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Just call them Northwest Indiana track's version of the "Fearsome Foursome."
And it doesn't matter who has been part of the 3,200-meter relay team that has advanced to the state finals each of
the last four years.
Whether it was Cassie Peller and Mandi Loving
in 2003 joining Kelly Peller and Ali Bishel, or Sarah Kehe replacing Loving
in 2004, or Allyson Harvey replacing Cassie last year, it's been a constant
flux of the fast and the furious.
This season topped them all, though, when
Kelly Peller, Kehe, Harvey and Bishel got sweet revenge on Northridge at
the state meet by re-claiming the record they held before last year.
Not only did they break the record, they destroyed
it by almost six seconds with a time of 9:03.77.
Peller, Kehe and Bishel also competed in other
events at state. So for all of that dominance spread out over several events,
the foursome comprise the Post-Tribune Girls Track Athletes of the Year.
Kehe also competed in the 800 and 1,600 runs
and on the 1,600 relay team with Peller, who also ran the 400. Bishel finished
three spots behind fifth-place Kehe in the mile run.
And of course, for the third time in the last four years, the coach of the year is the man who gets to watch these
girls run every day of the spring season - Steve Kearney.
"They've gotten better every year," the Chesterton coach said of the record-setting relay squad. "When Cassie
was running really fast, we found three kids to run around her and they
thought it was fun. I was actually worried they try to run too fast."
You might think you can never run too fast,
but Kearney just wants his kids to maximize their medal-earning potential.
But when the group sets a record that might
not be broken for years to come, the other events come second.
"Our mentality every year is not just to
get to state, but to compete for the title," Peller said.
Setting a new record, though, wasn't on their
minds going into the meet. At least that's what Kehe said two days before.
Topping the mark by more than six seconds
says otherwise.
Now Chesterton's 3,200 relay dynasty will
have to rebuild again after two years of continuity. Bishel, Peller and
Kehe are all moving on to the college athletic scene, though in different
capacities.
Peller will be playing basketball at Valparaiso
University. Bishel and Kehe will still be running together at Ball State
in track and cross country. Harvey will be the only one left for next year's
state title defense.
"Not to be sentimental or anything, but during
track season we're all best friends," Bishel said.
Contact Steve T. Gorches at 648-3141 or sgorches@post-trib.com
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