{"id":16253,"date":"2024-05-15T15:21:09","date_gmt":"2024-05-15T19:21:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/?p=16253"},"modified":"2024-05-15T15:21:10","modified_gmt":"2024-05-15T19:21:10","slug":"local-athletes-capture-four-sectional-track-titles-gerber-cole-smash-records","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/2024\/05\/15\/local-athletes-capture-four-sectional-track-titles-gerber-cole-smash-records\/","title":{"rendered":"Local athletes capture four sectional track titles; Gerber, Cole smash records"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

RANDY HISNER<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

WZBD.com<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note: Our coverage of Track & Field on WZBD does not come without the support of many sponsors who advertise and provide us with the means to travel across the state of Indiana to bring you the pictures, interviews and stories all season long. Businesses like IronClad MetalWorx in Berne support us and bring you this content free of charge. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Four athletes from Z-Land won individual championships at Tuesday\u2019s Sectional Track and Field Meet at New Haven, and two of them shattered sectional records in the process.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kapri Bixler won a sectional title for South Adams Tuesday at New Haven. (Photo by Kris Everett)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Seventh-ranked Homestead again dominated the team competition, compiling 187 points, almost doubling the 98 of runner-up Huntington North. Heritage took third with 59.5, and South Adams made a traditionally strong showing, placing fifth with 54 points. Adams Central was eighth (34 points), Bellmont ninth (27 points).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bellmont senior Hailey Cole continued her remarkable string of first-year throwing performances, winning the shot put by over two and a half feet and besting the old sectional record by more than three feet. She also broke her own Bellmont record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hailey Cole shattered her own school record Tuesday in the shot put. She spoke with WZBD afterwards. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Cole threw over 40 feet in each of her six throws, but it was the first one that astounded onlookers and won the competition. It was a clutch throw, coming just moments after Heritage\u2019s Maya Gerber set a new sectional record of 40-7.75. Cole stepped into the ring and unleashed a monster heave of 43-4. \u201cI knew going in that she was going to be my toughest competition,\u201d Cole said, \u201cso when I saw her throw that, I said, \u2018I\u2019m going to have to, you know, get my personal best to beat her.\u2019\u201d Gerber easily nabbed second place and a spot in the regional.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Gerber, a senior, set the other sectional record when she hurled the discus 139-3 to beat the #1 seed, runner-up Makenna Dommer of New Haven, by more than six feet. Gerber was a bit taken aback by her own throw. \u201cI didn\u2019t know it was going to go that far,\u201d she said of the winning effort, which also sets a new Heritage record. \u201cThat was a surprise\u2014it was a very good surprise, though.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Makenna Dommer of New Haven has enjoyed the competition with Maya Gerber and Hailey Cole this season. (Photo by Kris Everett)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Throwing coach Jason Habisch of Heritage talks about his Patriot throwers and their training and performances with WZBD’s Randy Hisner. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMaya is a kid who has come a long way,\u201d said Heritage throws coach Jason Habisch. \u201cShe works incredibly hard. I\u2019m extremely proud of her. For her to do that today is really big for her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WZBD’s interview with Maya Gerber after she broke sectional records Tuesday.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Maya Gerber set a new sectional record in both the discus and in the shot put at one point Tuesday night. (Photo by Kris Everett)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Habisch admires Dommer as well and likes how she and Gerber push each other. \u201cThey like each other, they like competing against each other, and it\u2019s everything you want to see out of high school sports,\u201d he said. \u201cThey make each other better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

South Adams sophomore Kapri Bixler edged past Homestead\u2019s Ellie Irwin in the final 30 meters to win the 300-meter hurdles in a new South Adams school record time of 47.16. \u201cIt feels pretty good,\u201d Bixler stated. \u201cI did not expect that at all.\u201d Then, with a grin, she added, \u201cFamily bragging rights.\u201d (The old school record was held by Brooklyn Bixler, Kapri\u2019s sister.)\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n