Bourbon County sending a bus load of athletes to the 2A state track and field meet
Paris, headed by Taesha Speaks and Briley Cline, as well as Nicholas County, will also have participants at the state meet
TOP TWO SPRINTERS – Paris High School sprinters Taesha Speaks and Briley Cline will head into Thursday’s State 1A meet ranked No.1 and No.2 respectively in the 100 and 200 meter dash. Speaks won the state title in those two events as a freshman and Cline finished as runner-up in both events a year ago. JENNIFER ARNETT I For PHS Athletics
Back-to-back Class 2A Region 4 Track and Field Champions, the Bourbon County High School Lady Colonels.
IVAN K. RICE I doctorofsports@aol.com
LEXINGTON, KY – The KHSAA just released the performance list and the roster by school for all events, including unified/adapted for Class 1A, 2A, and 3A for the upcoming 2022 Clark’s Pump-N-Shop State Track & Field Championships that will get underway Thursday (June 2) and run through Saturday (June 4) at the University of Kentucky Track and Field Complex.
SHE’S JUST TOTALLY AWESOME – Sophomore phenom Bethany Simpson was the only individual from this area to qualify to the state in four individual events. She will compete in the 300m hurdles, 1600m run, 3200m run and the high jump.
Before making the performance list official, each school will have a chance to review their student-athletes and let the KHSAA know immediately of any necessary changes. In addition, changes may occur as coaches and officials have an opportunity to double-check both the performance list and the roster by school for accuracy. An email will be sent once all changes are made and performance lists are finalized.
When looking at the performance list, Coach Drew Perraut’s Bourbon County Lady Colonels will be well represented at the state after winning the 2A, Region 4 Title for the second straight year last week at Scott High in Taylor Mill.
The girls’ team will have someone in every event with the exception two. There are 18 events contested and Bourbon will be in 16 of them (doubling up in a few), which could help them win a state team title if everything were to fall in their favor.
Two of their relay teams (4×400, 4×800) will head into the state meet ranked No.1 and a third is ranked No.3 (4×200). Two of those relays (4×400 and 4×200) broke school-records during the region meet.
The top individual qualifier for the Lady Colonels is sophomore Bethany Simpson, who was the only competitor from this area that qualified in four individual events, where she is expected to do well in each event. Others who qualified in two individual events where junior Kylie Hernandez, eighth grader Sarah Scott, and seniors Jennifer Wilson and Allie Hill.
For the Colonels’ boys team, junior Jaquez Campbell qualified in three individual events and will also participate on the 4×100 relay team, while freshman Jesus Mendoza-solis will be in two individual events as well as run a leg on the qualifying 4×400 and 4×800 relay teams.
QUEZ IS LEGIT – Colonel junior Jaquez Campbell will compete in three individual evnts at the state meet and will also run a leg on the 4×100 relay. Campbell’s events will be the long jump, where he holds the school-record, triple jump and the 100m dash.
Paris High School will be represented by the two best sprinters of all-time from this community.
Senior Taesha Speaks, who has committed to run at the University of Louisville this fall, and sophomore Briley Cline, qualified in the 100 and 200 meter dash. They are ranked 1 and 2 respectively going into the Class A meet in both events. Speaks won the state title in both events as a freshman but missed her sophomore season because of Covid cancellation of all spring sports and then, an injury kept her off the track her junior year. Cline finished as state runner-up in both events a year ago.
Nicholas County boys’ team, freshly off their first region runner-up finish in 25 years, will have several competitors at the state meet with senior CJ Koeder and sophomore Dylan Donovan leading the way after the two where the only Bluejackets to qualify in two individual events.
Each region (total of 7) automatically qualifies the first and second-place finishers in each event (a total of 14 automatic qualifiers, if at least 2 entered in event). The next 10 best performances (plus any unbreakable ties) in each event, per class, from the state-at-large qualify for the state meet. It is very possible to have a situation where the performances in a regional meet among the two automatic advancers are less than the performance of someone who did not finish first or second in his/her respective region, and who is not in the 10 best marks in a specific event. The two automatics from each region are protected by finish position, regardless of time or mark.
STATE REGULAR – For the third consecutive time, Ladyhound senior Amiyah Speaks will participate in the high jump at the 1A state meet on Thursday at UK. Speaks received an at-large bid after placing third at the region. JENNIFER ARNETT I For PHS Athletics
****
KHSAA Track & Field State Meet Information:
–Fans should purchase their tickets before they arrive at the venue to facilitate entry and minimize congregation of those waiting.
–There will be no paper tickets sold at the walk-up gate or cash sales.
–Any on-site transactions will be digital using the personal devices of the customer or equipment provided by the KHSAA.
–No screenshots of tickets shall be honored at any time.
–Due to liability and risk concerns, pets are not permitted at the event.
Copy and paste this link to see the time schedule for the state track meet! https://khsaa.org/2022-state-track-meet-time-schedule/
2022 CLARK’S PUMP-N-SHOP STATE
TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Below are the qualifiers in each event for Bourbon County, Paris and Nicholas County with their region performance listed and their ranking in parenthesis going into the state meet.
