Wawasee Track Pair To Compete As All-Stars
SYRACUSE – The outstanding duo of Clayton Cook and JJ Gilmer will get one more chance to shine as high school track stars.
The pair of recent Wawasee High School graduates will both take part Saturday in the Midwest Meet of Champions. The two were named to the Indiana All-Star Track Team to represent the Hoosier State versus the top seniors from Ohio and Michigan.
Cook and Gilmer earned their spots on the All-Star team last Friday night with their premier performances at the IHSAA Track State Finals at Indiana University.
Cook won a state championship in the 110 high hurdles in a time of 13.99. He also placed eighth in the 200 in 21.87. Cook will compete in the 110 hurdles and the 4 X 200 relay at this Saturday’s meet.
Gilmer soared to a school record in the high jump to earn a state runner-up finish by clearing 6-10.
Cook and Gilmer both also ran on the 4 X 100 relay team that placed 14th at the State Finals. The team, which was the first 400 relay squad in school history to earn a spot in the State Finals, broke their own school record in Bloomington with a time of 42.72.
Cook is slated to play football at Ball State University in the fall. Gilmer plans to compete in track and field at Grace College.
Wawasee track coach Scott Lancaster will also have the chance to coach his pair of standouts one final time Saturday. Lancaster will serve as an assistant coach for the All-Star team and will coach hurdlers, as well as high jumpers and long jumpers in the meet.
The Midwest Meet of Champions begins at noon Saturday on the campus of Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio. The event, which pits the best seniors in Indiana versus the top seniors from Ohio and Michigan, is one of the longest postseason high school track meets in the country. It began in 1974 as the Tri-States Meet and was hosted by Fort Wayne Northrop High School.