Lexington Catholic’s girls secure a three-peat in Class 2A track and field

It was more tightly contested than the last two seasons, but Lexington Catholic’s girls once again reigned supreme at the Class 2A Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Track and Field Outdoor State Championships.

The Knights, now winners of three straight team titles and four overall (they took the girls Class A crown in 1971) scored 88 points Friday at the University of Kentucky Outdoor Track and Field Complex. That was just five fewer than they did in last year’s win (93) and five more than their streak-starter in 2023 (83), but other teams were closer on their heels this go-around.

Calloway County, which barely cracked the top 10 last season, scored 75 points to finish second. The Lakers were neck-and-neck with LexCath in the standings for much of the day but didn’t have quite enough gas in the final distance events to keep up. They edged the girls from Mason County, who posted their third top-three finish in the last four seasons.

Caroline Beiting, a senior, anchored the Knights’ 4-by-400 relay winner to close the meet and one of the most decorated running careers in city history. In outdoor track and field competition, she leaves Lexington Catholic as a four-time champion in the 1,600-meter run and a three-time champion in the 800, 4-by-400 relay and 4-by-800 relay. In the two seasons that the KHSAA has sponsored indoor track and field, she earned four golds. This past fall, she won the Class 2A cross country title.

It’s not a surprise at all that she’ll suit up next year for a major college, the University of Michigan.

“Go Blue,” Beiting said with a smile. “I’m so excited for this next step. I still have a couple more (prep) postseason meets, but after that I’ll start my training really soon.”

The Knights no doubt will miss Beiting but could certainly extend their run of outdoor championships, individual and team, through 2026. She’s one of four outgoing seniors — joined by Kelly Lennon, Cecelia Lowry and Sarah Wethington — who competed Friday, but underclassmen contributed a significant amount to LexCath’s final tally.

Juniors Joanna Bryant and Sarah Scott joined sophomore Abigail Turner and Beiting on the final relay team. Scott was also part of the winning 4-by-800 relay and ran fifth in the 400; Bryant was second in that race.

Scott enrolled at Lexington Catholic this school year as a transfer from Bourbon County. Being part of the Knights’ track and field program has been an eye-opener.

“Just to experience how much they win and their dedication, it made me more dedicated,” Scott said. “Watching them and to be able to train with them is such a great opportunity. I’m so grateful to be on this team now. They’ve helped me grow.”

• Lexington Catholic’s teams on Friday ran in honor of a classmate named Eli who’s battling cancer. They wore green ribbons in recognition of him. “He is just the most joyful person ever and shows God’s love to everyone, so we want to spread that to the world and cheer,” Turner said.

Appalachia’s speedsters

Runners from Appalachian counties, as defined by the Appalachian Regional Commission, swept the sprint events (the 100, 200 and 400).

Harlan County senior Luke Kelly took the boys’ 100 and 200 titles, besting Boyle County’s Geordon Brown by a mere 0.06 seconds in the former. He welled up several minutes after completion of that race. He finished in first all nine times he raced the 100 this season.

Kelly had never placed higher than third at state before Friday’s wins.

“Five years of hard work, every day,” Kelly said through tears. “It’s all paid off now. It’s amazing.”

Jolana Schenkel, a junior out of McCreary Central, ran in the slowest heat of the girls 100 at last year’s meet but finished fifth. She ran third in the 200 in 2024 as part of the top flight. Schenkel swept both races as a favorite this time around.

She became the first athlete, boy or girl, in McCreary Central’s history to win an outdoor track and field title. Shenkel, whose family moved from Bryan, Ohio, ahead of her sophomore school year, finished unbeaten in the 100 and 200 this season.

“I love running a lot,” Shenkel said. “When I’m there, that’s my happy place. It’s like, ‘OK, we got this, we’re gonna dig in.’ There’s really nothing that I do that’s special. Just go to practice, do what coaches ask us to do, go workout in our little gym when we’re supposed to. That’s really all that I do.”

