BOYS' TRACK & FIELD: Stewart is reaching new heights

Jun. 4—FLOYDS KNOBS — Kaden Stewart has improved by leaps and bounds — quite literally — in his first full season as a high-jumper.

And because of that, the Floyd Central junior could be in contention for a state championship today.

Stewart is seeded second in the event at the IHSAA State Finals, which are scheduled to get underway at 3 p.m. this afternoon at Indiana University's Robert C. Haugh Track & Field Complex in Bloomington.

"Hopefully he can come out with an all-state medal, which I really think he should. If all goes well, he could come out state champion," Highlanders head coach Zack Koetter said.

Stewart's ascension to being one of the top high-jumpers in the state has been both rapid and remarkable. Especially when you consider that his top leap last year was 5-feet, 10-inches and his best this season, so far, is 6-10 1/4.

"It's pretty cool. It's pretty awesome to see what I can do," Stewart said earlier this week.

Koetter wondered what Stewart, who's first love was basketball, could do in the high jump after seeing him in the gym two years ago.

"I threw (a basketball) off the backboard and dunked it off one foot and Coach was like, 'You need to come out here and try out for the team,'" the 6-2 1/4 Stewart recalled.

Then COVID-19 hit, canceling the track and field season.

Stewart was able to give it a try last year, after basketball season ended, but barely got off the ground before a hamstring injury sidelined him.

"I was only jumping 5-10 (last year), so my big goal this year was to get above 6-foot, which I had no idea I was going to get," he said. "Then in practice one day I jumped 6-2 and the meet after that I jumped 6-4 and I was like, 'Holy crap, I just PR'd!' It was amazing."

In April, Stewart leaped 6-4 in the Eastern Relays at the University of Louisville to take second-place.

A week later he was a runner-up again, clearing 6-2, in the Louisville St. Xavier's Brother Borgia/Coach Cooper Invitational.

Stewart's improvement continued last month.

At the Hoosier Hills Conference Championships, he leaped 6-5 to finish first.

"He has the ability to just jump," Koetter said. "His vertical is so impressive that his technique doesn't necessarily have to be flawless."

It doesn't hurt that Stewart's skills from the hardwood translate fairly easily.

"Basketball has the same mechanics as this," he said. "When you're going to do your right-handed layup, you jump off your left foot and put your right hand in the air.

"At the beginning of the season (the coaches) were like, 'Act like there's a basketball goal there at the top.' So I would go up and try and touch it as high as I could and just flop over the bar, no technique at all. And they're like, 'Alright just do that and bend your back,' and I got 6-2. It was cool seeing what I was able to do once I learned how to do the technique and stuff."

What Stewart did at last month's sectional meet was astounding. He finished first there and broke the 40-year-old school-record, clearing 6-10 1/4.

"They moved it up to 6-9 and I got that, and that was the new school record, and I was like, 'Just keep going up,'" Stewart recalled.

The following week he overcame some early struggles (he didn't clear 6-4 until his third attempt) to leap 6-8 and win the Evansville Central Regional.

That height puts him as the No. 2 seed in today's state meet. Warren Central senior Brion Stephens, who cleared 6-11 at regional, is rated No. 1.

"I just want to place. I'm not worried about winning, I just want to get top five," Stewart said. "If I get more I'll be happy with that."

"This experience as a junior, going into here, is huge. I'm excited to see what he can do. He's excited to see what he can do. He's already getting some college attention," Koetter added. "He's just a heck of a talent. From some kid who didn't even think he could do track to come out here and be a possible state champion, and one of the best jumpers in the region, it's unbelievable."

OTHERS TO WATCH

Stewart isn't the only local with a chance to medal today.

In fact, three area athletes are among the top eight seeds in the 110-meter hurdles. Based off of their regional times, Charlestown junior Jake Ottersbach is seeded third, Jeffersonville senior Maliek Bush is fourth and Floyd Central junior Kaden Kruer is eighth.

Others to keep an eye on include Floyd sophomore Will Conway, who finished fifth in the 1,600 last year, and is seeded eighth in the 3,200 this time around; New Albany senior Ja'raylan Johnson is rated eighth in the long jump, the event in which he finished fifth last year; and Floyd junior Max Grangier is seeded ninth in the 300 hurdles.