By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Will Sheets capped a remarkable high school running career Friday when the Covington Catholic senior helped his team win the Class 2A boys track and field state championship meet for the second consecutive year.
Sheets won the 800-meter run and placed second in the 1600 and 3200 runs to score a team-high 26 points for the Colonels. They topped the team standings with 85 total points, followed by Bourbon County with 52 points.
CovCath teams also won two Class 2A indoor track state championships and two Class 2A cross country state championships with Sheets in the lineup. As a sophomore, he finished first in Class 3A state country meet to become his school’s first individual state champion in that sport.
During Friday’s rain delayed state meet at the University of Kentucky, Sheets won the 800 run in 1:54.99 and placed second behind Riku Sugie of Thomas Nelson in the 1600 and 3200. Their finish times in the 1600 were a fraction of a second apart at 4:17.29 and 4:17.52.
CovCath’s first victory in the state meet came in the 4×200 relay with Garrett Gallagher, Jack Fleck, Charlie Link and Rhett Blettner posting a 1:30.73 finish time.
Gallagher and Blettner were also members of the 4×400 relay team that placed second.
The Colonels scored in only two field events, but sophomore Paul Klosinski won the pole vault to add 10 points to the team total. He cleared 14 feet, six inches to take the gold medal.
Lloyd placed 11th in the team standings with 24 points. Senior sprinter Josiah Lockridge finished second in the 200 dash, third in the 100 dash and was a member of the 4×200 relay team that placed fourth for the Juggernauts.
None of the local qualifiers in the Class 2A girls state meet scored points by placing among the top eight in an event. Complete results are posted on the
khsaa.org website
.
Class 2A boys track and field top finishers
FIRST-PLACE
4×200 relay —
CovCath (Garrett Gallagher, Rhett Blettner, Charlie Ink, Jack Fleck) 1:30.73.
800 run —
Will Sheets (CovCath) 1:54.99.
Pole vault —
Paul Klosinski (CovCath) 14-6.
SECOND PLACE
1600 run —
Will Sheets (CovCath) 4:17.52.
200 dash —
Josiah Lockridge (Lloyd) 22.28.
3200 run —
Will Sheets (CovCath) 9:27.44.
4×400 relay —
CovCath (Garrett Gallagher, Rhett Blettner, Jackson Schmid, Jack Fleck) 3:26.45.