By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Eight months after he became the first Northern Kentucky distance runner to win the Class 3A boys state cross country meet since 1990, Covington Catholic sophomore Will Sheets claimed a pair of gold medals in track and field.
At the Class 3A state championship meet on Saturday, Sheets won the 3200 run and was a member of the CovCath 4×800 relay team that finished first in the large school competition at the University of Kentucky.
His relay teammates in the first event of the boys meet were senior Mitchel Drees, junior Luke Meagher and freshman Joe Meyer. Their winning time (7:52.14) was eight seconds faster than second-place Conner.
Near the end of the meet, Sheets crossed the finish first in the 3200 run ahead of Conner runners Joey Carroll and George Johnson.
His winning time of 9:16.81 in that event was the fastest recorded in any of the three classes at this year’s state meet.
The other local second-place finishers in the Class 3A boys state meet were Ryle juniors Evan Smith in the 800 run and Tiger Bartlett in the 1600 run.
Northern Kentucky’s only event-winner in the Class 3A girls state meet was Ryle junior Viktoriya Emalianova in the shot put with a best mark of 42 feet, 10.5 inches. She also placed second in the discus in her first season on the Ryle team.
Another first-time competitor in the girls state meet who did quite well was Notre Dame senior Annie Greenwell, a soccer player who decided to run track this spring. She placed third in the 800 and fourth in the 1600 in the season finale.
The Class 3A team champions were the Louisville Manual girls and Louisville St. Xavier boys. Ryle placed seventh in boys and 12th in girls to lead the local contingent.
Complete results from the Class 3A boys and girls state track and field meet are posted on the khsaa.org website.
CLASS 3A TRACK & FIELD STATE CHAMPIONS
BOYS EVENTS
4×800 relay — Covington Catholic (Mitchel Drees, Will Sheets, Luke Meagher, Joe Mayer) 7:52.14.
3200 run — Will Sheets (CovCath) 9:16.81.
GIRLS EVENT
Shot put — Viktoriya Emalianova (Ryle) 42-10.50
