‘Dreaming about this moment.’ Class 3A state track meet delivers emotional, milestone wins

Bryan Station sprinter Sanaa Washington had long odds going into her first event in Saturday’s KHSAA Class 3A State Track and Field Championships at the University of Kentucky.

Her seed time in the 100-meter dash left her outside the top nine runners of the final heat, so she would have to put up a strong finish in the middle of three heats and wait.

As the final runners’ times went up, Washington’s tears fell down.

The Western Kentucky commit claimed her first state championship with a time of :12.04, 0.07 seconds faster than anyone in the finals.

“I’ve just been through so much, and I’ve been dreaming about this moment,” Washington said as her voice cracked with emotion. She finished a disappointing fourth in the 100 last year and was sixth in the 200. “I knew coming in I would have to run my heart out, and that’s what I did. God did his big one today.”

Washington wasn’t done. She went on to help Bryan Station win the 4-by-100-meter relay along with teammates Mikayla Garrard, Heavan Dobson and Dakya Jackson. She let out a celebratory yell as she crossed the relay finish at :47.73, more than a half-second in front of second-place Male.

“It’s all the work we’ve put in this season,” Garrard said. “We just went out there and gave our all, and it was great.”

Then Washington got another first-place medal by winning the 200 in :24.33, making her the only female athlete with three wins Saturday. Trinity’s Hank Scherer matched her by winning the 100 and being part of the Shamrocks’ 4-by-400 and 4-by-100 relay wins.

Bryan Station’s third-place team finish was its best since topping the girls team standings in 2015.

“I just wanted today to be a good day and let the outcome be the outcome,” Washington said. “I’m blessed that this was the outcome.”

Breakthrough for Dunbar hurdler

Paul Laurence Dunbar senior Keira Antoni has also known frustration at the state meet. She finished runner-up last year in both the 100- and 300-meter hurdles. And she took second in the 300 as a sophomore.

But she’ll join Louisville’s track team next season as a state champion.

Antoni won Saturday’s 300-meter hurdles with a time of :43.21, 2.59 seconds faster than West Jessamine’s Aly Doyle, the event’s three-time defending champion.

“This means so much. This is what I’ve been working for since my freshman year. I have been waking up at 5 a.m. since August, pushing so hard to get to this point,” Antoni said. “I was a little bit nervous about this, but I gave it all to God and let him do the work for me and he saw every trial and tribulation I went through, and it’s really paid off. I’ve never felt so good running.”

Top Central Kentucky finishers

Earlier Saturday, West Jessamine’s Doyle won her second straight 100-meter hurdles state title with a time of :14.84, a few fractions ahead of Dunbar’s Antoni.

“I feel OK. It was not my best, but I think it was my best this season,” Doyle said after the 100 hurdles. She finished second in the long jump and eighth in the triple jump in addition to her second place in the 300 hurdles.

George Rogers Clark’s Teigh Yeast, formerly of Class 2A track powerhouse Mercer County, did not match her four-win performance as a Titan last year, but did claim the triple jump title with a leap of 38 feet, 1.75 inches. She finished fourth in both the long jump and the 400 meters.

“It’s definitely been a lot more competitive, but it’s fun,” Yeast said of Class 3A. “I actually did not start off strong at all, but that fifth jump, I just happened to pop one.”

Clark’s Joey Hill made it a sweep of the triple jump for the Cardinals as he won the boys competition with a leap of 46 feet, 1.25 inches. He also finished third in the long jump.

“It was a little bit iffy, but on my last jump I tried my best, went for it and I got it,” Hill said.

Madison Central’s Jordan Bryner kept the Indians’ pole vault streak alive with a vault of 16-00. Teammate Drew Masters finished fifth with a vault of 14 feet, 6 inches. Indians alumnus Wyatt Stewart won three straight pole vault titles and set the state record of 16 feet, 8 inches last year.

“Wyatt was always leagues above us and so I’m just glad I can carry on his legacy and help Madison Central stay on top,” said Bryner, who will continue his athletic career at Roberts Wesleyan University in Rochester, N.Y.

