From out of left field
Chesterton’s Nicholson makes the switch, wins 3 events at Valparaiso Relays
Chesterton junior Dimitri Nicholson loved baseball.
He played the sport his entire life, including his first two years of high school. But with the Trojans coming off a semistate appearance last season, playing time would be hard to find.
And members of Chesterton’s boys track team mentioned that to him.
“They said I could be really good at track or a bench warmer in baseball,” Nicholson said. “And you see where I’m at now.”
Nicholson said he ran track in middle school but “wasn’t very good.”
That has changed, and it was evident Friday night as Nicholson won three events during the Valparaiso Relays.
The former outfielder showed off his speed, winning the 100 meters in 11.36 seconds and the 200 in 23.16.
He also showed off his athleticism, winning the long jump with a mark of 20 feet, 9.75 inches.
Even Nicholson is surprised at how much success he has had this spring.
“I always knew I was fast,” he said. “But I didn’t know I was that fast.”
With Nicholson leading the way, Chesterton won the meet with 298 points, topping Penn (273) and Crown Point (251).
The meet featured 29 events, with the individual events separated into two divisions — one for juniors and seniors and the other for freshmen and sophomores.
That format prevented a meeting of two all-state competitors in the 400 between Crown Point senior Matt Hanlon and Valparaiso sophomore Max Otterbacher.
They raced each other Wednesday at a triangular meet, with Hanlon winning in 48.12 — the best 400 time in the state this season, according to the Indiana Runner website.
Hanlon, an Indiana commit, is embracing the competition with Otterbacher after last year’s experience of chasing Chesterton’s Braden Corzan, who won the state title in the 400.
“I attribute a lot of my success to having (Corzan),” Hanlon said. “I raced him three or four times last year, and it helps to see a guy in front of you.”
Otterbacher, who has the fourth-best 400 time in the state at 49.44, said he would rather be chasing another athlete than a time.
“Running against a clock is hard,” Otterbacher said. “When you have someone in front of you or right next to you, all it does is motivate you.”
Hanlon won his 400 race in 50.76, while Otterbacher took the underclassmen title at 49.46.
Those two will likely meet again at next week’s Duneland Athletic Conference Meet before two more potential showdowns in the postseason.
Before that, though, Hanlon said it was time for recovery.
“I’m exhausted,” Hanlon said. “I’ve been running hard this past week. For the next few days, I’m not going to do anything and rest.”