KYtrackXC.com Presents: Top 10 Performances of 2008

Jonathan Grooms

In closing 2008 and looking forward to 2009, KYtrackXC.com presents the Top 10 Performances of 2008.  These are based on the performances of Kentucky High School athletes only, during the traditional high school seasons and beyond.

 

 

KYtrackXC.com Number 10 Performance of 2008

 

Male High School – Dominates Class AAA State Track Meet

 

The Bulldogs of Male dominated the competition scoring 103.50 points at the Class AAA Kentucky State Track Meet.  Male had individuals win six state titles and four runner-up finishes.  They nearly doubled the second place team winning by 48 points.

 

 

KYtrackXC.com Number 9 Performance of 2008

Brad Wright (Apollo) – 181-09 in the Discus at Eastern Relays

 

Wright, senior at Apollo, came into the season as the clear favorite to win the 2008 Class AAA Kentucky State Track Meet Discus title.  He did win and along the way he pulled off a couple of big-time throws.  At the Eastern Relays on April 26th, Wright unleashed a bomb that went 181-09.  This won the meet by 33 feet and was enough to place him #4 All-time in Kentucky.

 

KYtrackXC.com Number 8 Performance of 2008

 

Apollo – Breaks the Elusive 8 minute barrier in the 3200 Relay

 

The Eagles of Apollo became just the fifth school in Kentucky EVER to go under the 8:00 mark in the 3200 Relay.  With one lap to go, it was Apollo, North Hardin, and St. Xavier all together, but Apollo’s Justin House pulled away in the last 200 meters to win.  The tandem of Isaiah Moorman, Shea Thrash, Tyler Dickinson, and Justin House ran a 7:59.56 to pull up the #4 performance All-time for Kentucky.

 

 

KYtrackXC.com Number 7 Performance of 2008

Mary Grace Pellegrini (duPont Manual) – Nike Indoor Nationals 5000m Runner-Up with a 17:48.75

 

Pellegrini, senior at duPont Manual, has been one of the top Female Distance Runners in Kentucky since her freshmen year and brought home the 1600m and 3200m State Titles at the 2007 Kentucky State Meet.  Pellegrini made the trip to Landover, Maryland for Nike Indoor Nationals on March 15 and 16th.  She started that race a Kentucky State Champion and finished the day an All-American.  She finished Runner-up with a personal best time of 17:48.75.

 

KYtrackXC.com Number 6 Performance of 2008

Highlands High School – Slays the giant, winning the 2008 Class AA Kentucky State Track Meet

 

Coming into the 2008 Kentucky Class AA State Track Meet, the Lady Tornados of Paducah Tilghman had won eight straight Team Titles.  This fact alone made them the automatic favorite to win another championship.  But in 2008, another school stepped up in the ultimate team fashion, placing first or second in all four of the team relays.  Highlands won with 95 points beating Paducah Tilghman by 24 points.   This was the Lady Blue Birds first Kentucky State Track Team Title.

 

KYtrackXC.com Number 5 Performance of 2008

 

Thomas Canary (Lexington Catholic) – Breaks Class AA 800m Record

 

At the end of the 2007 High School Outdoor Track season, Thomas Canary had a BEST of 2:01.62 in the 800m Run.  One year later, at the 2008 Kentucky State Track Meet through one lap, the lead pack was punched together and then all the sudden Canary threw down the hammer leaving the rest of the field behind.  Canary won a Class AA Record of 1:54.06.  His record time ranks #5 All-time in the 800m in Kentucky.

 

 

KYtrackXC.com Number 4 Performance of 2008

 

Daviess County Boys – Finish 3rd at NXN Southeast Regional

 

After winning another Kentucky State Cross Country Championship, the Panthers made the trip to the Nike Cross Nationals Southeast Regional in Cary, North Carolina.  They had hopes of finishing in the top two which would qualify them for Nike Cross Nationals, they fell just short finishing 3rd with 191 points.  Regardless, this helped show the best in Kentucky could compete with anyone in the Southeast.

 

 

KYtrackXC.com Number 3 Performance of 2008

 

Maria Frigo, Emma Brink, Kaitlin Snapp– Foot Locker South Seeded Race

 

Maria Frigo (St. Henry) 16th , Emma Brink (Sacred Heart) 18th and Kaitlin Snapp (Danville) 19th put together the best finish of the top 3 Kentucky girls since 2002 when Kentucky athletes finished 8th, 9th, and 11th.  Each of the three also went under 18:00 minutes for the first time in their young careers.  They are ranked all-time #4, #5, and #6 for Kentucky girls in the 5,000 Meters.  

 

 

KYtrackXC.com Number 2 Performance of 2008

 

Chelsea Brown (Butler) – Summer to remember, runs KY #1 All-Time 200/400

 

After winning FOUR Kentucky State Championships at the 2008 Kentucky State Track Meet, one would find it hard to imagine topping that.  Well, Brown did, competing in the AAU summer races.  At the AAU 6B Regional Championship in Illinois the first week of July, Brown won the 200m and 400m races.  She ran a personal best of 55.35 to win, which just so happens to be the fastest time on record for Kentucky EVER.  That must have not been enough as three weeks later at the AAU Junior Olympic Games in Michigan she ran another All-time Kentucky #1 this time in the 200m with a time of 24.37.  She finished 9th in the 200m race and 5th in the 400m race. 

 

 

KYtrackXC.com Number 1 Performance of 2008

 

Justin Green (Male High School) – 2008 Class AAA Kentucky State Meet

 

Even twenty years from now when someone looks back at the Class AAA State Track Meet in 2008, they will see how Green dominated the meet.  Winning the 100m Dash (10.82), 200m Dash (21.82), 400m Dash (48.95) and anchoring the 1600 Relay to victory.  He not only was winning the races but running the fastest times of the day in each event for all classes.  What makes the feat of winning the three individual more impressive is that fact it had not been done in Class AAA since 1995 when another Male runner pulled off the triple.  Current Male Assistant Coach Mark Miller, then a senior won the 100m, 200m, and 400m.  Green was also the first runner to go under 49 seconds at the State Track Meet since former Male great James Doaty in 2000.