All-Area boys track: Records and redemption: Terrill repeats as Athlete of the Year; Holbrook takes coaching honors
Jun. 24—CANNONSBURG JB Terrill didn't just defend his state championship.
He went back-to-back by breaking the Class 2A 800-meter state record — with a hamstring he termed "messed up" and, he found out the next day, while also positive for COVID-19.
You could be forgiven for thinking Boyd County's senior sounds like a modern-day Chuck Norris — he of "the dark is scared of Chuck Norris" and other jokes of the like.
For Terrill, happy as he was to finish the 800 in the state meet in 1 minute, 54.02 seconds — bettering Lexington Catholic's Thomas Canary's mark set in 2008 by four hundredths of a second — it was also about finding redemption after a senior cross country season that was exceptional and yet also left Terrill hungry for a little more.
"I hit State track last year and I was like, 'I did so good,' and I feel like I might have gotten a little complacent during cross," Terrill said during the All-Area photo shoot at Boyd County. "There were times where I probably should've been running harder, but I think that state (cross country) meet, I was like, 'This proves that you gotta get your crap together, JB, if you want to do it again.'"
Terrill did want to do it again, and he did do it again. and thanks to posting that time as well as northeastern Kentucky's top marks in the 400 and the 1,600, he is The Daily Independent's All-Area Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year.
"Just the overall feeling of being a state champion is one of the best probably I'll ever have," Terrill, a Louisville signee, said. "I'm thankful that I got to do it again."
Chris Holbrook had the same feeling. He is the All-Area Coach of the Year in his first year at Russell — eight years after receiving that honor for the first time, in 2014, as the co-Coach of the Year in his first season as a head coach.
That was at Boyd County, and while Holbrook remembers his time in Cannonsburg fondly, he is now directing the programs at his alma mater.
"It's home," Holbrook said. "That's the big thing. I was proud of what we did at Boyd County. Had great kids, and I was really proud of it, but to come back after a few years off and to follow in coach (Lee) Evans's footsteps ... I don't know which one's more special, but this one's pretty fulfilling."
Holbrook is the Red Devils' second consecutive boys track Coach of the Year. Evans claimed that accolade last season in his final year before retiring.
"He won a region last year," Holbrook interjected. "A little pressure on you to repeat that."
Russell — and Holbrook — did, by outscoring runner-up Mason County, 167-106.5, in the Class 2A, Region 6 championship meet.
It required a different coaching mentality, Holbrook said, than when he took over the Lions and aided their ascent to eventual region champion status under his successor, Clayton McClelland.
"This wasn't a rebuild. You had to make sure it stays on the same plane," Holbrook said of his new job. "It was different. I liked starting from nothing and building up, nobody expecting you to do it, but this was a new challenge. Russell has a strong history in track. You go back to (former coaches) Alice Lee, Jim Epling, people like that.
"There was some added pressure, definitely, but I wouldn't do it any other place but home. It was home, so you had to be the flag-bearer."
Holbrook also credited assistant coaches Terri Epperson, Joan-Michael Leadingham and Chuck Cantrell for their role in Russell's rise.
The All-Area team is composed of athletes who recorded the best time or distance in each event from northeastern Kentucky schools this season, as reported to MileSplit, including the members of top-finishing relay foursomes. Athletes who were fifth or better in multiple events also qualified for the team. Honorable mention recognition went to athletes who did not meet those criteria but were eighth or better in multiple events among area competition.
The newspaper's sports department selected the Athlete and Coach of the Year.
In addition to his Class 2A state record in the 800, Terrill also ran northeastern Kentucky's top 400 (50.78 seconds) and 1,600 (4:18.24) and was a member of the Lions' area-best 4x4 and 4x8 relays.
Terrill is the Athlete of the Year for the second straight spring, and a Lion has won outright or shared that honor in five consecutive seasons. Reese Robinson did it in 2017 and '18 and Isaiah Caperton shared it in 2019.
The Lions' 4x4 group, composed of Gavin Brock, Hudson Cox, Rolen Sanderson and Terrill, completed the mile relay in 3:33.84. The 4x8 relay — Grant Chaffin, Cox, Sanderson and Terrill — posted a time of 8:21.77.
