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Highlands senior repeats as state champion in 400 meters, pole vaulter pulls off upset win

james weber, cincinnati enquirer
·6 min read

LEXINGTON – Jake Welch’s day didn’t get off to the greatest start.

The Highlands senior track star finished third in the boys 100 meters Friday at the Kentucky High School Athletic Association Class 2A state track and field championships. But he pulled a quad muscle late in the race and his outlook for the rest of the meet was potentially in doubt.

Welch didn’t let that stop him. Roughly 90 minutes later, Welch went to the starting blocks to defend his state title in the 400 meters.

More: Brossart repeats as 1A girls team champ as Northern Kentucky wins 13 state track titles

Highlands senior Jake Welch at the UK track complex after winning his second state championship in the 2A boys 400 meters. June 3, 2022.
Highlands senior Jake Welch at the UK track complex after winning his second state championship in the 2A boys 400 meters. June 3, 2022.

Through most of the race, it appeared that Welch would have a high finish in the race, but not the title. But the senior took it to another gear in the final 50 meters and passed Butler County’s Josh Morris for the win. Welch ran the lap in 49.31 seconds, beating Morris by 0.36 seconds.

“I was just thinking in my head, ‘This is the state championship. This is what we do: Come from behind, we got ‘em,” Welch said. “My legs felt fresh, I felt really good, and it was a great feeling to come from behind and cross that finish line first.”

Being a repeat champ was special.

“It was an amazing feeling, going back-to-back from last year,” he said. “All the hard work I put in the last four years paid off.”

Highlands senior Jake Welch yells in joy after crossing the line following his comeback title win in the 400 meters during the Kentucky High School Athletic Association Class 2A state track and field championships June 3, 2022, at the University of Kentucky track and field complex, Lexington, Ky.
Highlands senior Jake Welch yells in joy after crossing the line following his comeback title win in the 400 meters during the Kentucky High School Athletic Association Class 2A state track and field championships June 3, 2022, at the University of Kentucky track and field complex, Lexington, Ky.

Welch later ran the 200, where he had the fastest regional time, and couldn’t quite find the same gear and finished third, an improvement on fifth place last year. He had a total of three top-three finishes on the day.

“In the 100, the last 25 meters I actually pulled my quad,” he said. “So the last two races, I’ve been running with pain. But I just put my determination and not let it stop me. It was tough, but I got the job done. Leave it all out there, that’s what we did.”

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His three medals were part of a haul of 11 for the Bluebirds, who finished second to Mercer County in the final team standings for the second-straight year.

Highlands sophomore Rilen Pinkston in the pole vault, which he would win, during the Kentucky High School Athletic Association Class 2A state track and field championships June 3, 2022, at the University of Kentucky track and field complex, Lexington, Ky.
Highlands sophomore Rilen Pinkston in the pole vault, which he would win, during the Kentucky High School Athletic Association Class 2A state track and field championships June 3, 2022, at the University of Kentucky track and field complex, Lexington, Ky.

Highlands got another title from sophomore Rilen Pinkston, who won the pole vault with a clearance of 13 feet, 6 inches. There were four athletes who cleared that height, but Pinkston won the tiebreaker because he was the only competitor to clear 13-6 on his first try.

Pinkston, also a wrestling state medalist, finished fifth in the pole vault last year.

“Terrific day for the team. We came out second place, just like last year,” Welch said. “We came through with Rilen Pinkston coming out of nowhere to win pole vault, Aiden Nevels coming in second in the hurdles again. It was a full team effort.”

Holmes' relay team of Mayne White, Robert Cameron, David Commodore and Curtez Hill with their 4th-place medal during the Kentucky High School Athletic Association Class 2A state track and field championships June 3, 2022, at the University of Kentucky track and field complex, Lexington, Ky.
Holmes' relay team of Mayne White, Robert Cameron, David Commodore and Curtez Hill with their 4th-place medal during the Kentucky High School Athletic Association Class 2A state track and field championships June 3, 2022, at the University of Kentucky track and field complex, Lexington, Ky.

Senior Thomas Gray-Torsell broke a longstanding school record in the boys 800 meters, running 1:56.07 to finish in third place. He also helped the Bluebirds finish second in the 4-x-800 relay and fourth in the 4-x-400.

Junior Aiden Nevels finished top three in both hurdles events, including second in the 110 hurdles.

Malcolm Robertson finished eighth in the 3,200 meters and Isaac Surrey fifth in the high jump.

