LEXINGTON — Latrell Hughes will never forget the final home track meet of his career. Especially if it leads to something even more memorable for the Lexington graduate next weekend.
On Wednesday, just three days after donning a cap and gown, Hughes anchored Lexington’s 4×800 relay team to a Division II regional championship at the school. The meet concluded Friday with Hughes tacking on another title in the 800 run in his final race in front of the home crowd.
It was all part of a master plan that will hopefully lead to repeat gold medals in both races at the state meet in Columbus next Saturday and Sunday.
It was the first time running regionals on my home track, so I wanted to come out here and have a good race for my last time being here,” said Hughes, a University of Oregon commit and track All-American. “The ultimate goal, though, is a state title.”
With the OHSAA’s expansion from three to five divisions, Lex’s boys dropped from Division I – where they won the team runner-up trophy at last year’s state meet – to Division II this spring. That meant a chance to run regionals at home after years of heading north for DI regional competition.
Hughes made the most of the switch in venues, using the home oval advantage to show why he’s a reigning state champ in two events.
He joined forces Wednesday with Will Hooper and brothers Nate and Trevor Reed to run a 7:48.68 and win the 4×8 by six seconds over Anthony Wayne. Just as he wasn’t pushed on the anchor leg of the relay, Hughes cruised to victory in Friday’s 800, winning in 1:52.99.
Hughes was the only Lex boy to earn an automatic state berth Friday with a top five finish, but pole vaulter Eli Barr qualified with a fourth place height of 13 feet on Wednesday and Lincoln Rice earned a wild card into the state meet with his sixth place finish in the 3200 (9:30.24) during the first day of the meet.
As of late Friday, 800 runner Trevor Reed (1:56.5) and Lex’s 4×400 relay team (3:25.78) of Nate Reed, Cohen Lautzenhiser, Kingston Peterson and Cam Glennon were also hoping to become wild card entries after sixth place finishes.
After earning that runner-up trophy in DI at last year’s state meet, Lex was hoping to ride Hughes and some complementary pieces to state title contention again this spring. But injuries have thrown a monkey wrench into those plans, even impacting Hughes’ season.
His foot got stepped on at indoor nationals, leading to fears he might miss the entire outdoor season, and he’s never been completely healthy since. Hamstring issues have been the biggest problem, making for a challenging season.
“This whole season has been up and down, but I’ve been training my butt off so that I can compete again for a state title,” Hughes said. “I think I’m close (physically). Mentally, I know I can still do it.
“Last year’s state title definitely gives me confidence because I know I’ve done it before. I’d love to do it again, but nothing comes easy. I’ll have to go there and do my best.”
In a freak accident, Hughes’ twin brother, Dantrell, nearly got impaled by a hurdle that got knocked into his lane at the Marion Night Invitational and he watched Friday on crutches after suffering a hamstring injury in Wednesday’s prelims.
Not only did Lex lose its best hurdler, but also its best high jumper when freshman Jayden Perkins broke his ankle playing basketball just before the conference meet.
“It makes you appreciate the year we had last year,” coach Mike Moore said. “It was our version of ‘perfect,’ and it shows everybody else how hard it is to be perfect. There’s Injuries … you’ve got seniors graduating, and everything going on in their lives. Perfect is hard. Last year was perfect.
“This year we’ve been humbled a little bit. You know what? We’re going in next week with kids feeling good, and that’s the bottom line. Get kids where they’re feeling good, feeling confident and they’re running fast. Let the rest take care of itself.”
Ashland state-bound in eight events
It was another productive week for Ashland junior Sadie Walter and the entire Arrows boys and girls program.
Walter became a state qualifier in three open events, sweeping the hurdles races and grabbing the last automatic state berth in the 100 dash.
Her winning time of 14.55 in the 100 hurdles was a school record and her first place time of 44.33 in the 300 hurdles was her personal best, just off another school mark. Her 12.44 in the 100 dash was good for fifth and a spot at state.
“It’s exciting (to be going in three events),” Walter said. “I knew I could do it if I just stayed calm, just worked to the best of my abilities. I knew what I could do. I prayed that God would keep me calm. I really focused on that.”
Walter broke the previous record of 14.6 in the 100 hurdles, set by Mary Sterle in the mid-1980s.
“That’s when my mom was running (for Ashland),” Walter said. “When I started dropping time this year I knew I could get it. I was just about there on Wednesday (in the prelims), with a 14.64. That’s when I knew I could push, I could get it.”
After losing to Wooster freshman Teagan Hafner in the 100 hurdles at the OCC meet, Walter has come back strong with district and regional titles.
“As soon as that happened, I just went to practice and worked on my start, worked on my start,” Walter said, “and I think the last couple of weeks I completely got that down. Plus the weather was perfect this week, so I feel really good about where I am right now.”
Fellow junior Oaklynn Burns should feel the same way. She won a regional long jump championship, tying the school record with a leap of 17-11.5.
Eighteen feet has been the goal of this first-year jumper for quite some time now, and she believes she’ll have that added half inch in her at state after her approach left her well short of the board on her winning jump.
“I think I do (have it in me),” Burns said. “If I had (hit) on the board more, I would have had it. It’s there. I had three more inches on the board to work with.”
In winning her regional crown, Burns avenged her loss to Lexi Nelson of Fremont Ross at districts. Ross jumped 18-3 that day, six and a half inches better than Burns. This time around, Ross jumped 17-2.25 and had to settle for fourth.
“I felt ready,” Burns said. “That loss (at district) motivated me a little bit, but I was more motivated about trying to make it to state. I just wanted to make the top five (as an automatic qualifier). Top five and school record. I didn’t expect the regional championship, but I’m happy it happened.”
In all, Ashland has state qualifiers in eight events – four boys and four girls. Dakota Kruty won the boys long jump on Wednesday (21-5), while Braden Donatini, Greyson Blough and Ty Bates also landed automatic state berths.
Donatini was fifth in the 300 hurdles (38.83), Blough was third in the shot put (53-11) and Bates was fifth in the pole vault (12-8).
Rams send five
History was made by the Madison Rams.
The 4×4 team of Jayden Hall, Camden Moysi, Daniel Norris and Julius Walker placed fourth (3.23.87), becoming the first relay team in program history to qualify for the state meet.
Also finishing fourth for the Rams was Jaxin Stancombe in the shot put (53-4). Stancombe could become a state medalist in two sports. He’s already a two-time medalist in wrestling.
Liam Kuhn leads the way
Crestview’s Liam Kuhn cleared 14-8 in the pole vault Wednesday to win his fourth regional championship in the Division V meet in Marion.
He’s already a three-time state medalist.
Joining Kuhn at state will be double qualifier Max Durbin. He was third in both hurdles races, finishing in 14.9 in the 100s and 39.77 in the 300s.
Three Crestview girls are headed to Columbus, all in field events. Kuhn’s sister Zoe cleared 10-4 in the pole vault for seventh, eventually getting in as a wild card. Chloe Ringler was third in the discus (115-7) and Kaelyn Weaver was third in the high jump, clearing 5-2.
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Lexington’s Hughes leads area state qualifiers in final home track meet
Reporting by Jon Spencer, Mansfield News Journal / Mansfield News Journal
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