Boyd County's eight All-Area honorees were the most from any school. Mason Newsome's 3,200 was the area's best at 10:26.75. Cole Sexton was second in the area in the discus (141 feet, 11 inches) and third in the shot put (44 feet, 11 inches). Adam Sworski was fifth in the 110 hurdles (17.40) and fourth in the 300 hurdles (43.97).
Russell and Greenup County both supplied six selections.
The Red Devils' Riley Anger, Brady Bell, D'Marques Kershner and Dougie Oborne completed the 4x2 relay in 1:33.44. Oborne also had the area's top long jump (19 feet, 11.5 inches) and 300 hurdles time (43.53).
Davis Brown was third in northeastern Kentucky in the 400 (52.49), second in the 800 (1:55.46), second in the 1,600 (4:37.27) and fifth in the 3,200 (11:03.12). David Harless supplied the top shot put (51 feet, 10.5 inches).
For the Musketeers, Braxton Noble, Wyatt Perkins, Tyson Sammons and Brock Thomas ran the 4x1 relay in 45.40. Noble also ran the 200 in 23.61, the fastest in the area.
Trenton Hannah had the top discus mark (148 feet, 3 inches) and Ike Henderson was fourth in the 100 hurdles (16.90) and second in the 300 hurdles (43.83).
Raceland had four selections — its 4x1 team, which finished a trip around the track in 45.54 seconds: Cam Bell, Parker Gallion, Mason Lykins and Christian Waugh. Lykins also high-jumped 6 feet, 2 inches.
Menifee County, Rowan County and West Carter collected two honorees each.
The Wildcats' Dylan Adams was third in the area in the 100 (11.57) and fourth in the 200 (23.82). Brevon Ricker was fifth in the 1,600 (4:43.52) and fourth in the 3,200 (10:35.73).
The Vikings' AJ Barker finished fourth in the 800 (2:00.85) and third in the 1,600 (4:38.18), and Trevor Gibson tied for northeastern Kentucky's top pole vault of 11 feet. Bath County's Judah Hill matched it.
For the Comets, Dwaylon Dean was third in the 110 hurdles (16.59) and fifth in the 300 hurdles (45.35). Kaden Wilson was second in the 400 (52.15) and third in the 800 (1:59.93).
Lewis County's Austin Howard had the area's top 100 time (11.47). East Carter's David Hutchinson completed the 110 hurdles in 15.31 seconds, and Fleming County's Logan Pinkley triple-jumped 40 feet.
Brown, Chaffin and Terrill each made their third All-Area team. Brock, Cox, Hannah, Oborne, Pinkley and Wilson are second-time selections.
2022 The Daily Independent All-Area Boys Track and Field Team
Dylan Adams (Menifee County)
Riley Anger (Russell)
AJ Barker (Rowan County)
Brady Bell (Russell)
Cam Bell (Raceland)
Gavin Brock (Boyd County)
Davis Brown (Russell)
Grant Chaffin (Boyd County)
Hudson Cox (Boyd County)
Dwaylon Dean (West Carter)
Parker Gallion (Raceland)
Trevor Gibson (Rowan County)
Trenton Hannah (Greenup County)
David Harless (Russell)
Ike Henderson (Greenup County)
Judah Hill (Bath County)
Austin Howard (Lewis County)
David Hutchinson (East Carter)
D'Marques Kershner (Russell)
Mason Lykins (Raceland)
Mason Newsome (Boyd County)
Braxton Noble (Greenup County)
Dougie Oborne (Russell)
Wyatt Perkins (Greenup County)
Logan Pinkley (Fleming County)
Brevon Ricker (Menifee County)
Tyson Sammons (Greenup County)
Rolen Sanderson (Boyd County)
Cole Sexton (Boyd County)
Adam Sworski (Boyd County)
JB Terrill (Boyd County)
Brock Thomas (Greenup County)
Christian Waugh (Raceland)
Kaden Wilson (West Carter)
ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
JB Terrill (Boyd County)
COACH OF THE YEAR
Chris Holbrook (Russell)
Honorable mention: Asher Adkins (Ashland), Cole Conlon (Raceland), Luke Pridemore (Russell), Nate Sabotchick (Russell), Tre Troxler (Ashland)
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