Sunday, June 06, 1999
St. Henry only needs 4 to win boys track title
BY NEIL SCHMIDT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
LEXINGTON, Ky. — For his next trick, Matt Curless will draw water from a stone. Or, if you like, blood from a turnip.
The first-year St. Henry track coach wrung a Class A state championship Saturday from just four athletes. Miracle may be too strong a word, but magical would work.
“Even we're surprised,” junior Jeff Topmiller said. “We're thrilled, but still a little bit in shock.”
The Crusaders finished third last year without a single runner, and field events were again led by the Aerodynamic Duo: Topmiller and senior Keith Schuler. Schuler won the long jump, high jump and triple jump, and Topmiller took third, second and eighth in those events, respectively.
The difference Saturday was on the track, as senior Todd Brentnall finished fifth in the 300-meter hurdles and sophomore Ryan McLane took third in the 1,600 run.
“That's only 13 points, but that was what won it for us,” Curless said.
St. Henry totaled 56 points, claiming its second title; the first was in 1996. Frankfort and Kentucky Country Day tied for second with 47. Dayton tied for sixth; Bellevue placed ninth.
Schuler had won two of his events Friday, so when he won long jump Saturday with a 22-8, he became the first Northern Kentucky athlete to win three field events. He also placed eighth in the 200.
Topmiller is stuck in Schuler's shadow, but his 18 points were just as critical. “He doesn't get the recognition he deserves,” McLane said.
Said Curless: “We're a small team, but we were really pumped for this year.”
Dayton senior Brandon Hall won the 110 hurdles (15.31) and 300 hurdles (40.44), after finishing fourth in both events last spring.
“Last year the only people who beat me were seniors,” he said. “This happened to be my time.”
Bellevue senior Matt Mickelson placed second in the 3,200, and Ludlow junior Andy Reed was the discus runner-up.
Class AA
Last year a third-place finish in the 1,600 relay, the meet's final event, cost Highlands a possible state title. Though they weren't in contention Saturday, the Bluebirds made sure to end with a bang.
This time battling for second, Highlands won the 1,600 meter relay in a school-record 3:25.82 to clinch another runner-up finish. The Bluebirds scored 51 points; Union County won its third straight title with 79.
“We had a bad taste all year after coming up short last year,” said senior Josh Hasson, who teamed with juniors Joe Salvato and Matt Eward and senior Jeff Mirrilees on the winning relay. “When we were told we needed this for second, it was a chance for redemption.”
Said Ewald: “We needed to send Jeff and Josh out with a win.”
It was Highlands' first state title in a running event this decade.
Mirrielees also added thirds in the 800 and 1,600, and had run on the runner-up 3,200 relay Friday. Hasson had finished sixth in the 400 and seventh in the 200.
Highlands sophomore Brent Grover finished fourth in discus. Junior Colin Muehlenkamp placed sixth in both the 1,600 and 3,200.
Class AAA
Covington Catholic ran faster than last year but wound up with the same finish: Fourth.
“The speed was faster this year overall,” CovCath coach Jim Johnson said. “Our times would have gotten us higher finishes last year.”
The Colonels totaled 52 points; Daviess County won with 73. CovCath's finishes this year and last are the highest by a Northern Kentucky AAA boys team.
CovCath had three fourth-place finishes Saturday: The 1,600 relay of seniors Matt Suedkamp, Brennan Basford, Dan Barczak and Nick Hoppenjans (in a school-record 3:25.99), senior Chris Resing in the 300 hurdles, and Barczak in the 800.
“We're disappointed we're not bringing home a trophy,” Johnson said. “But I told the kids to leave it all on the track, and they did. I couldn't be prouder.”
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