Columbus East High School

BEDFORD HS — Saturday, May 2, 2026 The Columbus East Unified track team delivered a standout performance this past Saturday at the Unified Hoosier Hills Conference meet, hosted by Bedford North Lawrence High School. In a day filled with competitive spirits and impressive athletic feats, Columbus East secured a silver-medal finish, placing second overall in the conference standings with a total of 101 points. Dominance on the Track - Columbus East athletes were a force to be reckoned with in the running events. The team saw two first-place finishes in individual heats. John Tembo (JR) dominated the first section of the 400 Meters, crossing the finish line with a time of 1:20.62 to earn 10 crucial points. Michael Larsen (SO) mirrored this success in the 100 Meters (Section 2), taking the top spot with a swift 16.39 seconds. The depth of the roster was evident as teammates piled on points. In the same 100-meter heat as Larsen, Gabrielle Albro (SO) finished a strong second (16.93). William Blake (SO) added to the tally with a second-place finish in Section 3 of the 100 Meters (13.19) , while Savannah Burton (SO) and Marleigh Stidham (SO) took second and third respectively in the 400 Meters. The team's relay efforts were also rewarded, with the 4x100m team—consisting of Phoenix Cooper, Ethan Kessler, Michael Larsen, and William Blake—securing a third-place finish with a time of 59.78. Success in Field Events- In the field, Columbus East athletes continued to rack up points across the long jump and shot put. Bohdan Stein (JR) led the way in Section 1 of the long jump, earning 8 points with a leap of 6' 1¾". He was followed closely by teammate Zooey Joy (SO), who took third with a mark of 5' 8½". Ethan Kessler (SR) added a fourth-place finish in Section 2 with a jump of 10' 6". The shot put circle saw Jerik Hamilton (SR) claim third place in Section 2 with a throw of 17' 0". Gabrielle Albro proved her versatility by following up her track success with a fifth-place mark in the shot put (14' 1¼"). Additional contributions from Jayden Holmes (6th, Section 1) and Adelynn Tembo (6th, Section 2) helped solidify the team's standing. Final Team Standings - While the host, Bedford North Lawrence, claimed the top spot on their home turf, Columbus East's consistent scoring allowed them to edge out Floyd Central by just three points for the runner-up position. Rank Team Score 1. Bedford North Lawrence Unified 124 2. Columbus East Unified 101 3. Floyd Central Unified 98 4. Jennings County Unified 63 5. Seymour Unified 61