Bryan isn’t too different from Whitley City, she says, except for one thing.

“There isn’t a Walmart in our town,” Schenkel said with a laugh. “So all that I really lost was a Walmart.”

Lincoln County’s Eli Roberts and Fleming County’s Kalynn Pease split the boys and girls 400, respectively. It was a repeat title for Pease, who also defended her title in the long jump.

• Jermani Crosby, a junior from Lincoln County, won her fourth shot put title in a row but was unable to defend her discus title. She’ll look for a rare five-peat and to reclaim the latter crown in her final season. “I think I was just releasing it too early,” said Crosby, who admitted the cold, rainy conditions got to her. “And I let the fear of falling in the ring take over me a bit. But all throwers should be able to go with the conditions wherever they’re throwing. Rain, cold, sleet, they should be able to adjust to those conditions.”

Spreading the leaps

Four hurdlers from three schools won Class 2A titles this year.

TaZyriah Miley brought home the girls 100 hurdles gold for Franklin County, which also won it last year. Mariah Jackson, a current junior at Franklin County, suffered a knee injury midseason and couldn’t defend her title in the event. Miley, a senior who finished runner-up to her teammate last year, would have gladly ran second again if Jackson competed.

“I miss my hurdle buddy,” Miley said. “It’s bittersweet to come back and win it.”

Marleigh Estes, a junior from Bourbon County, repeated as the 300 hurdles champ. Teammate Asher Mattox, a senior, won his first gold in the boys 300 hurdles. Both were asked who was the better leaper.

“Definitely Asher,” Estes said.

Mattox showed similar humility.

“Whenever she first started 110 hurdles, she was whooping me, I was pretty slow at those,” Mattox said.

Harrison County senior Tanner Tumey scored the school’s first win in the 100 hurdles since Adam Franklin won it in back-to-back seasons (2003 and 2004). That race was contested in one of the rainier parts of the day and he was the only contestant to break 15 seconds.

“I think out of everyone, I’m the best prepared for this and it showed,” Tumey said. “We practiced in the rain. It’s been a tough year for weather and we just battled through it.”

KHSAA state track and field championships: Class 2A results

Complete results available on KHSAA.org.

BOYS

Top 20 teams: 1. Covington Catholic (CovCath) 85; 2. Bourbon County 52; 3. Boyle County 48.5; 4. Mercer County 48; 5. Paducah Tilghman 38; 6. Bardstown 30; t7. Thomas Nelson 29; t7. Harlan County 29; 9. Harrison County 27; 10. LaRue County 25; t11. Greenup County 24; t11. Lloyd Memorial 24; t11. Rowan County 24; t24; 14. Lexington Catholic 23; 15. Logan County 19; 16. Christian Academy of Louisville (CAL) 18; 17. Henry County 17; 18. Russell 14; 19. Lincoln County 13; 20. East Carter 12.

