There were tons of great performances, records, and match-ups of note during 2010 for track and cross country in the state of Kentucky. KYtrackXC.com is highlighting the Top 10 Performances during 2010. #1-5 is below and #6-10 is at https://ky.milesplit.com/articles/57223
Good luck to everyone in 2011 and we look forward to covering all the excitement this winter, spring, and next fall.
1) Class AAA State Meet NINE Records Fall
The 2010 Kentucky State Class AAA State Track Meet gave us the best overall meet of performances and times in Kentucky history. The list below showing all nine record breaking marks alone shows what Kentucky did in its finest hour.
3200m Relay -- Butler -- 7:54.07 (Darius Berry, Alex Hack, Michael Caldwell, and Tretez Kinnarid)
800m Relay -- Male -- 1:26.43 (John Giddens, Mitchell Nelson, Robbie Graham, and Chisom Omenyinma)
1600m Run -- Emma Brink, Sacred Heart -- 4:53.66
400m Relay -- Male -- 41.10 (John Giddens, Mitchell Nelson, Robbie Graham, and Chisom Omenyinma)
400m Dash -- Brandon Nichols, Henry Clay -- 47.11
300m Hurdles -- Brandon Bagley, John Hardin -- 37.83
800m Run -- Emma Brink, Sacred Heart -- 2:13.26
800m Run -- Robbie Scharold, Campbell County -- 1:52.19
Discus -- Kyle Jenkins, Male -- 193-01 * AAA Record
The crazy thing about these times is that they had competition which helped push them to the line. The fact that these were not blowouts shows that Kentucky as a state is ready to take it to the next level. Just imagine what 2011 could bring this winter and spring.
2) Male Sprint Relays set KY #1 several times during the season
The Male sprint boy's crew of John Giddens, Mitchell Nelson, Robbie Graham, and Chisom Omenyinma pretty much rewrote the relay record books for Kentucky history every week last May. The boys started breaking records at the Jeffersonville Invitational on May 6th, first running a 41.83 in the 400m Relay. They bettered the previous mark of 42.06 a total of four other times finishing the season off with a new all-time Kentucky mark of 41.10. The 800m Relay team waited a whole week longer to take down the all-time mark of 1:28.15, running a 1:27.23 at the Brother Borgia Invitational on May 15th. They broke the previous best three other times finishing off the season with a new all-time #1 of 1:26.43.
3) Ryan Eaton, One Mile Run, 4:13.40, Wildcat Classic (Total Surprise)
Coming into the 2010 Indoor track season, Ryan Eaton was coming off two consecutive 1600m state titles and two cross country state titles. The Greenwood senior rolled into the Wildcat Classic with a best 1600m time of 4:18. The meet is the first big indoor meet in Kentucky every year where very solid times are thrown down, but normally no big time new personal best. Eaton rolled through the half mile in 2:05 and 3:09 for the 1200m on his way to a Nutter Fieldhouse record time of 4:13.40 for the One Mile Run. The time was three seconds better than any other high school performance in a venue that houses the UK High School Invitational every year which is one of the top meets in the nation. At the time this was one of the fastest times in the nation and stands at #2 All-time in Kentucky.
4) Bagley #1 All-time 110 Hurdles, Nichols All-American at New Balance Nationals
At New Balance Nationals last June, John Hardin senior Brandon Bagley ran a new All-time best for Kentucky in the 110m Hurdles with his qualifying round time of 13.98. He finished 8th overall in the finals. Bagley also ran the #3 All-time performance for the 400m Hurdles that weekend.
Henry Clay junior Brandon Nichols who was coming off a Kentucky State Record in the 400m Dash, finished fourth overall at New Balance Nationals with a time of 47.37. His finish earned him All-American Honors for the first time in his career.
5) Emma Brink Qualifies for Foot Locker Nationals
Emma Brink has been the top female distance runner in Kentucky since the third race of her freshmen year including winning four consecutive Class AAA Kentucky State Championships and has never lost to a fellow Kentucky runner. Even with all these wins she still had something to prove in Charlotte at Foot Locker South in November. The last three years she has moved steadily up closer to that top 10 finish needed to qualify for Foot Locker Nationals. This year she showed she was one of the best in the nation with her 5th place finish at Foot Locker South. She ran a new career best time of 17:25 which stands at #2 All-time in Kentucky. That finish gave her a ticket to San Diego, which was as Emma said, "4 days of excitement and joy."