Saturday, June 02, 2001
Ky. track highlights
Highlands' Grover wins state shot put
By Ray Schaefer
Enquirer contributor
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Highlands senior Brent Grover wanted it all Friday: a Class AA state shot put title at the University of Kentucky and his spot in line at commencement exercises back in Fort Thomas. And Grover got both.
His throw of 51 feet, 9 inches at Shively Track was long enough by a foot over Paducah Tilghman's Thomas Argo's 50-9.
Grover goes for the double today. He is the defending champion in the discus, which begins at 4:30p.m.
As Grover hurried off the track, jumped a fence and left Lexington with his father, he remembered the irony in what he did - he won on his last throw.
“Last year I lost on the last throw,” Grover said. “I guess it makes up for last year.”
Not only was Grover's final throw the winning throw, it was nearly 2 feet farther than any of his previous five.
Class AAA
Boone County senior Christen Jones will not defend her 100-meter dash state title. She was called for a false start in her preliminary heat Friday and was disqualified.
Jones and Lexington Bryan Station junior Shanika Penman both moved, but only Jones was removed.
“That happens in track and field,” Boone County coach Tim Schlotman said. “She hasn't false-started since the eighth grade. I watched it on videotape; she flinched.”
Jones rebounded. She qualified in the 100 hurdles with the top time of 15.14 seconds. She also qualified fourth in the 200 dash (26.68) and 300 hurdles (48.71).
Covington Catholic senior Mike Applegate was state runner-up in the shot put. His throw of 52 feet was second to Louisville St.Xavier's Drew Traub's 53 1/4.
“It's better than last year,” Applegate said. “I got sixth last year.”
Class A
Frankfort holds a 16-14 lead over four-time defending girls champion Bishop Brossart after three events, but Lady 'Stangs coach Dave Schuh wasn't worried.
“We didn't qualify as many as we did (last year),” Schuh said. “But we're in the 100-meter hurdles and two in 400 meters, and all our relays qualified.”
Brossart started well Friday. Junior Stacy Bertram, senior Katie Schwegmann, junior Megan Uebel and sophomore Stephanie Clark took the 3,200 relay (10:03.77) by nearly 11 seconds over St.Henry.
“We were leading from the starting line to the finish line,” Schuh said. “That's the way you like to do it.”
St. Henry's boys — sophomores Tim McLane and Austin Kunz, junior Brian Burgheim and senior Ryan McLane — won the 3,200 relay (8:23.07) by more than four seconds over Williamsburg.
Unlike the Brossart girls, the Crusaders boys had to make up a 20-yard deficit and didn't take the lead for good until Ryan McLane passed Williamsburg's Aaron Jeffries with 400 meters to go.
“I questioned whether to take him the first lap, but I waited 'til second,” Ryan McLane said.
St.Henry's boys are second to Kentucky Country Day, 20-19, in the team standings after five events.
Brossart's boys have a lot to make up to win their second straight team title. The Mustangs are tied for ninth with nine points, but coach Brad Dunlevy thought his team would score well in today's distance events and sprints.
“I'm just trying to keep the team focused, mainly,” Dunlevy said. “They're down, because we started out a little flat.”
Sports Stories
Reds 5, Cards 1
Who's on third? Why, it's Dmitri
Larkin, Boone making progress
Reds box, runs
SULLIVAN: Bengals fans wanted for movie
Bengals tackle racial healing
Ky. track highlights
