Six athletes, including four who will be back on the team next year, competed well as relay mates with state 100-meter champion at the girls track and field meet in Indianapolis

Tom Keegan
Onwardtrojans.com

All six athletes who joined 100-meter champion Kenedi Bradley on the road trip to Indianapolis for the girls track and field state meet experienced their first taste of competing at the meet at North Central. For two of them, it was also their last state meet. Overall, one freshman, two sophomores, one junior and three seniors competed for the Trojans.
Seniors Gretta McCrovitz and Aubrey Bamber, who ran the first two legs of the 4x400 relay, weighed in on the day.
“It was a really cool experience and I’m just really happy I got to do it with the group of girls that I did. It was so fun to do it with all of them,” said an emotional McCrovitz. “I would not have wanted to do it with anyone else. They’ve become my best friends these past four years. I’m really sad that it’s over but I know that Kenedi is going to go on and do really good things and so will Aubrey. I’m really proud of both of them. I’ve just had a really good time.”
McCrovitz expressed gratitude to head coach Lindsay Maskolick and assistants Kate Conway and Colton Tuzinski, who helped her improve enough along the way to make it to state.
McCrovitz started her career as a force in the 100 and 200 meters for two years before seamlessly shifting to the 400 meters as her specialty the final two seasons.
Bamber arrived at Chesterton as a soccer player, a basketball player and a runner. She played three years of varsity soccer and three years of basketball, including one as a varsity player. In her junior year she was a rare four-sport athlete, doubling up in the fall with soccer and for the first time cross country. As a senior she remained in cross country and dropped soccer. In track, she tried multiple events, even dabbling in the 800 before settling on the long jump and the 400 meters.
Bamber committed to run and jump at NCAA Division III University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and said she was recruited as a long jumper and 400 runner.
“I think it’s a good place for me because there are people who are faster than me and people who aren’t, so I’m right in the middle,” Bamber said. “I can still have a good spot on the relays if I’m in them and I will be pushed by faster runners to get better.”
Bamber took a one-day trip with her mother to visit the campus.
“I liked it,” said Bamber, who ran a strong leg of the 4x4 in Indy. “I thought it was going to be a lot smaller just because it’s D-3, but it was really big. I’m excited.”
Having teammates faster than her won’t be anything she hasn’t experienced, having teamed with Bradley for four years.
“I’m really proud of her getting first in the state. Just being around someone first in the state and practicing with her every day, it’s a nice experience,” Bamber said. “And I just love her. She works so hard and she really deserved first place.”
Bradley is bullish on the futures of her three 4x1 relay mates, freshman Lilly Duracz, sophomore Allie Anderson and junior Avah Rajski, and sophomore Daisha Lewis, who ran the third leg of the 4x4.
The 4x1 relay was dealt a blow this season when the school’s second-fastest runner, Addison Pack, lost her entire sophomore track season to injury. Addison’s sister, Macie, also showed promise in multiple events. Still, the Trojans rallied to make it to state, running a 48.11, close to the school record at the regional meet, and finished 12th at state with a 48.41.
“Our 4x1 is very young,” Bradley said. “They’re going to be really good, especially with both Packs coming back.”