“It was great seeing the whole season come together,” Welch said. “We work hard the whole season, going to all the different meets. Coming to practice every day, lifting weights. It’s great to come out there, have a good time, and be successful.”

Highlands junior Aiden Nevels finishes his third-place run in the 300 hurdles during the Kentucky High School Athletic Association Class 2A state track and field championships June 3, 2022, at the University of Kentucky track and field complex, Lexington, Ky.
Highlands junior Aiden Nevels finishes his third-place run in the 300 hurdles during the Kentucky High School Athletic Association Class 2A state track and field championships June 3, 2022, at the University of Kentucky track and field complex, Lexington, Ky.

In the girls meet, Highlands won seven medals. Junior Haley Zell was involved in four of them, finishing second in the triple jump and eighth in the long jump. She also ran on the medal-winning relays.

Kate Jamie and Rylee Swope also won individual medals.

The Holmes boys team finished fourth in both the 4-x-100 relay and 4-x-200, with the same quartet of Robert Cameron, Mayne White, David Commodore and Curtez Hill. Commodore is a senior.

Holmes sophomore Ja Nia Johnson finished third in the girls high jump.

Scott sophomore Maddie Strong won the only individual medal for the Eagles. She finished second in the 3,200 meters and helped the 4-x-800 relay finish fifth.

Boys 2A results

Team: 1. Mercer County 94, 2. Highlands 70, 3. North Oldham 62, 4. Thomas Nelson 40, 19. Holmes 10.

Local individual medalists (top-eight finish).

100: 3. Jake Welch (Highlands) 10.91.

200: 3. Jake Welch (Highlands) 22.47.

400: 1. Jake Welch (Highlands) 49.31.

800: 3. Thomas Gray-Torsell (Highlands) 1:56.07.

3200: 8. Malcolm Robertson (Highlands) 10:02.94.

110 hurdles: 2. Aiden Nevels (Highlands) 15.57.

300 hurdles: 3. Aiden Nevels (Highlands) 40.94.

4-x-100: 4. Holmes (Cameron, White, Commodore, Hill) 43.92.

4-x-200: 4. Holmes (White, Cameron, Commodore, Hill) 1:31.37.

4-x-400: 4. Highlands (Gray-Torsell, Hack, Lacourt, Mills) 3:30.10.

4-x-800: 2. Highlands (Gray-Torsell, Lacourt, White, Jones) 8:10.38.

High jump: 5. Isaac Surrey (Highlands) 6-0.

Pole vault: 1. Rilen Pinkston (Highlands) 13-6.

Girls 2A results

Team: 1. Mercer County 81.5, 2. Mason County 56, 3. Bourbon County and Lou. Christian 44, 10. Highlands 24, 20. Scott 12, 28. Holmes 6.

Local individual medalists (top-eight finish).

400: 8. Kate Jamie (Highlands) 1:00.19.

3200: 2. Maddie Strong (Scott) 11:28.08.

4-x-200: 5. Highlands (L. Smith, Zell, Broering, Thurnauer) 1:47.59.

4-x-400: 6. Highlands (Broering, Jamie, L. Smith, Zell) 4:12.87.

4-x-800: 3. Highlands (Jamie, F. Smith, Barber, Meyer) 10:09.69, 5. Scott (Hasler, Strong, Clemons, Lindloff) 10:14.40.

Long jump: 8. Haley Zell (Highlands) 16-1.25.

Triple jump: 2. Haley Zell (Highlands) 35-0.5.

High jump: 3. Ja Nia Johnson (Holmes) 5-2.

Shot put: 8. Rylee Swope (Highlands) 31-2.25.

Unified

Mixed shot put: 2. Aidan Kerns (Pendleton County), 6. Chris Ellis (Holmes).

Mixed long jump: 5. Aidan Kerns (Pendleton County), 7. Carson Vieth (Highlands), 8. Jeremiah Jackson (Scott).

Mixed 2x50 relay: 7. T.J. Heming (Scott), 8. Highlands (Vance Wiggins).

Mixed 4x100 relay: 3. Scott (Chastang, Heming, Beil, Jackson), 5. Highlands (Rhea, Vieth, Wiggins, Schickler), 7. Scott (Howell, Barber, Hamilton Goetz).

Mixed 4x200 relay: 5. Scott (Jackson, Barber), 7. Scott (Heming, Beil).

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Jake Welch, Rilen Pinkston win KHSAA 2A state track and field titles