Greencastle's Byrd qualifies for IHSAA Girls' Track State Finals

BLOOMINGTON — Greencastle’s Skyler Byrd finished third at pole vault Tuesday at the IHSAA Girls’ Track and Field Bloomington North Regional to qualify for the IHSAA Girls’ Track and Field State Finals next week.

Byrd set a new PR by clearing 10-00 in the event, trailing only event winner Ashley Abram of Edgewood and Cali Wuesterfield of Terre Haute North, both of whom cleared 10-03 with Abram winning on jumps.

Byrd’s teammate Kyla Curtis finished 15th overall in the event, clearing 8-00.

Several other Putnam County athletes finished in the points at the regional with Cloverdale’s Asyria Ford one spot off joining Byrd at the finals, finishing fourth in the 400-meter dash (1:02.28) while North Putnam’s Mackinley Lawson finished fifth at discus (122-11) and South Putnam’s Bailey Brickert finished fifth in the 100-meter hurdles (15.77). Eagle Jasmine Guzman finished seventh overall in the 100-meter dash (13.25).

Several relays competed at the regional with the Cougars seeing the team of Melanie Davies, Maddie Trent, Brooke Hensley and Jenna Day finish 11th overall in the 3,200-meter relay (11:03.57) while the Tiger Cub team of Colleen Bossnack, Penny Cummings, Josie Cox and Madilyn Hiatt finished 13th in the event (11:11.53). Greencastle also saw its 1,600-meter relay team of Cox, Taylor Ball, Ali Dobbs and Kyra Bandy finish 11th (4:28.46) while the 400-meter relay team of Dobbs, Bandy, Isabella Parker and Kylie Silbert finished 13th overall (52.87).

Cloverdale’s Olivia Hemmerling finished 15th overall in the 300-meter hurdles (55.44).

Byrd will compete in next Friday’s finals with pole vault scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.