The Harlan track team traveled to Somerset on Thursday to compete in the Class A, Region 6 meet. The Dragons placed third overall with 96 points. Williamsburg won the boys division with 162 points, followed by Leslie County (105), Somerset (49), Pineville (35), Middlesboro (29), Owsley County (24), Jackson County (15), Breathitt County (13), Lee County (12), Red Bird Christian (6), Barbourville (6) and Wolfe County (5).
The Lady Dragons placed sixth with 31 points. Leslie County won the girls division with 184 points, followed by Williamsburg (133), Somerset (57), Pineville (37), Lee County (33), Middlesboro (28), Jackson County (22), Lynn Camp (10), Wolfe County (8), Owsley County (6), Breathitt County (5) and Red Bird Christian (1).
State qualifiers for the Dragons are Kaleb McLendon, Kyler McLendon, Darius Akal, Tayquan Vick, Nate Montanaro, Noah Sharpe and Dylan Cox.
Vick won the 300-meter hurdles. Kaleb McLendon won long jump and triple jump, setting a new school record in long jump. Kaleb McLendon, Vick, Kyler McLendon and Akal finished first in the 4 x 100 meter relay. Kyler McLendon, Sharpe, Akal and Montanaro won the 4 x 400 meter relay.
Vick placed third in the 100-meter dash.
Sharpe was third in the 400-meter dash.
Cox finished second in the 800-meter run and eighth in the 3,200-meter run.
Montanaro was second in the 110-meter hurdles and third in high jump.
Kyler McLendon placed fifth in triple jump.
State qualifiers for the Lady Dragons are Abbie Jones, Mia Pace, Chloe Schwenke and Harper Carmical.
Pace, Schwenke, Jones and Carmical finished second in the 4 × 800 meter relay, setting a new school record.
Carmical placed fifth in the 3,200-meter run.
Abbie Jones, Mia Claire Pace, Emma Owens and Peighton Jones set the school record in the 400-meter relay at 4:39 to finish fourth in the region.
“Last night the team did exactly what we thought they’d do. Our 4 x 800 meter relay girls set the tone of the meet for the rest of the team by going out and breaking the school record by 30 seconds. That led to Montanaro placing second in the 110-meter hurdles, which was a huge confidence booster,” Harlan coach Trent McKenzie said.
“Tayquan Vick has improved all year and he did exactly what the coaches knew he could do and that is win the 300-meter hurdles. We saw Kaleb McLendon also break a school record in the long jump and then turn around and win the triple jump. We were hurt most of the year on the boys side and weren’t able to get a 4 x 100 meter relay team out but we scraped one together for region and they finished exactly where they knew they would. On the girls side, they ran great all night and jumped great. The 4 x 400 meter relay girls have an excellent shot at making the at-large bid for state. Along with that, Emma Owens also has a shot at coming out of the region in triple jump.
“To sum up region in a few words, I would say we lit it up. With a few regions left to run we are hoping we can get a few more out for the state meet.”
The Class A state meet will be on June 1 in Lexington.