The drought for an individual title at the state track and field championship was in its 44th year coming into Friday’s Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Class 2A Meet in Lexington.
Ian Rosario ended that streak by running like one. The Hopkinsville High School senior used a burst over the final one-third to win the 300-meter hurdles by .09 seconds over Bourbon County’s Asher Mattox.
The win capped a season that saw Rosario win the event in his final six meets and not finish worse than third. It was also a little retribution for a 20th-place finish in the event a year ago.
His time of 39.35 seconds is the second-fastest in school history. Leslie Johnson, who won Hopkinsville’s last state meet title in 1980, ran a 38.85 at the 1981 state meet. Johnson finished fourth that year but claimed the 300 title in 1980 with a hand-clocked time of 38.7 seconds.
Since Johnson’s state title, Hopkinsville has seen three girls – Jakayla McSwain (400m in 2017), Candace Johnson (100m in 2007), and Sue Ennels (discus throw in 1992) – claim an individual title at the state meet.
It was the second podium trip of the day for the Lindsey Wilson College signee. Rosario finished third in the 110-meter hurdles in 15.40 seconds – the sixth fastest time in school history.
Rosario added a third medal as part of the 800-meter relay. He teamed with Treston Kay, Keyshun Teal, and James Bradley to run a 1:31.84 and finish in sixth place.
Davian Simon brought home a 10th-place finish in the discus throw, saving his best heave for last. His final throw measured 130 feet, 6 inches, good for ninth-best in school history. It’s the best finish for a Hopkinsville discus thrower at state since Kemaure Mumford in 2021.
Keyshun Teal was 11th in the 300-meter hurdles in a personal best time of 41.40 seconds.
Treston Kay was 16th in the triple jump with a distance of 38 feet, 9.5 inches.
Elijah Reid was 16th in the 110-meter hurdles in 17.16 seconds.
Tyson Cavinder was 21st in the 3200-meter run in 10:53.09.
The 1600-meter relay team of Ian Rosario, Keyshun Teal, LaMareon Jeffers, and Carlo Jones was 15th in 3:38.04.
The 3200-meter relay team of Tyson Cavinder, LaMareon Jeffers, Savior Davis, and Carlo Jones came in 19th place in 9:07.78.
Hopkinsville tied for 15th place in the team standings with 19 points.
