school any more for track,” said coach Aaron McRill, whose Greyhounds won outdoor state last June. “We want to be known as an all-around program.”
Carmel won the 4x800 relay with Annabel Pollert, Sadie Foley, Kaitlyn Oshimura and Larkin Taylor (2:11.64). Pollert had finished second in the 3,200 in 10:28.63.
Elsewhere, state indoor records were set by New Albany sophomore Jada Harper, 8.37 in the 60 hurdles, and North Central’s 4x200 relay team of Athena Dixon, Emmerson Williams, Gabrielle Moore, Kourtney Taylor, 1:39.32.
Warren Central junior Kira Smith, a New Balance national champion and under-20 world leader, won the high jump at 5-10.
Whiteland had two champions: shot putter Carly VonDielingen, 44-6, and long jumper Elnora Stevenson, 19-3 ½.
Anissa Lammie’s 55.52 anchor brought Hamilton Southeastern to a winning 3:56.21 in the 4x400 relay.
Contact David Woods at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA track and field: Lawrence Central's Williams sets indoor state records