BLOOMINGTON — Brandon Youngdale was already one of the greatest track and field athletes to come out of Western High School before he came to the 103rd IHSAA State Finals at Indiana University’s Robert C. Haugh Complex.

The recent graduate capped his high jump career as a Panther with a nearly flawless performance here Saturday to capture a state championship, only the second track and field athlete in school history to win an individual title.

“I’m almost speechless,” he said through a huge smile. “I came in [seeded] fourth or fifth and would have been more than happy with that, but winning is just more than I could ask for.”

His wasn’t the only all-state performance for Howard County. Kokomo’s Jesse Rayl was ninth in long jump.

Youngdale won with a career, school and Kokomo area-best 6-foot, 10-inch leap, edging Gibson Southern’s Neil Angermeier on faults with only three misses on the day.

After clearing 6 feet, 2 inches and 6-4 on his first attempts at each, Youngdale missed once apiece at 6-6 and 6-7 before clearing both. He then took control of the competition by clearing 6-8 and 6-9 on his first attempt at both.

With only three jumpers remaining at 6-10, Youngdale soared over the bar on attempt No. 2, barely grazing the bar.

“All year long he’s been Mr. High Jump,” said Western coach Dana Neer. “It’s a storybook ending to get 6-10, to PR at the state meet and be state champion. How can you have any better fairy tale ending?”

Angermeier cleared 6-10 on his third attempt, and both athletes missed all three jumps at 6-11. Youngdale had to wait as Angermeier went last.

“I wanted to win it outright but I was in great position,” said Youngdale. “If it came down to both of us clearing the same height, I pretty much knew I had it on faults.

“I’ve definitely got to thank my dad and Coach Neer and everybody that came. The past nine or 10 months of my life have been working up to this. It’s so worth it.”

Not only is Skip Youngdale Brandon’s father, he’s also coach of all the Panther jumpers.

“[Brandon] made concessions sometimes in practice because I was working with other jumpers and the middle school, but then we would go out on the weekends and jump instead,” Skip Youngdale said.

“There are no words,” he choked out, with a lump in his throat. “I left a little note in his shoe, and I said, ‘God is with you. Trust Him.’ And it happened.”

Rayl came in seeded fifth after leaping a career-best 22 feet, 9 inches last week at the Kokomo Regional, but he struggled to get untracked Saturday.

”I was a foot under my personal best, so that never helps,” said Rayl. “I scratched on three of my six jumps and that just made it worse for me.”

Rayl’s medal-winning jump Saturday was 21 feet, 91/2 inches, reached in the trials, and he backed that up with a jump of 21-9 in the finals.

“It’s pretty exciting to get all-state,” Rayl said. “Next year, most of these guys were seniors and there’s a couple guys that are sophomores, so I think I can make it again.”

Said Kats coach Tom Byrnes, “To medal down here is very, very difficult to do. Jesse showed a lot of maturity to come through, and I’m happy for him.

“Hopefully this will be a building point for next year — not just to come down and to medal, but maybe to contend for a state championship.”

Kokomo’s other entries didn’t fare as well.

Senior Justin Pugh ran a 15.24-second trial race in the 110-meter high hurdles and failed to reach the finals. His time of 39.81 seconds in the 300 intermediate hurdles was well off his eighth-seed and also failed to place.

“We came down and practiced Thursday and he was hitting some hurdles. I think he psychologically didn’t have his best race,” Byrnes said. “It’s not the way you want to end your career, but still, he was a two-time state qualifier, so he’s got an awful lot to be proud of. I’m really sorry to see him go.”

Senior K.T. Moses could muster only a toss of 50 feet, 9 inches in the shot put and also failed to reach the finals.

Peru had one individual at the meet, Steve Swinford, and its 4x800 relay team. Swinford ran 22.75 seconds in his 200-meter dash trial and failed to reach the finals. The 4x800 team of Mick Heron, Aaron Garretson, Cody Siblisk and Tony Zimmerman broke their own school record with a time of 8:09.91. They were 21st overall.

Only Heron is lost to graduation for the Bengal Tigers.

“You can’t learn unless you get here as a junior or earlier and then make a game plan for next year,” said coach John Malone. “Of the 400 schools that start out the season, to be down here with these guys, we’re extremely proud of them.”