Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

Long-jump winner Michaela Hunter of Rockcastle County. (Maloney photo)

North Oldham takes the final event of the boys’ 2A State Track Meet, as well as the overall team title.

North topped Central for the team title, 73-63, and in the relay, 3:27.30 to 3:28.37. Tilghman finished third in team points with 55.

Covington Catholic’s Will Torbek won the pole vault at 12-9.

* Boyle County wins the final event of the girls’ 2A State Meet, getting its second relay victory of the meet in the 4-by-400, while Highlands wins the overall team standings.

Natalie Settle, Tabitha Evans, Kate Carman and Logan Arnold combined for Boyle’s 4:08.97 victory. Central was runner-up in 4:09.40.

Highlands, third in the relay, finished with 100 1/2 points. Central took second with 92. Elizabethtown edged North Oldham for third place, 55-50.

* South Warren’s Jared Skrabacz, who earlier won the 1,600 meters, added the 3,200 title (9:31.27).

Runner-up Colin Grandon picked up eight big points for North Oldham, though, giving his team a 63-55 lead over Central with two events left to go.

* The Highlands girls have reclaimed the team lead with 17 of 18 events completed. The Bluebirds have 94 1/2 points to Central’s 84. Elizabethtown is third with 53.

Highlands picked up seven points in the triple jump with a 5-6 finish by Lisa Patterson and Taylor Rosenhagen. Rockcastle County’s Michaela Hunter picked up her third win of the day with a distance of 36-11 1/4.

Highlands also scored six points in the 3,200-meter run with a third-place finish by Lauren Ossege. Caterina Karas of Collins, who earlier took the 1,600 title, won that event in 11:26.76.

* Tilghman’s J.D. Harmon, who won the triple jump earlier in the day, has taken the long jump (22-2 3/4).

With three events remaining, Central and North Oldham are tied for the team lead with 55 points each. Tilghman is third with 44.

* Zach Evans’ triumph in the 200 meters has pulled North Oldham into a first-place tie with Central in the boys’ 2A team standings, 55 each with four events to go.

Evans covered the half-lap sprint in 22.25, trailed by 100-meter winner Ryan Timmons of Franklin County in 22.71.

* A 3-6 finish in the 200 meters by Kayla Forrest and Maya Spalding has pushed Central into the team lead, 84-81 1/2 over Highlands, with three events remaining in the girls’ 2A meet.

Alisha Adair of Western Hills won the event in 25.90, followed by 400-meter/long jump winner Michaela Hunter of Rockcastle County.

* With 14 of 18 girls’ events scored, Highlands leads Central in the 2A team standings 81 1/2-75. Elizabethtown is third with 53.

Caterina Karas of Collins dominated the 1,600-meter run (5:17.87) and North Bullitt’s Chelsey Slayton snared the 800 (2:23.44).

Central’s Maya Spalding, who already won the 100-meter hurdles, also won over the 300-meter barriers (46.86), ahead of West Jessamine’s Abby Wiggins.

Lindsey Scaggs of Highlands won the pole vault by a foot at 9-6.

* With 13 of 18 boys’ events completed, Central leads North Oldham 49-45 in the 2A team standings. Tilghman is third with 34, followed by Lexington Catholic with 27.

North Oldham’s Jeremy Rice just won the 800 meters in 1:57.78. Central’s Keon Scott captured the 300-meter hurdles (39.48) and Bullitt East’s Trevor Troutman won the discus (164-11).

* With 12 of 18 events completed, Highlands has opened an 81 1/2-59 lead over Central in the 2A girls’ team standings. Elizabethtown is third with 48.

Rockcastle County’s Michaela Hunter, who won the long jump earlier in the day, repeated as champion in the 400 meters (58.60). She was the only competitor to break one minute as runner-up Alisha Adair of Western Hills clocked 1:00.19.

Other recent girls’ winners include: Hart County’s Lindsey Burd in the shot put (36-0); and Highlands in both the 4-by-100 and 4-by-200 relays.

The adapted (wheelchair) shot put went to Butler County’s Kayla Spurgeon (10-8).

* Central leads Paducah Tilghman 39-26, with Franklin County third with 25 points after 10 of 18 boys’ events.

Mercer County junior Isaiah Burrus successfully defended his title in the 400-meter dash. Burrus finished in 50.10, followed by Lexington Catholic’s Brian Babbage in 50.32.

Other recent boys’ winners include: Tilghman’s J.D. Harmon in the triple jump (46-5); South Warren’s Jared Skrabacz in the 1,600 (4:20.54); Franklin County in the 4-by-200 relay (1:31.48); and Central in the 4-by-100 relay (43.02).

The exhibition adapted (wheelchair) 100-meter dash went to Fleming County’s Lucas Cannon in 22.91.

* Highlands senior Ashley Collinsworth, daughter of TV personality and former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Cris Collinsworth, wins the girls’ 100-meter days in 12.60. Alisha Adair of Western Hills takes second in 12.70.

Elizabethtown’s Clayton Patton takes the boys’ 110-meter high hurdles (15.28) over Bullitt East’s Jacob Duvall (15.57).

* Elizabethtown and North Oldham are tied for first place in the boys’ team standings through five events with 18 points each. Franklin County is third with 13.

Recent boys’ champions include: Ryan Timmons of Franklin County in the 100 (11.02); Tyler Bray of Lloyd Memorial in the high jump (6-8); and Letcher County’s Dakota Cornett in the shot put (52-6 1/2).

* Rockcastle County’s Michaela Hunter won the girls’ long jump with a leap of 17-10 1/4. Central’s Kayla Forrest was runner-up at 17-8 1/2.

Other girls’ winners include Central’s Cha’Niquia Gore in the high jump (5-2), Elizabethtown’s Denisha Nichols in the discus (114-2) and Central’s Maya Spalding in the 100-meter hurdles (15.91).

Through five of 18 events, Central leads the team standings with 31 points, five ahead of Elizabethtown.

* North Oldham takes the boys’ 4-by-800-meter relay in 8:12.40, followed by Hopkinsville in 8:16.84. Taylor Sanders, Colin Grandon, Alec Horn and Jeremy Rice ran for the winners.

Now, there is a two-hour break before the next event on the track.

* The first event completed in the Class 2A State Track and Field Meet goes to Boyle County’s 4-by-800-meter relay team. Eighth-grader Nikki Coffey led off, followed by junior Maddie Kriz, senior Rachel Ditto and sophomore Logan Arnold. Time for the “metric two-mile” was 9:57.57. North Oldham was runner-up in 10:01.16.

Fleming County’s Lucas Cannon won the boys’ adapted shot put with a distance of 15-11 from his wheelchair. This is the first year for the exhibition event.

* A thunderstorm has pushed back Thursday’s scheduled 1 o’clock start for the Class 2A State Track and Field Meet at the University of Louisville.

However, the sky has cleared and athletes have now resumed warmups.

When conditions allow, the boys’ shot put, girls’ discus and girls’ 4-by-800 relays will be first to begin at Owsley Frazier Cardinal Park.