Record breakers

Assumption’s 4-by-800 relay team obliterated its own overall state record set one year ago by the same four runners.

Leah Penick, Julia Schmitt, Mabel George and Reagan Gilmore ran this year’s race in 9:02.21, nearly 10 full seconds faster than the 2023 mark.

“We were definitely looking for it, and we were going to try and see what we could do, but we’re just more excited because it’s our last time running all together in the Assumption uniform,” said senior Julia Schmitt, who also won the 800 meters later in the day.

Gilmore, the relay team’s other senior, broke another overall state record by running the 3,200 meters in 10:27.57, more than five seconds faster than the mark set in 2022 by Madison Central’s Ciara O’Shea. Penick took second.

“This is my last time running in an Assumption jersey and, if nothing else, I want to make my team proud,” Gilmore said. “It doesn’t matter what time I run out there because I’ve won with that group of girls. Honestly, running these times is just a plus.”

On the boys side, North Oldham’s Adam Patel ran the 3,200 in 9:05.93, breaking the overall state mark of 9:07.17 set by former Louisville Holy Cross and University of Kentucky runner Jacob Thomson in 2013.

“Since middle school, my whole thing has been getting second,” said Patel, who will continue running for Illinois in college. “I would get second to my teammates and get second at almost every state meet, so to finish like this … this is all I’ve ever been hoping for.”

Patel, runner-up Joey Carroll of Conner and third-place finisher Cooper Wasson of George Rogers Clark all beat the previous Class 3A record 9:12.19 set by St. Xavier’s Bobby Curtis in 2003.

Team champions

Manual, led by a number of strong finishes, including that of high jump champion E’Ternity Starks claimed the girls team title with 79.5 points, nearly double Assumption’s total.

St. Xavier took the boys’ team title and had wins from James Burnett in the 400 and Ashton Jones in the discus.

Class 3A results

Complete results online at khsaa.org/track/2024/class3adetailed.htm

GIRLS:

Top 20 teams — 1, Manual 79.50. 2, Assumption 45. 3, Bryan Station 41. 4, Woodford Co. 36. 4, West Jessamine 36. 6, Oldham Co. 35.50. 7, Fern Creek 33. 8, Male 32. 9, Dixie Heights 29.10, Paul Laurence Dunbar 26. 11, Simon Kenton 25. 12, George Rogers Clark 23. 13, Notre Dame 19. 14, Central 17. 14, Frederick Douglass 17. 16, Campbell Co. 16. 17, Conner 14. 17, Marshall Co. 14. 19, Lafayette 13. 19, Greenwood 13.

