By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
The Highlands boys track team that scored just five points in the 2019 Class 2A state meet came close to winning the championship trophy in Friday’s season finale at the University of Kentucky.
Mercer County won the boys state title with 78.5 total points. Highlands placed second with 75 points, even though the Bluebirds had only one first-place finisher in 18 events.
Highlands teammates (left to right) Aiden Nevels, Jake Welch, Will Griffith and Thomas Gray-Torsell poss for photos with the state runner-up trophy. (Photo from team’s Twitter account)
Highlands junior Jake Welch won the 400-meter run in 49.67 to claim the team’s lone gold medal. The Bluebirds actually got most of their points by placing second in two relays, two field events and the 110 hurdles.
The first eight points Highlands scored came on a second-place finish in the 4×800 relay. Welch was a member of the 4×400 relay team that finished second in the final track event on the schedule.
The Bluebirds also got second-place points from sophomore Aiden Nevels in 110 hurdles, senior Harrison Pawsat in discus and junior Isaac Surrey in long jump.
None of the local athletes in the Class 2A girls state meet won events and the highest team total was 34 points by Highlands for a sixth-place finish.
Highlands senior Maggie Schroeder placed second in the 3200 run and she was on the 4×800 relay team that came in second. The Bluebirds’ top scorer in field events was sophomore Rylee Swope, who placed fifth in both the shot put and discus.
Team scores and complete event results for the Class 2A state meet are on the khsaa.org website. The track and field state championships will conclude on Saturday with the Class 3A boys and girls competition.
Top local finishers in the Class 2A state meet
BOYS EVENTS
400 dash — 1st: Jake Welch (Highlands) 49.67
4×800 relay — 2nd: Highlands (Will Griffith, Thomas Gray-Torsell, Alex Lacourt, Jack Banks) 8:15.83
110 hurdles — 2nd: Aiden Nevels (Highlands) 15.41
4×400 relay — 2nd: Highlands (Will Griffith, Thomas Gray-Torsell, Jake Welch, Aiden Nevels) 3:25.49
Discus — 2nd: Harrison Pawsat (Highlands) 152-00
Long jump — 2nd: Isaac Surrey (Highlands) 21-03 1/2
GIRLS EVENTS
4×800 relay — 2nd: Highlands (Franny Smith, Maggie Schroeder, Alyssa Harris, Adrienne Harris) 10:08.32
3200 run — 2nd: Maggie Schroeder (Highlands) 11:33.82
MIXED UNIFIED
4×100 relay — 1st: Scott (Kaitlyn Grome, TJ Heming, Maggie Chastang, Jeremiah Jackson) 1:05.02
