Newton’s Erin Ware flourished this spring in track and field, bringing home a lot of hardware as a freshman.

Ware won the MHSAA Class 2A state championship 300-meter hurdles with a time of 48.12, placed second in the Class 2A girls 100-meter hurdles with a time of 17.03 and finished third in the Class 2A state long jump with a 16-08.50.

Ware’s determination and will to outwork everyone earned her 2022 Premier Preps Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year honors.

“It feels good because I never had something like this before,” Ware said. “I feel that I have already accomplished so much before the start of my sophomore year.”

Ware is a multi-sport athlete but was unsure how she would perform in track and field prior to joining the team at Newton.

“Going out for track was something I never expected to make it far in,” Ware said. “It was something I just wanted to try, and now I’m a champion.”

Track coach Ed McGowin says he’s already had three other athletes win athlete of the year, but Ware was the first girl to win.

“I feel elated,” McGowin said. “She’s just a hard worker. Ware is not the kind of athlete that wants to sit down, she wants to be working all the time.”

After two decades in the Newton area, McGowin will be stepping down as the track and field coach. 

“I’m turning the towel in, and it’s good to go out with Ware winning as many medals as she did at state,” McGowin said.

Ware says her next goal in track and field is to take a crack at the extra-long jump and triple jump.