Greenwood Girls’ Track & Field crowned champions at the Class 3A, Region 2 meet
By Perry Swack
It had been more than 20 years, but the Greenwood girls’ track and field team finally won the region title. The Lady Gators tallied 141.5 points to cruise to the championship at Meade County High School on May 23. On the men’s side, Greenwood finished third for a second-consecutive season; however, the Gators managed to score their most points in a regional meet (88) in at least 20 years when the KHSAA started reporting regional meet scores.
Anna Drexel led the way for the Lady Gators with four region titles in the 100, 200, and 400-meter dashes; along with the 4×400 relay with teammates Lily Clark, Caroline Freeman, and Claire Ellington. At the state meet on Saturday, Drexel will be seeded seventh (100-meter race), fifth (400), and 21st (200) in the individual events. The quartet will be seeded eighth in the 4×400 relay. Clark and Ellington also teamed up with Kylee Sutton and Charlotte Johnson to take the 4×800-meter relay at the region meet and will be seeded second at the state meet after a time of 9:41.71 in Meade County. Kayleigh Richards rounded out the individual region champions with titles in both the adapted shot put and discus.
At the men’s regional meet, the Gators took home four titles with Cates Duncan contributing in three of the events. The senior was victorious in the 800-meter run, the 1600, and the 4×400 relay with Drew Smothers, TelTel Long, and Caleb Williams. GHS clipped both North Hardin and Central Hardin by one second for the title. Sophomore Timmy Sohn also won the pole vaulting event with a final score of 11-06.00.
The South Warren women’s team finished third as a team with 103 total points, while Barren County placed fifth with 40 points. Bowling Green (19 points) and Logan County (13) rounded out the area teams and finished ninth and tenth respectively.
Barren County’s Chesney McPherson successfully qualified for the state meet again by winning the both the 1600 and 3200-meter runs where she will be seeded fourth and third. Teammate Gracie Reed also will compete at state after placing third in the region event for the 3200. South Warren freshman Zoie Elrod won the 300-meter hurdle event with a time of 50.44 seconds, while teammate Kennedy Coradini won the discus event with a score of 96-11. Logan County junior Aubreanna Evans was crowned champion in the shot put after a final round score of 30-11.00.
On the men’s side, Barren County placed fifth with 47 points, while Bowling Green took sixth with 42. Logan County (22 points) and South Warren (18) rounded out the standings. Barren County’s Aiden Miller won the discus event with a score of 139-00. Bowling Green’s Dontae Rucker was victorious in the long jump with a final score of 22-00.25, and teammate Jon Hunter won the triple jump (44-03.25).
Other State Qualifers
South Warren’s 4×800 women’s relay team is seeded third after Megan Kitchens, Hayley Best, Ryleigh Johnson, and Katelyn Best finished second at region with a time of 9:45.28. Bowling Green’s quartet of Teegan Correa, Kathryn Harris, Lucy Lowe, and Stella Miner will be seeded tenth and Barren County’s Reed, Anna Kate Alexander, Adeline Coleman, and Ella Pridemore 21st in the event.
Women’s 100-meter hurdles — Zoie Elrod, South Warren
Men’s 110-meter hurdles — Charlie Hendrix, South Warren
Women’s 100-meter and 200-meter dash — Myra Jones, Greenwood
Men’s 4×200-meter relay — Bowling Green
Women’s 1600-meter run — Kylee Sutton and Kaydee Wooldridge, Greenwood
Men’s 1600-meter run — Brody Miller, Barren County
Women’s 400-meter dash — Lily Clark, Greenwood
Men’s 400-meter dash — TelTel Long, Greenwood
Women’s 800-meter run — Megan Kitchens, South Warren & Claire Ellington, Greenwood
Women’s 3200-meter run — Kaydee Wooldridge & Charlotte Johnson (Greenwood) and Ryleigh Johnson, South Warren
Men’s Shot Put — Brayden Rider, Greenwood
Women’s Discus — Kennedy Coradini & Nailah Nwanguma, South Warren
Women’s High Jump — Addison Roemer (Barren County), Zoie Elrod (South Warren), Hannah Wiles/Hannah Boddeker (Greenwood)
Men’s High Jump — Taylor Ogles, Barren County
Women’s Pole Vault — Hannah Wiles and Jessica Peterson, Greenwood
Men’s Pole Vault — Will Fant, Barren County
Mixed 2×50 and 2×100 — Barren County
The state qualifiers from each event will now compete in Lexington on June 3 at the Clark’s Pump-n-Shop Track and Field State Championships.
