-
Finish Line
Garrett Jack graduated about a month ago from Pendleton County High School but like much of his last two years of high school, covid played with his school schedule and left him one more thing to do. Run the 400 and 800 meter dash at the KHSAA State Meet.
And run he did finishing in 7th place and on the medalists stand for the 400. He ran a 52.67 time.
“It feels great especially it being my first year. I have made improvements,” he said while adding that while not sure where he hopes to continue it on in college.
It was not without obstacles. A multiple hour weather delay pushed the start of the races back and left a muggy, oppressive air for the competitors. After the delay, several athletes collasped at the finish line or after they handed off a baton to a teammate.
“It makes it a little harder to breath. You run a little slower but you just have to push through it,” Jack said about the conditions.
Jack ran a 2:03.94 in the 800 to finish 10th and just off the medalist podium.
Coen Fuller joined his teammates at the KHSAA State meet and the junior met his season goal although he was disappointed in part of his performance.
“The goal was to get to state and I still have next year. It felt good to make it for two different events,” he said about his season and state meet day.
Before the rain delay, Fuller competed in the triple delay and set his personal best distance. He finished 15th with a distance of 39 feet in an event that he admittingly does not practice a lot.
He will return next season as one of the top triple jump athletes in the region and a great chance to make it back to state in both events again.
“Triple jump is something that I will probably put some more time in next year. It was an event that I had an empty slot in a meet this year. I was like, ‘Well, I like long jumping, I might as well try it,” Fuller said.
While he set his personal record in the long jump, he had a long wait between the two events. Then the rains hit and the humidity rose to oppressive levels. It was something that Fuller did feel affected him.
“When I came out here, I felt pretty good going into triple jump. I was moving around and joints felt good. I think that long break between triple jump and long jump, it did have an effect. I sat around and got a little stiff, and it was not as good as I had wanted,” said Fuller