Jaida Tooley and Warren Central will make some noise in the Class 2A State Track and Field Meet
By Perry Swack
The KHSAA State Track and Field Championships kick off this week at the University of Kentucky Outdoor Track and Field Complex in Lexington. The Class 2A meet will be held second, after the 1A meet on Thursday and before the 3A meet on Saturday. Three schools from what is generally considered the 4th Region will be competing in the Class 2A girls’ meet – Warren East, Warren Central, and Glasgow.
The Warren East Lady Raiders are coming off a Class 2A, Region 2 championship at their home track and will look to make a statement at the state meet. Amiyah Carter will feature in four different events, including the 100-meter dash, 4×100-meter relay, 4×200-meter relay, and the long jump. The freshman was the long jump region champion in the long jump, recording a finals score of 17-05. Fellow Lady Raider freshman Tayanah Woods will be competing in three events – the 100-meter hurdles, 300-meter hurdles, and the high jump. Senior Jillian Harrell will also partake in three events including the 100-meter hurdles, triple jump, and the 4×100-meter relay. Joining Carter and Harrell in the 4×100-meter relay will be Cheyenne Stark, Natajia Alexander, Reagan Lawson, and Madison Lawson. The Lady Raiders also qualified for the 4×200-meter relay and will feature Stark, R. Lawson, Alexander, Carter, Kennedy Lawson, and Hayden Wolf, while Emma McGuffey qualified for the 3200-meter run.
In the field, Warren East will send two representatives in the shot put, region champion Caroline Forrester (31-03 at region) and Kaylee Miller (30-11.25). Miller, a junior, will also take part in the discus along with Laila Sells. Natalie Harrell finished third at the region meet in the high jump; however, her score was good enough to be seeded third overall in the state competition.
Warren Central is also among the favorites in quite a few events at the state meet. The Lady Dragons are seeded #1 in the 4×200-meter relay after winning the region with a time of 1:47.73. Kelsey Lazo, Ariana Simmons, Jaida Tooley, La’Auhnni Lewis, Mia Cardillo, Yapembe Yagabo, Shukuru M’Munga, and Asiah Lamberson have all been named to the state roster for the event. These girls have also been named to the roster for the 4×100-meter relay and will be seeded fifth overall. Tooley will be the favorite to win the high jump competition after taking first at the region meet with a 5-04 mark. The senior is seeded first in the state event. The freshman Yagabo is seeded seventh and scored a 4-10 mark at region. Yagabo will also take part in the long jump, while Tooley runs in the 200-meter dash. Cardillo, a junior, will participate in the triple jump competition. Lewis is among the favorites in the 100-meter dash after winning the region race with a time of 12.89 seconds. Both Cardillo and Lewis will have a chance to make a statement at state despite it being on their first year on the track and field team.
Glasgow sophomore Caroline Murphy is seeded second in the 100-meter hurdles after a region time of 16.57 seconds secured her the title. The Lady Scotties’ 4×100-meter relay team of Murphy, Kierra Green, Mikiya Fogle, and Maryonna Bradley is also seeded second after winning the region race with a time of 50.85 seconds. Murphy will also compete in the 300-meter hurdles and the high jump, where she is also seeded second after a 5-02 mark at region. The junior Bradley will partake in the 200-meter dash after winning the region title with a time of 27.47 seconds.
The state meet will end what has been an incredibly unusual season for all track and field athletes. “We had a lot more injuries this year than I have ever had,” noted Warren Central coach Aaron Carver. “A lot of it was due to not having an off-season and jumping into the season too fast.” However, there have been positives to the uncommon year. “On the bright side, I have really got to see the resolve of this team. They just want to compete. They always say they are just built different. I hear a lot of kids saying it now at Warren Central, and they got me believing that we are built different.” Carver and the Dragons will have a chance to show their resolve on Friday in Lexington.
