BLOOMINGTON – The podium.

That’s the place where area track standouts hope to be standing come Friday and Saturday evening in the Robert C. Haugh Track Complex in Bloomington.

Some of the area’s top performers are slated to compete in the IHSAA State Finals on the Indiana University campus.

The boys take the first crack at a top nine finish and a spot on the awards podium Friday. Competition begins with the pole vault, long jump and discus events at 3 p.m. The high jump and shot put events start at 3:30 with the 3,200 relay finals at 4:15, the track trials at 5 and the finals at 6:15.

The girls then take their turn in the final meet of the prep track season Saturday, starting with the pole vault, long jump and discus events at 3 p.m. The high jump and shot put will start at 3:30, with the 3,200 relay finals at 4:15, the track trials at 5 and the track finals at 6.

The Warsaw 4 X 100 relay team hopes to etch its name on the school record boards with one big race Friday. The team of senior Rane Kilburn, juniors Tristan Larsh and Will McGarvey and sophomore Alijah Wade won the Kokomo Regional title last week in 42.93. The group tied the school record mark of 42.63, which was set in 2004, the week before in earning a title at the Goshen Sectional.

“I’d love to see that 400 relay team get the school record,” said Warsaw coach Matt Thacker, whose team won its seventh straight sectional title at Goshen and then placed second to Penn in the Kokomo Regional last week. “They are in a position to do it on a fast track versus great competition.”

The Tigers will also have Larsh competing in the 200, sophomore Zeb Hernandez in the 1,600 and the 4 X 400 relay team of Kilburn, Wade, senior D’Andre Street and junior Ridley Lemon in the mix.

“We will see how far Tristan has come,” noted Thacker. “If he gets a good start, he should be right in the mix. He’s really come on for us this season. Zeb has shown he has the potential, competing in the State Finals in cross country back in the fall.”

Wawasee will be represented by Luke Griner. The sophomore won the 800 regional title at Kokomo.

Tippecanoe Valley junior Dakota Parker is in the 400 at State. The Whitko duo of senior Gavin Howard and junior Alex Wilson are set to compete in the shot put and 200 respectively.

NorthWood will send several athletes to Bloomington for the season finale. Sophomore Bronson Yoder is in the long jump with senior Jacob Stump in the 110 hurdles. Stump won a regional title at Kokomo. The 4 X 100 relay team of senior Garrett Griffin, juniors Terrell Pratcher and Brayton Yoder and sophomore Landon Parker will also represent the Panther program.

Mia Beckham is set to shoot for the podium for the Warsaw state-bound girls contingent. The junior standout won the regional title in the 1,600 at South Bend St. Joseph last week in a time of 5:01.32. She is seeded  sixth in a very close and competitive field for the State Finals.

“The big goal Saturday for Mia is to place and reach the podium,”  said Thacker, who is in his first season as the WCHS girls’ coach. “The field is so close in the 1,600.”

The Warsaw ladies will also have sophomore Lexie Day competing in the high jump and all three of its relay teams in action. Day tied the school record as she cleared 5-6 to win the regional high jump title. She is seeded fourth in her specialty at the State Finals.

The 4 X 100 relay team of juniors Abbi Curtis and Shunterra Davis and sophomores Maygan Bellamy and Makayla Clampitt won the regional title. The 4 X 400 relay team consists of Bellamy and sophomores Remi Beckham, Kenzie Martz and Angie Sanchez-Vijil. The quartet of seniors Allison Miller and Dayton Groninger, junior Emma Bohnenkamper and Remi Beckham make up the 4 X 800 team.

“Hopefully, Lexie can have another career day in the high jump,” said Thacker. “She was amazing at the regional for us. And we want our relay teams to run their best times and maybe take a shot at a school record.”

The Warsaw ladies won the program’s 11th straight sectional title at home two weeks ago and then added a sixth consecutive regional championship at St. Joe last week.

“The kids who have made it this far are focused and honed in on what they want to do and accomplish,” noted Thacker.  “We’re not going to change anything at this point. We just want to go down there and compete and see what happens.”

Wawasee has a pair of state finalists in senior Alexis Manges in the discus and junior Hannah-Marie Lamle in the long jump.

NorthWood has junior Erica Stutsman in the 800 field. Manchester senior distance standout Rae Bedke is in both the 1.600 and 3,200. Bedke is seeded seventh in the 1,600 and 10th in the 3,200 field. She was a regional champion in the 3,200 after finishing second in the 1,600, right behind Mia Beckham.