Top individuals: 4-by-800-meter relay—1. Lexington Catholic (Asher Feddock, Caleb Turner, Mark Reinhart, Liam Havens) 8:13.99; 2. Bourbon County (Christopher Wells, Jesus Mendoza-Solis, Grant Perraut, Kenneth Salas) 8:21.74; 3. Elizabethtown (Ethan Cox, Kobe Ryan, Harris Springsteen, Blake West) 8:27.46. 110 hurdles—1. Tanner Tumey, Harrison County, 14.67; 2. NaShawn Brooks, Corbin, 15.38; 3. Lawson Hunt, Harrison County, 15.49. 100—1. Luke Kelly, Harlan County, 11.17; 2. Geordon Brown, Boyle County, 11.23; Josiah Lockridge, Lloyd Memorial, 11.25. 4-by-200 relay—1. CovCath (Garrett Gallagher, Rhett Blettner, Charlie Ink, Jack Fleck) 1:30.73; 2. Paducah Tilghman (Kylen Ware, Ahmad Wilkins, Tyigan Williams, Alija Bush) 1:31.72; 3. Bardstown (Kenyin Calhoun, K.J. Stafford, Riley Hatfield, Sevyn Hamilton) 1:32.22. 1,600—1. Riku Sugie, Thomas Nelson, 4:17.29; 2. Will Sheets, CovCath, 4:17.52; 3. Joe Mayer, CovCah, 4:23.56. 4-by-100 relay—1. Boyle County (Geordon Brown, Brock Driver, Andrew Nason, Colin Lay) 43.26; 2. LaRue County (Oliver Kudrna, Christopher Dunn, John Wiley, Brock Shelton) 44.25; 3. CAL (Samuel Moskovich, Noah Perkins, Christian LeSage, Gerhard Neuner) 44.32. 400—1. Eli Roberts, Lincoln County, 50.31; 2. Kylen Ware, Paducah Tilghman, 50.46; 3. Rhett Blettner, CovCath, 50.91. 300 hurdles—1. Asher Mattox, Bourbon County, 38.36; 2. Drew Boggs, Greenup County, 39.82; 3. Tanner Tumey, Harrison County, 40.25. 800—1. Will Sheets, CovCath, 1:54.99; 2. Jesus Mendoza-Solis, Bourbon County, 1:55.30; 3. Asher Feddock, LexCath, 1:55.87. 200—1. Luke Kelly, Harlan County, 22.17; 2. Josiah Lockridge, Lloyd Memorial, 22.28; 3. Cayden Pennington, Russell, 22.30. 3,200—1. Riku Sugie, Thomas Nelson, 9:24.26; 2. Will Sheets, CovCath, 9:27.44; 3. Joe Mayer, CovCath, 9:29.42. 4-by-400 relay—1. Bourbon County (Jacob Ezell, Mark Perraut, Asher Mattox, Jesus Mendoza-Solis) 3:24.66; 2. CovCath 3:26.45; 3. Paducah Tilghman 3:27.63. Shot put—1. Noah Nichols, Mercer County, 52-07.25; 2. Gage Bennett, Mercer County, 50-02.75; 3. Isaac Adkins, Johnson Central, 49-10. Discus—1. Allen Cooper, East Carter, 168-00; 2. Cooper Howard, Greenup County, 155-11; 3. Wyatt Hudson, Russell, 155-10. Long jump—1. Hampton Crowe, Henry County, 20-09; 2. Nicholas Blann, Logan County, 20-02; 3. Mijaia Dunn, Mercer County, 20-01. Triple jump—1. Nicholas Blann, Logan County, 45-00; 2. Cameron Cross, Rowan County, 43-06.25; 3. Brayden Wilson, Paducah Tilghman, 43-06. High jump—1. Chris Cross, Rowan County, 6-06; 2. Tykeem Taul-Williams, Bardstown, 6-04; 3. Cameron Cross, Rowan County, 6-02. Pole vault—1. Paul Kosinski, CovCath, 14-06; t2. Cooper Crowdus, Union County, 14-00; t2. Jayce Brown, Harlan County, 14-00

GIRLS

Top 20 teams: 1. Lexington Catholic (LexCath) 88; 2. Calloway County 75; Mason County 68; 4. Bourbon County 55; 5. Fleming County 37; 6. John Hardin 34; 7. Boyle County 30.5; 8. Elizabethtown 27; 9. Franklin County 25; 10. Bardstown 22; t11. McCreary Central 20; Christian Academy of Louisville (CAL) 20; 13. Mercer County 19; 14. Thomas Nelson 18; 15. Warren East 17; t16. Russell 16; t16. Harrison County 16; 18. Logan County 15; 19. Corbin 11; t20. Lincoln County 10; t20. Webster County 10

