Run, jump, throw: What a week for area track and field teams

It has been a busy, busy week as far as local sports are concerned. Many of our area youngsters are continuing to compete in various youth sports leagues, and many more are signing up for summer camp opportunities. We have learned who will be the next head coach of the Corbin High School football program. We have seen Corbin tennis players make deep runs in state tournaments, and we have seen new regional champions crowned in high school baseball and softball.

While all of this was going on, we also had a long list of coverage area student-athletes who made the trip to Lexington last Thursday and Friday to compete in this year’s Kentucky High School Athletic Association State Track and Field Championships. It turned out to be a very successful two days, with multiple state championship titles making their way back to our neck of the woods.

I will direct you to this week’s sports coverage for photos and full details on the results from the 2024 KHSAA State Track Championships, but I did want to take the time here to highlight a handful of individual efforts that were particularly noteworthy.

First, congratulations to Corbin High School seniors Connor Messer and Coleman Anderson. These two young men led the Redhound boys’ 4×800-meter relay team to a Class 2A state championship title last Friday after finishing third in the same event one year ago. They also helped lead the 4×400-meter relay team to a top five finish later in the day.

Messer came home from this year’s Class 2A meet as a double state champion after also winning the boys 800-meter run event. Anderson impressed in this event as well, finishing third.

The Corbin girls were led this year by senior Maddie Jo Russell, who had a heck of a day at the state meet with third place finishes in the 100-meter and 300-meter hurdle events. Russell also finished in the top five of the girls high jump event, and she helped the Lady Hounds’ 4×400-meter relay team to a top five finish as well. Incredible!

Last Thursday, this year’s Class A championship meet took place at the University of Kentucky. As usual, Williamsburg High School sent several athletes to the meet, and many managed to medal in their respective events. A few performances stand out above the rest, though.

The top finish of the day was WHS junior Nate Goodin becoming a state champion in the boys high jump. This is an event that he finished runner-up in last year, falling just short against Bethlehem High School’s Isaiah Ballard. This year, Goodin was able to best Ballard and walk away with first place honors.

Goodin is a back-to-back state champion, having won the boys long jump competition last year. He was not able to successfully defend that title in 2024, but he was still able to finish in the top five. Not a bad day!

A pair of Lady Jacket seniors also gave great performances at the Class A meet, with Lylah Mattingly finishing in the top five in the 100-meter hurdles and runner-up in the 300-meter hurdles. Madison Peace, meanwhile, finished in the top five in the 400-meter dash and the 200-meter dash.

No doubt, the departure of all of the above-named senior athletes will be felt by their respective programs in the future. Congratulations to all of these young men and ladies for capping off another spring sports season in such a big way!