Top individuals — 4-by-800 relay: 1, Assumption (Leah Penick, Julia Schmitt, Mabel George, Reagan Gilmore), 9:02.21-K. 2, Campbell Co. (Allison McKee, Aidan Christopher, Lila Dunlevy, Olivia Holbrook), 9:30.83. 3, Manual (Maggie May, Caitlyn, Madison Price, Emerson Wyatt), 9:38.55. 100 hurdles: 1, Aly Doyle, West Jessamine, 14.84, (w:-1.1). 2, Keira Antoni, Paul Laurence Dunbar, 15.18. 3, Destiny Jones, Central, 15.25. 100: 1, Sanaa Washington, Bryan Station, 12.04, (w: -0.1). 2, Isabella Vonlehman, Conner, 12.11. 3, Clara Warrick, Oldham Co. 12.16. 4-by-200 relay: 1, Male (Zalaya Scott, Alivia Lilly, Jaliyah Taylor, Grace Bethel), 1:41.78. 2, Manual (Alexandra Allen, Erica Geer, Koryn Smith, Asia Sloan), 1:43.56. 3, Bryan Station (Izzy Spillman, Mikayla Garrard, Jatajza Pinkney, Dakya Jackson), 1:44.51. 1,600: 1, Tula Fawbush, Oldham Co., 4:51.58. 2, Flora Biro, Manual, 4:52.83. 3, Addison Moore, Woodford Co., 4:54.66. 4-by-100 relay: 1, Bryan Station (Mikayla Garrard, Heavan Dobson, Dakya Jackson, Sanaa Washington), 47.73. 2, Male (Alivia Lilly, Asia Preston Logan, Grace Bethel, Jaliyah Taylor), 48.43. 3, Oldham Co. (Lexi Wise, Charlotte Marcum, Olivia Jasper, Clara Warrick), 49.85. 400: 1, Presley Gallimore, Marshall Co., 56.53. 2, Gracie Hoskins, South Laurel, 57.41. 3, Alexandra Allen, Manual, 57.95. 300 hurdles: 1, Keira Antoni, Paul Laurence Dunbar, 43.21. 2, Aly Doyle, West Jessamine, 45.80. 3, Alexandria Masden, Fern Creek, 46.54. 800: 1, Julia Schmitt, Assumption, 2:16.31. 2, Olivia Holbrook, Campbell Co., 2:16.37. 3, Emma Kendall, Collins, 2:18.10. 200: 1, Sanaa Washington, Bryan Station, 24.33, (w:-1.5). 2, Clara Warrick, Oldham Co., 24.60. 3, Isabella Vonlehman, Conner, 24.99. 3,200: 1, Reagan Gilmore, Assumption, 10:27.57-K. 2, Leah Penick, Assumption, 10:31.71. 3, Flora Biro, Manual, 10:40.64. 4-by-400 relay: 1, Fern Creek (Alanna Masden, Alexandria Masden, Rianne Moss, Jordin Noah), 3:59.99. 2, Notre Dame (Ella Long, Norah Barker, Cameron Kirtley, Kate Blettner), 4:06.14. 3, Woodford Co. (Avalynne Goins, Sophie Paul, Payton Asher, Addison Moore), 4:08.62. Shot put: 1, Viktoriya Emelianova, Ryle, 40-02.50. 2, Shelby Valentine, Central, 37-04. 3, Zoey Shahid-Scott, Manual, 36-10. Discus: 1, Ari Carter, Dixie Heights, 122-00. 2, Olivia Dabney, Woodford Co., 120-08. 3, Gabby Wilson, Fern Creek, 118-01. Long jump: 1, Alexis Howard, Simon Kenton, 18-00 (w:1.7). 2, Aly Doyle, West Jessamine, J18-00 (w:0.4). 3, Elle Gilbert, South Oldham, 17-08, (w:2.7). Triple jump: 1, Teigh Yeast, George Rogers Clark, 38-01.75 (w:1.5). 2, Alexis Howard, Simon Kenton, 37-09.50 (w:0.8). 3, Jala Trent, Scott Co., 36-08.50 (w:0.2). High jump: 1, E’Ternity Starks, Manual, 5-02. 2, Hannah Wiles, Greenwood, J5-02. 3, Chloe Quinn, South Oldham, 5-00. Pole vault: 1, Eryn Rataiczak, Eastern, 12-03. 2, Abby Rexford, West Jessamine, 11-06. 3, Morgan Lincoln, Manual, J11-06.

BOYS:

Top 20 teams — 1, St. Xavier 91.50. 2, Trinity (Louisville) 63. 3, Central 40. 4, McCracken Co. 39.50. 5, Ryle 31. 6, North Oldham 28. 7, Madison Central 27.50. 8, Bryan Station 26. 9, Male 25. 10, Madisonville-North Hopkins 24. 11, George Rogers Clark 22. 12, Marshall Co. 21. 12, Butler 21. 14, Woodford Co. 20. 15, Cooper 18.50. 16, Oldham Co. 16. 17, Henry Clay 15. 17, Manual 15. 17, Frederick Douglass 15. 17, South Oldham 15.

