Friday, June 01, 2001
Ky. boys track preview
Highlands' Grover near two titles
By Mark Schmetzer
Enquirer contributor
Highlands senior Brent Grover is peaking at the right time. He effort last weekend's regional has him on track to win Class AA state championships in the shot put and discus this weekend.
Grover recorded his best throws of the season — 51-feet, 9- 1/2 inches in the shot, 152-feet, 8-inches in the discus — while winning the regional titles last weekend at Russell High School.
“We're very optimistic about his chances,” Highlands coach Dan Baker said. “We haven't seen any of the regional champions from other parts of the state, but the guys he threw against last weekend are right up there. He's had a lot of good competition. He's done real well all year. He's one of those types of kids who rises to the occasion.”
His teammates also have saved their best for last, but they might not be as fortunate.
The Bluebirds will challenge Paducah Tilghman for the state title in the two-day meet, which was scheduled to get underway at 8:30 a.m. today at the University of Kentucky's Shively Track and Field Complex in Lexington. Bishop Brossart is defending its Class A championship, and outgoing coach Jim Johnson is trying to lead Covington Catholic to Northern Kentucky's first Class AAA championship since the meet went to a three-division format in 1967.
Also hanging up his whistle after a long career is Bellevue's Marty Mayer, whose 23-year legacy includes three consecutive Class A state titles from '91-'93.
Johnson plans to continue in track as an official, but he's retiring from the mainstream after 31 years as a coach at Lloyd and CovCath to spend more time with his wife, Nancy.
“My wife and I love to travel,” Johnson said. The first trip? The Panama Canal.
Johnson coached the boys and girls teams at Lloyd, including the '92 3,200-meter relay team of Ileen Kelly, Stacey Meyerhoff, Tara Long and Candra Brightwell that won the school's first girls state championship in that event.
Johnson has never put together a state championship team, but he hopes to finish at least in the top 10 this year. Fifteen of his Colonels qualified for the state meet in 14 events, he said. Many of them are underclassmen.
“I'm not getting out because the team's not going to be good,” Johnson said. “This team is going to be good for years to come.
“My four years at CovCath have been a dream come true,” he added. “The way the kids work and do what you want them to do — it's been a lovely four years.”
Grover, who won the state discus title last season, finished less than a foot short of winning the shot. His throw of 48-feet, 10- 3/4 inches in the shot was 9- 3/4 inches shorter than Russell's Nate McPeek.
“I know the competition is going to be good,” Grover said. "I'm going to have to throw as well as I can. I've actually taken off from weightlifting in order to get my muscles rested.”
The youthful Bluebirds finished in second-place two years ago and in third-place of last season. Besides Grover, sophomore Josh Jager should be among the top finishers in the 400 and freshman Braylen Derrick will challenge in the 3,200. Both won the regional titles in those events in their first year of varsity competition.
“Josh has been a real nice surprise this year,” Baker said. “He just came out for the first time this year. He's done a great job in the mile relay, too. At the regionals and at the Scott Classic, we were 20 or 25 yards behind when he got the baton. He just ate that up and won going away.”
“We've only got two seniors out of 12 guys going to state, so things are looking good for the future.”
Those two seniors — Grover and Clem Fennell — face the challenge tonight of competing in Lexington and getting back to Fort Thomas in time for graduation. Fennell, a member of the 1,600 relay team, is president of Highlands' Class of 2001. Preliminary heats in his event are scheduled to start at 7:35 p.m.
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Ky. boys track preview
