GOSHEN - On to the next step. As the Indiana High School Athletic Association state track and field championships move into the regional round, four LaVille student-athletes are ready to accept the challenge the Goshen Regional has to offer. The IHSAA sectional is in the rear-view mirror.  Now it's time to look forward, with the opportunity of advancing to Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex, Indiana University, Bloomington, for the state finals. LaVille seniors Michael Good, Lincoln Hulsey, Matthew Schaeffer, along Sophomore Cole Stafford are headed due east about 40 minutes to Goshen, IN., to continue some rivalries with certain student-athletes, or begin new rivalries with others. The focus begins to get a little sharper and the competition definitely gets a little higher. LaVille coach Kathe Beehler has watched all four athletes work through the rain, and even snow at the Goshen Relays, to perform this season, so it doesn't really come as a surprise to the Lancer leader that these four have advanced to this level. "They are the kids that have been strong for us all year long, so it's not really a surprise," Beehler said at the final practice Wednesday in advance of the May 23 regional. "As they are moving on in their events, they have pretty high expectations for themselves and where they want to be.  The goal is to go to state. That is why they are here." Stafford may be just a sophomore, but Beehler thinks this could be what he needed at this point in his career. "Cole came out really well running the 400," said Beehler.  "He set a PR for himself running at the sectional meet. I think he surprised himself and I hope that gives him some confidence as he heads to the regional. As a sophomore that is pretty impressive. He's done pretty well for himself so far. He's got it and who knows maybe he will end up using it to his advantage at regionals." And oh, yes, there will be representation from LaVille in the field events. In 2023 it was Hulsey and Erik Bedock. Now in 2024, it's Good, Hulsey, and Schaeffer. The Lancer field events trio would like nothing better than to punch a ticket to Bloomington on June 1 for the 120th edition of the IHSAA state boys track and field championships. With a throw of 168-feet, 11-inches, Good earned the 2024 discus sectional championship. He also finished second in the shot put after a throw of 51'-2.75". Hulsey made it back-t0-back sectional titles in the pole vault.  His leap of 15'-0" was one foot better than second. Schaeffer's jump of 13'-6" help him move on. "They both have been improving and raising the bar and that has been exciting to see," Beehler said of her pole vault duo.  "With both kids being this successful, that says something for (assistant coach) Bill (Hulsey). We try to tell our kids that it's not just about what you do during track season.  You have to train year-round." Pole vault has become a successful event at LaVille over the past few years because of the coaching and training, especially during the off-season. "To be successful, what is critical is repetition," said assistant coach Bill Hulsey. "To be excellent you can't do those things in-season to be good at it.  Matt and Lincoln have been successful at pole vault because they work year-round.  They are working on all the things, like you mentioned - the run to the pit, pole placement, the lift/strength, the drive. They've learned how to plant, how to turn on and off muscles to do different things.  It's not really about strength, it's about using and not using muscles at different times and its about physics. It's very involved." As the 2024 season has progressed, coach Hulsey finds that his son, Lincoln, and Schaeffer are getting better and better at making adjustments. "The way we have worked it this year, because they are at where they are, is because they have learned to do whatever it takes to get first place and not get hurt," explained coach Hulsey.  "It may be to jump 10-feet, or 11-feet. They make one jump and they walk away. That's what we have worked on this year is to save it until the end of the year when the weather is nice and they can be successful at sectionals, regionals, and state. It's rained every meet this year. "It's been exciting to watch them," he continued. "I can only get them so far.  They are at the point where I'm just there to help them a little bit. They are watching the videos and say, 'this is what I have to do'.  They have gotten good at it so they can look at it and they know what they need to do, they know what they need to correct. This year it's not so much me.  It's just more me saying you need to do this, do this.  To see them to get to where they're at, helping themselves, is what it is like at college. You don't have someone there watching you do every jump. That's what has been my satisfaction to get to a point." As for Lincoln, he understands  the regional round is just a step away from the big show. "Moving into regional makes me a little more nervous because it's one step away from advancing to the state meet," said Lincoln.  "But I'm not worried about anyone ruining my chances. I know what I need to do to get there. I train all year for these 3 meets, so it feels great to just know you can go out there and know you're going to advance to the regionals. "I finished last year getting 3rd place in the state meet behind a senior and a junior. This year I'm tied with second. With how close I am to being #1, I know that my aggressiveness and determination will help me improve my performance." Stafford will be in the middle of section one of two in the 400. "He is really running against the clock," said Beehler. Good is a #1 seed in the discus and a #6 seed in the shot put. Hulsey opens as the #2 seed in the pole vault behind Tipton.  Schaeffer, meanwhile, is the #6 seed in pole vault. "We are just really excited to watch these guys compete at the Goshen Regional," concluded Beehler. IHSAA BOYS TRACK & FIELD Goshen Regional 2024 IHSAA Boys Track and Field Regionals Thursday May 23, 2024 6:00 pm At Foreman Field, Goshen HS Field of Teams: Bremen, Career Academy SB, Cass, Columbia City, Concord, Culver, Eastern, Elkhart, Fairfield, Goshen, Jimtown, Kokomo, LaVille, Logansport, Maconaquah, Madison-Grant, Manchester, Mishawaka,Mishawaka Marian, North Miami, Northridge, Northwestern, NorthWood, Penn, Peru, Pioneer, Plymouth, Rochester, SB Adams, SB Clay, SB Riley, SB St. Joseph, SB Washington, Tippecanoe Valley, Tipton, Trinity Greenlawn, Triton, Warsaw, Wawasee, Western Admission Admission is $10.00 Kindergarten-Adults. Pre-school children and younger will be admitted free. GOSHEN REGIONAL TIMELINE 6:00 pm Field events begin - Pole Vault, Discus, High Jump, Long Jump (Shot Put after Discus) 6:30 pm 4X800 M Relay Finals Running Events 6:30 pm 4x800 M Relay 6:45 pm 100 Meter Dash Trials 6:55 pm 110 Meter Hurdle Trials 7:00 pm 200 Meter Dash Trials 7:35 pm National Anthem 7:45 pm 110 Meter High Hurdle Finals 7:48 pm 100 Meter Dash Finals 7:50 pm 1600 Meter Run 7:58 pm 4X100 Meter Relay 8:05 pm 400 Meter Dash 8:20 pm 300 Meter Intermediate Hurdles 8:25 pm 800 Meter 8:35 pm 200 Meter Dash Finals 8:40 pm 3200 Meter Run 8:55 pm 4X400 Meter Relay *Time schedule is approximate. Events will be run according to the flow of the meet, but we will not move ahead of this pace unless weather dictates. Timing Fully Automatic Timing will be used with watches for backup. Review of the finish will occur only as determined by the referee-starter. Any protests concerning the results of events must be directed to the referee-starter or Meet Director. In trials, this must be done before the conclusion of the trials. In the finals, the protest must be made before the conclusion of the next race. The review of a finish will be made by the referee-starter Head Finish Judge and Meet Director. Any times must be attained after the meet from the meet results. Advancement will be Regionals to State Finals - 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place regional winners in all individual events and relays plus any individual or relay team meeting the 3 Participant Standard in the regional finals of their event. An individual or relay team shall not advance to the state finals from the regional finals unless the time is recorded by fully automatic timing (FAT). If there are less than 3 in any event, meeting the 3-Participant Standard, the next best regional finishers shall be added to bring the total number of entrants to 27 in each event.