Martinsville T&F state finalists discuss what has made them successful
MARTINSVILLE, Ind. — Track and Field is one of those sports I admire. One reason is that when I see someone running I look for a dog chasing them and when I don’t see it I think to myself, “ What are they thinking?” That is why I had to interview Martinsville High School’s six athletes who made it to State finals.
Alli Taylor is a Senior who competed in pole vault. To train she has full jump sessions three days a week and the other three days she does ground drills. Alli has been pole vaulting since her freshman year. She was also busy with cheerleading team for four years, the gymnastics team for two and both unified teams for one year.
When asked how she felt about competing at State, Alli said “I’ve been pretty nervous about competing at State because I’ve never been. I’m also super excited that I got the opportunity and excited to just take it all in.”
Alli is also very accomplished in the classroom. She has a 4.0 GPA. Because of this she got an academic scholarship and also received a scholarship for her pole vaulting. She will attend Marian University to study nursing. Congratulations, Alli, for your achievements and for also breaking the school pole vaulting record at Regionals this year.
Our next Athlete is senior, Sophia DeMoss. Sophia is one to watch on the track. “Honestly, running comes pretty naturally to me,” she says, “although practice does help.” She tries to make sure she gets plenty of protein in her diet, hydrates and tries to work out every day. Sophia has competed in track for three years missing her sophomore year. She has also played soccer since she was three and has run cross country for three years. Busy with sports, school work and 4-H for ten years. Sophia is really excited to run at the state meet and thinks it will be a really fun experience.
Sophia is also accomplished in the classroom. Her GPA was 4.16 and she finished top 25 in her graduating class. She received the 4-H Foundational Scholarship, the Presidential Scholarship from Purdue, the Koshel Memorial scholarship, the L. Duane and Helen Tackett O’Neal Foundation Scholarship, the Stanley H. Byram Foundation Scholarship, and the Barbara Stewart Zick Memorial Scholarship. Sophia plans to attend Purdue University in the fall.
Our next athlete, Alina Worzella, is a triplet. All three are incredible runners. I’m not sure what is in the water at their household but these three can run! “Running has always come natural to me,” according to Alina. “I figured out that I had a very good natural endurance when I started track in 7th grade. Typically, I run at least five days a week. I ran the 3200 my freshman year and the beginning of my junior year, but changed to the 1600, 800, and 4×4 later on during my junior year. I also started running Cross Country in 8th grade.” Alina is very excited for State. She experienced it in 2021 and doesn’t feel it will be as scary this year. She ended her senior year with a 3.785 GPA and shares the 4×4 school record with Hanna and Holli Reuter, and Morgan Schrock. Alina will be attending Valparaiso University in the fall and will be competing in both Cross Country and Track.
Next we have Hanna Reuter. Talk about another amazing athlete! I asked her to tell me about how she trains. “I don’t have a very strong endurance naturally,” admitted Hanna, “so I have to train pretty hard to keep in 400-meter-dash shape. I usually go to the track 4-5 times a week during the season and the gym 2-3 times a week. I like to switch it up between short sprint work, plyometrics, lactic acid training, and tempo running.” Hanna has been competing in track and field since sixth grade. She’s primarily long jump, runs the 400 meter dash, 100 meter dash, and the 4×400 meter relay. She also played soccer her junior and senior years. I asked her about her feelings on competing at State. “I am equally nervous and excited to compete against the best high school athletes in Indiana, she said. “ It’s nerve wracking to have so many eyes on me and my team, but it’s an experience that I wouldn’t trade for the world.”
Hanna’s GPA is 4.345, and she graduated with academic honors, ranked 4th in her class. She holds the MHS school record in the 4×400 meter relay and 400 meter dash, and this year she earned the Most Valuable Award as well as recognition for being named the student athlete of the month for Outstanding Sportsmanship in May. Hanna also received the Mid State Scholar Athlete Award and was named a member of the Academic All-State and Mid State All Conference teams. For scholarships, she received the Stanley H. Byram Foundation Scholarship, the Morgan County Extension Homemakers Scholarship, the Morgan County MIBOR Scholarship, the John R. Wooden Scholastic Scholarship, the Marie Welch Scholarship from Kappa Kappa Kappa, and the Brummett-Starr Scholarship. Hanna will be continuing her track and field journey at Marian University with her sister, Holli, and teammate, Alli Taylor.
I mentioned to you that Hanna is a twin. I asked her what it is like having a twin who competes with you? How has it helped or pushed you to be better? “ I’m extremely blessed to have my twin sister alongside me on the track and in the long jump pit,” she says. “ Always knowing that I get to practice or compete with my best friend makes track and field a lot more fun, and of course we love to try to out run or out jump each other. Being on the 4×400 team with Holli has made me push myself to my limit because I’m not just trying to win for myself, but for her, too.”
Let’s here from Holli Reuter. Holli said running doesn’t come natural for her. She has to stay on a practice routine to keep up her performance. She typically runs 4-5 times a week and works out at the gym 2-3 times a week. She has been competing in track and field for seven years. She long jumps and runs the 4×100 relay, 100 meter dash, and 4×400 relay. Holli plays soccer as well. When asked about competing at State Holli said, “I feel ready to close out my high school track career and excited for the future. I’m super grateful to have made the most of my senior season. It’s definitely stressful to compete in front of so many people, but not everyone gets that opportunity, so I’m just going to soak it all in.”
Holli graduated with a GPA of 4.232 and with academic honors. She was on the school record breaking 4×400 relay team in 2021. This year she was named the Most Valuable Sprinter and received the Koontz Sportsmanship Award and the Mid State Scholar Athlete Award. She also received the John E. Koontz Memorial Scholarship, the Bob Williamson Scholarship, and the Delta Theta Tau Medical Scholarship. Holli will be studying biology and competing in track and field with her twin at Marian University.
“Competing with Hanna has kept me ambitious to win,” Holli admits. “She pushed me to be as competitive as I could be. She also kept me in shape and on track with practices. Not only did she make me better, she gave me a friend to always run with. I definitely wouldn’t be in this position without her as my best friend.”
These athletes have made Martinsville High School history on and off the track. I will be watching for the dog to chase them or try to snap a photo of them running with a book in their hands. Good luck 2022 State Track and Field team!
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