Top individuals — 4-by-800 relay: 1, Oldham Co. (Sean Crady, Kyle Crady, John Tyler Bottorff, Matthew Whitlock), 7:58.27. 2, South Oldham (Tyler Durham, Jake James, Caeden Rairick 11, Rick Mshindi 10), 8:02.91. 3, Lafayette (James Ndayishimiye, Buzz Christensen, Andrew Grace, Xavier Richardson), 8:03.41. 110 hurdles: 1, Adrian Johnson, Central, 14.67, (w:-2.2). 2, Romaro Knight, Manual, 14.86. 3, Nashawn Brooks, Douglass, 14.92. 100: 1, Hank Scherer, Trinity, 10.77, (w:0.5). 2, James Barragan, McCracken Co., 10.80. 3, Jayden Channer, Henry Clay, 10.83. 4-by-200 relay: 1, McCracken Co. (James Barragan, Cooper Falconite, Ayden Hunter, Cannon Ford), 1:27.27. 2, St. Xavier (Kyle Stepteau, Zach Blincoe, Jack Rousseau, Logan Raymond 12), 1:27.85. 3, Male (Steron Davidson, Braydon Cannon, Chayce Burton, Demarcus Robertson), 1:28.39. 1,600: 1, Tiger Bartlett, Ryle, 4:14.25. 2, Mikie Carnell, Meade Co., 4:15.60. 3, Ryan Hendrix, Woodford Co., 4:16.26. 4-by-100 relay: 1, Trinity (Carter Vinson, Will McCauley, Kaleb Warner, Hank Scherer), 41.82. 2, St. Xavier (Tommy Eisenback, Kyle Stepteau, Nick Stockdale, Logan Raymond), 42.32. 3, Male (Chayce Burton, Antonio Harris, Braydon Cannon, Demarcus Robertson), 42.70. 400: 1, James Burnett, St. Xavier, 47.49. 2, Brendan Ruggles, North Oldham, 47.89. 3, Elijah Porter, Butler, 48.20. 300 hurdles: 1, Adrian Johnson, Central, 39.16. 2, Branton Koroly, Campbell Co., 39.65. 3, Nashawn Brooks, Douglass, 39.90. 800: 1, Evan Smith, Ryle, 1:54.40. 2, Didie Drogba, Butler, 1:54.42. 3, Matthew Whitlock, Oldham Co., 1:55.17. 200: 1, James Barragan, McCracken Co., 21.85 (w:-1.1). 2, Hank Scherer, Trinity, 22.04. 3, Jayden Channer, Henry Clay, 22.09. 3200: 1, Adam Patel, North Oldham, 9:05.93-K. 2, Joey Carroll, Conner, 9:08.99. 3, Cooper Wasson, George Rogers Clark., 9:09.31. 4-by-400 relay: 1, Trinity (Logan Tenkman, Carter Vinson, Hank Scherer, John Bryant), 3:20.48. 2, St. Xavier (Sanin Bista, Joseph Nalley, Jack Rousseau, Zach Blincoe), 3:21.63. 3, Butler (Didie Drogba, Iveion Green, Aiden Haynes, Elijah Porter), 3:23.41. Shot put: 1, Deegan Croley, Marshall Co., 56-06. 2, Zach Cowper, Madison Central, 53-03.75. 3, Ashton Jones, St. Xavier, 52-01. Discus: 1, Ashton Jones, St. Xavier, 157-09. 2, Tyler Neal, St. Xavier, 155-09. 3, Zach Cowper, Madison Central, 154-07. Long jump: 1, Trashaun Smith, Madisonville, 22-00.25 (w:0.3). 2, Brayden Polly, Simon Kenton, 21-10.75 (w:2.8). 3, Joey Hill, George Rogers Clark, 21-07 (w:2.3). Triple jump: 1, Joey Hill, George Rogers Clark, 46-01.25 (w:0.4). 2, Taurian Smith, Central, 45-06.25 (w:2.0). 3, Bryson Carpenter, Bryan Station, 45-04.75 (w:-0.4). High jump: 1, Trashaun Smith, Madisonville, 6-08. 2, Bryson Carpenter, Bryan Station, J6-08. 3, Aaron Ramey, Central, 6-04. Pole vault: 1, Jordan Bryner, Madison Central, 16-00. 2, Jackson Gray, Woodford Co., 15-06. 3, Ethan Southerland, Ryle, 15-00.

K — Overall state meet record regardless of class. J — second-best jump used to determine place.

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