****
–BOURBON COUNTY LADY COLONELS–
4×800 relay – Bourbon County (1st) 9:51.32
4×200 relay – Bourbon County (3rd) 1:47.22
1600m run –Bethany Simpson (4th) 5:14.09; Kylie Hernandez (5th) 5:16.92
4×100 relay – Bourbon County (15th) 52.93
400m dash – Tori Young (3rd) 59.49; Wilson (8th) 1:01.40
300m hurdles – Simpson (5th) 48.49
800m run – K. Hernandez (4th) 2:21.95; Katie Boshears (8th) 2:26.95
NEW SCHOOL-RECORD HOLDERS – The Lady Colonels capped off their nice evening at the Region 4 track meet by winning the 4×400 relay, breaking the school-record by more than three seconds. The foursome of Tori Young, Makayla Felty, Kylie Hernandez, and Jennifer Wilson moved the baton around the track in a 2A best time of 4:04.61.
200m dash – Jennifer Wilson (14th) 26.77
3200m run – Simpson (5th) 11:52.44
4×400 relay – Bourbon County (1st) 4:04.61
High Jump – Simpson (9th) 4-08
Pole Vault – Kayla Brainard (2nd) 9-09; Ava Hernandez (7th) 8-00
Shot Put – Allie Hill (16th) 29-02.25
Discus Throw – Hill (11th) 90-05
Long Jump – Alana Puscas (6th) 16-06.50; Sarah Scott (18th) 15-05.75
Triple Jump – Scott (22nd) 30-11.50
****
–BOURBON COUNTY COLONELS–
4×800 relay – Bourbon County (10th) 8:43.78
100m dash – Jaquez Campbell (12th) 11.38
1600m run – Jesus Mendoza-solis (16th) 4:43.92
4×100 relay – Bourbon County (14th) 45.32
300m hurdles – Asher Mattox (10th) 43.49
800m run – Mendoza-solis (9th) 2:01.86
200m dash – Josh Moody (17th) 23.42
4×400 relay – Bourbon County (9th) 3:36.66
2A STATE BEST TIME – During the 2022 Class 2A Region 4 Track and Field Championship, the foursome of Makayla Felty, Jocey Young, Kylie Hernandez, and Katie Boshears ran a state 2A best 9:51.32 to win the 4×800 relay.
Shot Put – Cade Goebel (20th) 41-04
Long Jump – Campbell (3rd) 22-03.25
Triple Jump – Campbell (8th) 41-02.50
High Jump – Miles Ezell (20th) 5-08
Pole Vault – Hunter Lunsford (3rd) 12-06; Tayvon Snowden (6th) 11-06
****
–PARIS LADYHOUNDS–
100m dash – Taesha Speaks (1st) 12.52; Briley Cline (2nd) 12.79
200m dash – T. Speaks (1st) 25.78; Cline (2nd) 26.57
High Jump – Amiyah Speaks (23rd) 4-06
Shot Put – Riah Oliver (8th) 31-03.50
Discus Throw – Oliver (20th) 86-06
****
–PARIS GREYHOUNDS–
100m dash – MarQe’is Catlett (23rd) 11.73
Mixed 2x50m Unified relay – Vaysean McKee and Aleana Barrett (3rd) 21.99
****
–NICHOLAS COUNTY BLUE JACKETS–
110m hurdles – Andrew Watkins (23rd) 18.69
4×200 relay – Nicholas County (12th) 1:37.07
4×100 relay – Nicholas County (20th) 47.69
400m dash – CJ Koeder (6th) 52.06
300m hurdles – Dylan Donovan (17th) 44.71
200m dash – CJ Koeder (14th) 23.72
Triple Jump – Watkins (18th) 38-09
High Jump – Alex Koeder (13th) 5-10
Pole Vault – Donovan (13th) 10-00
****
–NICHOLAS COUNTY LADY JACKETS–
Discus Throw – Meghan Planck (14th) 91-06
****
Before they take to the track for the 2A State meet on Friday, June 3rd, Colonel Coach Drew Perraut had this to say to his team and what it will take for them to win a state track and field title.
“It’s been a long season with a lot of ups and downs. With five days to go, I want you to know that I believe in this team. I know what you are capable of, and it’s my hope that you do as well. To win something like this takes everyone on the same page. It will not be given to us from another team, we have to take it and it will take our focus in every second and every inch of a throw or a jump. Coming up .5 short can be the difference. We are the underdogs and the other teams that have a chance have won theirs before and have been here before. So what is your choice, what do you all want? I have belief and hope in every member of this team and it will take a team and not individuals to accomplish this task.”
“If you are an eighth grader or a senior, you are important! If you are not running, you are important! This does not happen by accident, it happens with hard work, love, respect and humbleness. When you are prepared, you don’t have to be nervous, when you give it your all, you can except the results. We can all live with mistakes (and there will be some). There is no way to let anyone down because we are in the ARENA doing the very best we can. Love each other and enjoy the journey, because as we have learned, it can all be gone in a moment. So, spend the next week doing the little thing, preparing your mind, stretching, clearing your mind and keeping distractions away. You have the rest of the summer for distractions. I’m proud of you, I believe in you, and I love each and every one of you. Never Quit, We Rise Together!”
Your Proud Coach
REPEAT CHAMPIONS – After a spectacular all-around performance by his team, Coach Drew Perraut’s Bourbon County Lady Colonel track team captured the region track title for the second straight year last week at Scott High. They will be a serious threat to win the state 2A meet come this Friday at UK.
