After competing in outdoor conditions for most of the “indoor” track season, Polk performers celebrated this past weekend’s state 1A/2A state finals in Winston-Salem by not only competing indoors, but by garnering a boatload of honors.

In all, the Wolverine men finished as state runnersup, and the women fifth, among over 80 schools competing at the JDL Fast Track.

“I feel so good I can hardly stand it,” Polk Head Coach Alan Peoples remarked after the meet.

A highlight of the meet was the men winning the state finals in the 4×800-meter relay, with the quartet of Mitchell Brown, Jeremy Allsbrook, Jacob Wolfe and anchor runner Sean Doyle recording a time of 8:33.49.

Peoples noted that the running order was determined in part to have “an experienced person hand off (the baton), and an experienced person taking.”

That one event yielded four state champions. Peoples noted that since 2005, the Wolverines have 40 individual state champions in the various track seasons.

Peoples explained that his 4×800 men’s team has run a bit faster than that, but that the staff wished to keep Doyle ready to run the mile (1,600-meter), where he placed third; and the 1,000-meter run, where he took second. In all, Doyle competed in three events in about an hour and a half.

While Brown’s time in the two mile (3,200-meter) run earned no points, his 10:35 was his second best time of the year. It was simply his hard luck to compete in a field packed with outstanding runners.

By making up eight seconds as anchor runner in the women’s 4×800 relay, Polk’s India Godlock “burned out,” Peoples noted, though she still had enough left to place in the top ten in the 1,600-meter run.

“India had a great day, but ran her heart out.” Peoples remarked. Polk’s women did not win the 4×800 relay, but scored enough points to help them place fifth overall.

Among men’s teams, North Brunswick placed first, with 64 points. Polk was second, with 38. Forest hills was third with 36.

Doyle’s overall performance, along with his willingness to help other performers, earned him the meet’s Sportsmanship Award.

Second place was not decided until late in the meet, Peoples noted. It came down to the 4×400 relay, where the men had to finish at least seventh to score enough points to place second overall. They placed sixth, those three points earning them the runner-up position.

Just before that, the men’s quartet took first in one heat of the 4×400 relay.

Notables among Polk’s women were Michaela Nelon, who set a Polk indoor record with her 34-foot shot put effort, India Banham and Annamarie Gunderson (third and fourth, respectively in the pole vault), and Marissa Longshore (eighth in the high jump).

Top performers among Polk’s men also included Troy Lieberman (sixth in the pole vault at eleven feet).

“It was a good day for us,” Peoples said. “It was an excellent day. I thought my coaches and assistant coaches did an outstanding job.”