Moment of truth
Ellis sets standard in shot put, seeks more at state for Lake Central
Lake Central’s Makeda Ellis had her breakthrough moment as a junior.
It’s a common occurrence for high school athletes — the instant they realize their potential. It happened for Ellis last spring when she produced a 40-foot throw in the shot put for the very first time.
Assistant coach Jeanette Gray noticed an immediate change in Ellis’ demeanor.
“She was pretty excited,” Gray said. “Once she hit 40, it became more real for her and put an extra spark into what she did every day.”
Ellis rode that momentum to a berth in the 2018 state meet. She will return to state as a senior next weekend after winning Tuesday’s Portage Regional with a mark of 42-3.
But Ellis said last season is when it all truly began.
“It was the confidence I had that year,” Ellis said. “My sophomore year was more like a rebuilding year. But when I started throwing as a junior, that’s when I realized this was something I could be good at.”
After breaking 40 feet, Ellis set her sights on the program record of 41-7 that had stood since 1990. It didn’t survive 2018, and Ellis has now pushed it to 45-8.25.
With her legacy at Lake Central intact, Ellis has her sights set on the state meet, where she’s searching for redemption after placing 11th at 39-8.5, far short of her typical marks last season.
“It was a big change, going from our small meets to throwing at IU,” Ellis said.
Gray said she recalled standing with Ellis in the infield, moments after learning she hadn’t qualified for the finals in the shot put.
“I remember seeing how upset she was, that we weren’t getting where we wanted,” Gray said.
“This is what we’ve been looking forward to all year — getting another chance at state.”
Ellis is ranked fourth in the field of 27 throwers. She said she’s aiming for a top-five finish. She confirmed her experience last year should lead to a better performance this time.
“I’m not going to focus on what’s happening around me,” she said. “I’ll focus on the throws themselves.
“Now that I know what the atmosphere is like, I feel more comfortable. I hope it turns out well.”
Twin talk: When Portage freshman Jaivon Gordon limped away from the 100-meter run with an apparent left quad injury, Jaivon’s twin brother Jakar said he felt the pain, too.
“We’ve been through everything together, since day one,” Jakar said. “When he got injured, I felt like I had to do something for him.”
That came in the 400 relay as Jakar helped Portage to a runner-up finish in 42.55, clinching a spot at state. With the two Gordons, senior Trey Sebben and freshman Myles Sisco, Portage has the second-best 400 relay time in the state at 42.09.
When asked if he thought his brother would be ready for next weekend’s state meet, Jakar Gordon replied simply, “Yes.”
State bound: Covenant Christian has just 112 students, and only 13 compete in track, but the Knights still produced a pair of state qualifiers in the 800.
Senior Grace DeBoer was a runner-up Tuesday with a time of 2:20.12, while classmate Carson Bakker was third Thursday at 1:53.35.
They’re just the third and fourth state qualifiers in the history of Covenant Christian’s program, according to coach Jay Starkey.
“Every kid who’s made it to state (from our school) has shown up to every practice and been very coachable,” Starkey said. “And it all pays off in the end.”
Dave Melton is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.