Top individuals: 4-by-800-meter relay—1. LexCath (Caroline Beiting, Anna Dawahare, Sarah Scott, Cecelia Lowry) 10:04.88; 2. Bourbon County (Ruby DeAtley, Addison Felty, Makenna Hunter, Macey McKinzie) 10:32.58; 3. John Hardin (Ayla Lawrence, Kendall Lambert, Laila Williams, Brooke Swanson) 10:33.09. 100 hurdles—1. TaZyriah Miley, Franklin County, 15.80; 2. Marleigh Estes, Bourbon County, 15.80; 3. Savannah Kennedy, Harrison County, 16.00. 100—1. Jilana Schenkel, McCreary Central, 12.30; 2. Kalynn Pease, Fleming County, 12.36; 3. Lexi Young, Mason County, 12.62. 4-by-200 relay—1. LexCath (Joanna Bryant, Kelly Lennon, Zoe Cliburn, Lilly Knopp) 1:46.64; 2. Calloway County (Marciyah Mays, Ann Marie Arnett, Lexi McClure, Hayden Loveless) 1:47.58; 3. Franklin County (Deon Echols, Kate Alvis, London White, TaZyriah Miley) 1:47.67. 1,600—1. Caroline Beiting, LexCath, 4:58.77; 2. Baili Hoten, Thomas Nelson, 5:00.36; 3. Abigail Turner, LexCath, 5:02.57. 4-by-100 relay—1. Calloway County (Layla Green, Marciyah Mays, Lexi McClure, Hayden Loveless) 50.37; 2. Paducah Tilghman (Jasline English, Ameeria Rouse, Alice Kemuish, Teriel Edwards) 51.42; 3. Franklin County (Deon Echols, London White, TaZyriah Miley, Kate Avlis) 51.50. 400—1. Kalynn Pease, Fleming County, 58.14; 2. Joanna Bryant, LexCath, 59.00; 3. Addison Felty, Bourbon County, 1:00.06. 300 hurdles—1. Marleigh Estes, Bourbon County, 45.38; 2. McKayla Moore, Bardstown, 45.94; 3. Madison Hunt, Harrison County, 47.71. 800—1. Caroline Beiting, LexCath, 2:17.14; 2. Abigail Turner, LexCath, 2:22.51; 3. Jaidan Koch, Calloway County, 2:23.46. 200—1. Jolana Schenkel, McCreary Central, 25.05; 2. Kalynn Pease, Fleming County, 25.35; 3. Blakely Touche, CAL, 25.96. 3,200—1. Baili Hoten, Thomas Nelson, 11:14.86; 2. Mayci Moore, Webster County, 11:22.72; 3. Anabelle Plummer, CAL, 11:35.00. 4-by-400 relay—1. Lexington Catholic (Joanna Bryant, Abigail Turner, Sarah Scott, Caroline Beiting) 4:05.15; 2. Boyle County (Kendra Christopher, Claire Combs, Lucy May, Stella Thompson) 4:08.51; 3. Elizabethtown (Rachel Bell, Npelle Garcia, Miyah Courtney, Mya Moore) 4:10.87. Shot put—1. Germani Crosby, Lincoln County, 39-0; 2. Kayleigh Rice, John Hardin, 37-2.50; 3. Arizona Pope, Bardstown, 33-3.75. Discus—1. Maddi Baker, Mercer County, 129-6; 2. Delilah Martter, Warren East, 119-4; 3. Claire Springsteen, Elizabethtown, 110-1. Long jump—1. Kalynn Pease, Fleming County, 18-2.25; 2. Lexi Young, Mason County, 17-9.75; 3. Stella Thompson, Boyle County, 16-0.75. Triple jump—1. Lexi Young, Mason County, 36-0.75; 2. Ann Marie Arnett, Calloway County, 34-10.75; 3. Nia Scipio, Logan County, 33-9.25. High jump—1. Lexi Young, Mason County, 5-8; 2. Brelynn Wardlow, Warren East, 5-4; 3. Layla Green, Calloway County, 5-2. Pole vault—1. Ava Thompson, Mason County, 12-0; 2. Ava Hernandez, Bourbon County, 11-0; 3. Sarah Payne, Mason County, 10-6.

This story was originally published May 31, 2025 at 8:48 AM.