The sustained success of the Heritage Track & Field team carried right into 2026 at Saturday’s Bulldog Invite, held at Indiana Tech.
After Alexa Walter’s state runner-up finish in the shot at last year’s IHSAA State Finals at North Central, the Patriots have high expectations, and they met those in a mid-March meet.
Walter won the shot put with a throw of 42-11, quite a feat for the opening meet of the season. Nearly as impressive as Walter’s throw was the toss of freshman teammate Lenai Riddle, who met the state qualifying standard in her first meet at 41-08. Riddle’s throw was good enough for second behind Walter.
Riley Roy of Heritage was fourth with a brand new personal best, as well.
The Heritage 4×400 relay team finished second with an outstanding time of 4:23.45, replacing Jolena Beckman from last year’s top team with freshman Kierstyn Hess. Hess joined Olivia Lybarger, DiNestee Williams-White and Rosalinda Medina for a finish that was within ten seconds of last year’s sectional-winning time.
GIRLS MEET
Team Scores: 1st-Fairfield 90, 2nd-Heritage 86.14, 13th-South Adams 17
Notes & Results:
-Luelle Schoch equaled her season best from her freshman year in the very first meet of the year, finishing tied for fifth at 4-10 in the high jump for South Adams.
-Heritage’s Olivia Lybarger smashed her previous career best in the long jump, taking her old mark of 14-10 and adding nearly eight inches to finish in second place.
-Freshman long jumpers Di’Mond Williams-White and Kierstyn Hess both had top-twelve finishes for the Heritage Patriots.
High Jump
1. Claira Foust-Fairfield 5-06
5. Mya Kunkler-Jay County 4-10
6. Luelle Schoch-South Adams 4-10
8. Ava Johnson-Heritage 4-06
Long Jump
1. Claira Foust-Fairfield 16-04.5
2. Olivia Lybarger-Heritage 15-05.75
4. Ana Lehman-South Adams 15-02
8. Kapri Bixler-South Adams 14-09.75
11. Di’Mond Williams-White-Heritage 14-04
12. Kierstyn Hess-Heritage 14-03.5
Shot Put
1. Alexa Walter-Heritage 42-11
2. Lenai Riddle-Heritage 41-08
4. Riley Roy-Heritage 33-09.5
28. Kenley Geels-Heritage 23-04.75
3200 M
1. Mia Hodgson-Wawasee 11:59.95
60 M Hurdles
1. Emma Walter-Fairfield 7.64
2. McKinsey Amstein-Heritage 9.98
4. Kapri Bixler-South Adams 10.40
6. Ana Lehman-South Adams 10.92
20. Bailey White-Heritage 11.99
60 M
1. Emma Walter-Fairfield 7.64
6. Olivia Lybarger-Heritage 8.34
15. Di’Mond Williams-White-Heritage 8.53
30. Ava Johnson-Heritage 8.84
32. Ireland Shuck-SA 8.88
36. Luelle Schoch-SA 9.02
4×800 Relay
1. West Noble 10:24.90
6. Heritage 11:35.15
Hissong-Meyer-Gerber-High
4×200 Relay
1. Heritage 1:51.86
Hess-DiNestee Williams-White-Di’Mond Williams-White-Lybarger
12. South Adams 2:00.88
Bixler-Schoch-Shuck-Lehman
4000 M DMR
1. Fairfield 13:52.51
8. Heritage 15:38.51
Gerber-High-Hissong-Meyer
4×400 Relay
1. Bremen 4:19.07
2. Heritage 4:23.45
Hess-Lybarger-DiNestee Williams-White-Medina
13. South Adams 4:52.31
Bierbaum-Geels-Lehman-Shuck
BOYS MEET
Team Scores: 1st-Woodlan 74.5, 2nd-Manchester 66, 3rd-Westview 64, 14th-South Adams 14, 17th-Heritage 12
Notes & Results:
-Tristin Ehr also met his season best from last year with a jump of 6-02 for South Adams. Only the winner, Korbin Presl of Manchester, went higher.
-Heritage’s Alex Mantle smashed his career record (previously 5-06) and finished ninth with a high jump of 5-10.
-Maddox Miller (SA) used the indoor setting to his advantage in the pole vault, going 10 feet to finish seventh. Miller’s career best was at nine feet.
-Sawyer Thiele (Heritage) started off his sophomore season with a career best in the long jump (20-03) to take fifth place.
-South Adams had two great performances in the 3200, with Deacon Bierbaum taking tenth with a time that puts him in mid-season shape in March, while Jacob Heflin ran a career best.
High Jump
1. Korbin Presl-Manchester 6-06
3. Tristin Ehr-South Adams 6-02
9. Alex Mantle-Heritage 5-10
Pole Vault
1. Caleb McClaid-Bremen 12-00
7. Maddox Miller-South Adams 10-00
Long Jump
1. Hayden Korte-Lakewood Park 21-07
5. Sawyer Thiele-Heritage 20-03
8. Tristin Ehr-South Adams 19-05.25
29. Alistair Dunaway-Heritage 15-02.25
Shot Put
1. William Couse-Mississinewa 53-00.5
15. Alden Bowers-Heritage 37-09
17. Alistair Dunaway-Heritage 36-00
27. Griffin Stanton-South Adams 33-03
32. Wyatt Comment-Heritage 29-10
35. Diego Arriaga-South Adams 29-01
36. Carter Hermann-South Adams 26-07
3200 M
1. Memphis Martin-Lakeland 9:41.09
10. Deacon Bierbaum-South Adams 10:54.24
18. Jacob Heflin-South Adams 12:16.53
60 M Hurdles
1. Carson Heath-Manchester 8.52
4. Tristin Ehr-South Adams 8.80
7. Gery Gerber-Heritage 9.23
11. Sawyer Thiele-Heritage 10.08
60 M
1. Alex Guzman-Garrett 7.08
25. Jordyn Rooks-Heritage 7.70
29. Trey Crawford-Heritage 7.80
41. Griffin Stanton-South Adams 8.41
4×800 Relay
1. Wawasee 8:27.66
6. Heritage 9:24.36
Kerr-Smith-Roth-Voglewede
11. South Adams 9:47.89
Bierbaum-Wagner-Mickem-Rupp
4×200 Relay
1. Woodlan 1:35.62
10. Heritage 1:40.92
Gerber-Thiele-Mantle-Weber
4000 DMR
1. Wawasee 11:28.59
11. South Adams 13:06.61
Wagner-Mickem-Bierbaum-Heflin
13. Heritage 13:34.88
Smith-Voglewede-Juricak-Baeumler
4×400 Relay
1. Garrett 3:37.31
11. Heritage 4:00.02
Gerber-Crawford-Lopez-Roth
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