Last spring was a historic season for Center Grove High School’s athletics program. The unified track and field team captured its first-ever sectional championship and went on to qualify for the state meet.
“Our coaches, athletes and partners did such a great job as this was the furthest this team has gone in the history of our program,” says Center Grove High School Athletic Director Joe Bronkella. “Across the board, all of our spring sports advanced deep into postseason play, with five teams reaching the state finals and the remaining two finishing among the top eight in the state.”
Unified Track and Field Coach Tia Coleman was thrilled with the team’s milestone year.
“Proud is an understatement,” Coleman says. “It is extremely hard to describe the amount of pride I have for my 2025 unified track and field team in words other than the feeling that bubbles up inside and pours out to the students. Each season is an amazing experience, but the 2025 season hit it out of the park.”
Johnson County has built a strong community for Special Olympics and Unified Sports teams, and competition is fierce whenever county teams meet. Coleman beamed over the team’s accomplishments, especially winning the 2025 Johnson County Unified Track and Field meet, doubling their roster from the previous year and, most significantly, earning their first sectional championship and advancing beyond regionals to the state finals.
The unified program pairs athletes with peer “buddies” who compete alongside and support them. In 2025, the team consisted of 11 athletes and 12 peers, more than double the number in 2024. Many buddies participate in the Best Buddies program throughout the school year, and their sponsors often attend meets to cheer on both athletes and buddies.
“My overall goal each season is for each individual to try their best at each meet and have fun,” Coleman says. “I want every athlete to feel they belong and can achieve their personal best.”
Parents, faculty and the wider Center Grove community rallied behind the team. Parents brought snacks and water, set up canopies and filled the stands with encouragement. Coleman credited Athletic Department members Bronkella, Katie Fisher and Joanny Tolle, as well as the Transportation Department, for ensuring smooth logistics. The community showed its pride during the state finals send-off in June, though Coleman says there’s always room for even greater attendance at home meets.
Coleman recalls the charged atmosphere of the sectional meet.
“We walked in knowing we had the chance to make it to regionals,” Coleman says. “Some of our athletes ran the hardest and threw the farthest they had the entire season that day.”
The team quietly sat atop the leaderboard most of the meet, but Coleman kept the rankings from them until the final moments. When Plainfield announced Center Grove as champions, the team erupted in cheers, hugs and pure joy.
“We walked onto the track that day knowing we had a chance, but my team absolutely squashed my expectations when we walked out as the champions,” Coleman says.
Regionals brought intense emotions and uncertainty. With scores fluctuating and a top-four placement required to advance, the team was on edge. When the final announcement revealed a tie with Avon for fourth place, the IHSAA allowed both teams to move on.
“All of those emotions happened in approximately 30 seconds,” Coleman says. “There were definitely tears of joy, screaming, yelling and lots of hugging.”
Assistant Principal Tricia Ferguson sees the unified track and field team as a symbol of Center Grove’s culture.
“The unified team is a great reflection of Center Grove High School in general,” Ferguson says. “Our school is a welcome and nurturing place where students of all abilities and exceptionalities are not only welcomed, but also a part of exceptional opportunities. Teenagers are teenagers, and regardless of a label, they want to be a part of something that is great.”
She also praised the team’s dedication and the bonds between buddies and athletes.
“I am so proud of how hard they work and the enthusiasm that they bring to each practice and meet,” she says. “Our coaches have the biggest hearts and are devoted to our students. Our buddy students are excellent mentors and, more importantly, friends to our athletes.”
For Coleman, Ferguson and everyone connected to the unified track and field program, the 2025 season was about far more than medals or championships. It was about belonging, effort and joy. The memories of the season, the friendships formed and the pride felt will help fuel the program for years to come.
