Yellow Jackets travel to Oregon to compete in Nike Outdoor Nationals

It was another successful spring season for the Williamsburg High School track and field team. The Jackets and Lady Jackets managed to compile a long list of achievements during the past season, but junior Nate Goodin and senior Lylah Mattingly gave performances worthy of a trip to the recent Nike Outdoor Nationals competition in Eugene, Ore.

Goodin came into the season as the defending Class A state champion in long jump. He was able to walk away with another first place finish at last month’s KHSAA State Championships, but this time it was in his personal favorite event – high jump.

“Since my freshman year I have always wanted to win high jump,” said Goodin. “It felt so good to finally win.”

Goodin’s high jumping success this season led his coaches to pursue securing him a spot in the Nike Outdoor Nationals at the University of Oregon. He was accepted, and for the first time ever, was on his way to the west coast.

“I was a little nervous going into it,” Goodin said of competing on the national level. “But then I was able to clear the opening height. That provided me with a boost of confidence.”

Goodin was not able to clear the bar during the second round of competition, and while he admits that it was a bit disappointing, he is still grateful that he got the opportunity to jump against some of the best high school athletes that the United States has to offer.

“Going to a big event like that, you know that the competition is going to be a lot higher,” Goodin said. “It was definitely a lot different.”

Mattingly echoed those sentiments, saying that it was tough to compete against other runners who had been to this event before, but all things considered, she was happy with how she responded to the challenge.

Mattingly finished as the state runner-up in the 300-meter hurdles among Class A girls this past season. She said that she really wanted to win the race, and isn’t really happy about the fact that she came up just short, but she is still thankful for getting the chance to contend for a state title in her senior year.

Even though Mattingly was not able to secure the state championship, her times were still good enough to send her to the outdoor nationals as well. She had her work cut out for her in Oregon, though, as the race that she would be competing in was actually a 400-meter hurdles race, which adds on 100 more meters and two additional hurdles.

“It was my first time running the 400, so it was different,” Mattingly said of the experience. “I probably could have run it a little better if I knew what to expect, like many of the other girls.”

Despite being at somewhat of a disadvantage as a newcomer to running the 400-meter hurdles, Mattingly still held her own, finishing ahead of several other competitors and proving that she belonged in the field as one of the country’s top overall athletes.

Mattingly had a busy senior year at Williamsburg, helping the Lady Jackets volleyball team to an appearance in the All “A” State Tournament back in the fall, supporting the Yellow Jackets football team as a contributing member of the cheer squad, serving as a leader on the court in the varsity basketball program’s first year under new Head Coach Melissa Douglas, and then enjoying all of the aforementioned success on the track this past spring.

“It has been good,” Mattingly said of her final months as a Lady Jacket. “I have kept myself busy, but that’s what I like. I enjoyed being a part of all the different teams. I love all my coaches, and the community of Williamsburg.”

Both Goodin and Mattingly said that they enjoyed getting to experience the sights and sounds during their recent trip, with neither having ever visited the area before.

“I thought it was beautiful out there,” said Goodin, who traveled back home by car with his parents. In all, the family took three days to get back to Kentucky, visiting Idaho, Nebraska, Wyoming, Illinois and Indiana along the way. They also diverted to Colorado so that they could see the city of Denver.

Mattingly said that she enjoyed getting to spend some time in nature while out west, going on hikes and visiting a redwood forest.

Now back home in Williamsburg, Goodin has his sights set on the upcoming high school football season, where he and the rest of the Yellow Jackets are eager to compete inside their newly upgraded facility that is complete with a turf playing surface and improved lighting. He says that he is making plans to also play basketball during his final year at WHS, and of course, he will hope to become a three-time state champion before the conclusion of the 2025 track season.

Mattingly is preparing to head south, where she will study nursing and continue a family tradition of military service as she participates in ROTC at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Fla.

For more information on the Nike Outdoor Nationals, visit www.nikeoutdoornationals.runnerspace.com.

Photos courtesy of CARRIE MATTINGLY