Balancing somewhere on the line between sprint and middle distance, the 400-meter dash isn’t considered fun by many people.
So why does Matt Fleener insist on sticking with it?
“I just run it because I’m good at it,” he said.
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The recent Center Grove graduate proved that time and time again during his senior season, winning conference, county, sectional and regional titles in the 400 before finishing sixth at this year’s state meet. He earned another state medal, anchoring the Trojans’ seventh-place 4×400 squad — and he can add another feather to his cap as the Daily Journal’s Athlete of the Year for boys track.
Fleener, who also won a sectional title in the 200 before limiting his focus to his two main events the rest of the way, wound up being stuck with the 400 early on as a result of his immediate success in the race at the middle school level, and he hasn’t been able to escape it since.
“I’ve always been accustomed to it, and kind of knew it’s not easy,” Fleener said. “I’m like, ‘Shoot, I’m going to have to do this in high school, too, if I’m running these times in middle school.’”
Formerly a multi-sport athlete, Fleener decided to give up on football after a junior year that he capped by helping Center Grove to a second-place state finish in the 4×400 relay.
“I started realizing, ‘Dang, I’m pretty good at this,’ so I decided to focus on that,” Fleener said, noting that he made the decision after discussing it with football and boys track coach Eric Moore.
The decision to specialize clearly paid dividends, and that was perhaps never more evident than at the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference meet, where Fleener won the 400 in impressive fashion with a time of 49.10 seconds.
Among those he vanquished that day was Spencer Gudgel of Carmel, who had come into the meet as the state’s top-ranked runner in the event.
“I felt great after that day,” Fleener said.
He didn’t feel quite as good after his final meet — Fleener considered his sixth-place finish a disappointment, even with a solid time of 48.92 seconds — but he has since gained some perspective and is able to appreciate what he accomplished not only this season, but over the course of his high school career.
“At the time I wasn’t happy,” Fleener said, “but looking back, I’m pretty happy with all the memories I made with my teammates.”
He’s hoping to make some new memories at the collegiate level. Though still undecided on what school he will attend, Fleener would like to continue running competitively, and he’ll undoubtedly have the opportunity to do so somewhere.
Even if that opportunity means running a race that he’s become married to a bit begrudgingly.
“It’s not fun at all,” Fleener said of the 400.
The smile he cracked while saying that implied that he might actually be having a little fun with it now.
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The 2018 All-Johnson County team for boys track and field:
Andrew Bixler, Franklin: Finished 26th in the 3,200-meter run at the state meet. … Won county championship at 3,200 meters and was second at 1,600.
Matt Fleener, Center Grove senior: Placed sixth in the state in 400-meter dash and anchored the Trojans’ 4×400 relay, which finished seventh. … Won a sectional title in 200-yard dash as well.
Matt Frazier, Franklin junior: Qualified for state meet in the pole vault, clearing 12 feet, 6 inches there to finish 20th. … Cleared 13 feet at sectional and regional meets to advance.
Sam Hohlt, Center Grove junior: Earned two state medals, finishing ninth in the 300 hurdles (39.02) and running on Trojans’ seventh-place 4×400 relay team.
Lex Logan, Greenwood: Advanced to state meet in 400-meter dash, placing 22nd with a time of 50.51 seconds. … Was third in 400 at sectional and regional meets.
Gavin Matheson, Center Grove junior: Ran on 4×400 relay team that placed seventh at state meet. … Also advanced to state in 4×100 and qualified for regionals in 100 and 200.
Steven Mills, Center Grove senior: Part of 4×400 relay team that finished seventh at state meet. … Also ran on county champion 4×800 relay and was county runner-up at 800 meters.
Nick Patton, Greenwood junior: Went to state meet and finished 16th in the 110 hurdles (14.98 seconds). … Sectional champion and regional runner-up.
Ethan Pine, Greenwood senior: Finished 13th in the state at 1,600 meters. … County, sectional and regional champion at that same distance.
Nick Riggles, Franklin: State qualifier in 300 hurdles, placing 20th in 40.11 seconds. … Narrowly missed reaching state in 110 hurdles, finishing fourth at regional.
David Ryan, Whiteland senior: Helped lead Warriors’ 4×800 relay to a spot in the state meet. … Won county championship in 800-meter run.
Nick Young, Greenwood senior: Advanced to the state meet in both the discus and shot put, placing 14th and 18th, respectively. … Regional shot put champion. … Will throw at Indiana State.
Honorable mention
Manny Cheam, Franklin; Connor Delp, Center Grove; Tyler Fromer, Franklin; Will Jefferson, Whiteland; Justin Johnson, Greenwood; Jacob Keith, Center Grove; Nate Line, Center Grove; Mika Long, Whiteland; Bailey McMahon, Whiteland; Lucas Roehling, Center Grove; Dalton Spangler, Whiteland; Clay Stambaugh, Center Grove; Connor Walsh, Center Grove
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Matt Fleener’s times and finishes in the 400-meter dash at his biggest meets this season:
Meet;Time;Finish
County;50.06;1st
MIC;49.10;1st
Sectional;50.15;1st
Regional;49.23;1st
State;48.92;6th
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