5 locals set to compete at boys state track meet

Kokomo Tribune - Friday, June 05, 2015

Kokomo seniors Avery Barrett and Jordan Nix will be absent from graduation ceremonies today.

Their reason couldn’t be much better.

Barrett and Nix, along sophomore Hanif Barnett, will be representing the Wildkats at the IHSAA boys track and field state finals at Indiana University.

Along with the three Kokomo athletes, juniors Cameron Dessing from Western and Chase Bess from Tipton will be making the trip to Bloomington. The finals are set to start at 3 p.m.

For Barrett and Nix, who went through graduation ceremonies on Thursday, the storyline gets better. The duo came onto the track and field team as freshmen, and are the only two seniors who stuck with it through all four years.

That perseverance is now paying off.

“This feels great,” Nix said. “First time going, and I just want to go out there and do my best and show that Kokomo has some good talent.”

Barrett is no stranger to the state finals, placing 16th at last year’s state meet in the pole vault, clearing 14-0.

“Making it again is awesome, especially as a senior,” Barrett said. “I was really looking forward to going again this year.”

Barrett nearly made it to state his freshman year, when he cleared a 13-6 season high. He’s very clear about what his goal is this year.

“Honestly, podium, that’s all I want, it’s all I’ve been striving for since I went to state last year,” Barrett said.

After winning the pole vault with a 13-6 at the Kokomo Sectional, Barrett earned a runner-up finish (13-10) in last week’s South Bend St. Joseph Regional. That gives him the ninth-highest vault overall and has him sitting 17th on the preliminary heat sheets.

“With the seeds the way they are now, if I can get a 14-6 — which is the highest I’ve jumped this year — then according to the seeds, I’m almost guaranteed to get top eight,” Barrett said. “Last year, if I would have got about a half inch higher, I would have moved up like eight places. Every inch counts.”

Nix will compete in the long jump after winning the Kokomo sectional with a 22-4.5 and taking fifth in the regional at 22-7.75, punching his ticket to state with a jump above the state standard.

“Hopefully 23 feet should shoot me up in the medal area,” Nix said. “I’m trying to get it up there. I’m seeded 12th right now. If I can get up to 23, I should be able to shoot up to fourth or fifth.”

The state record for the long jump is held by Kokomo’s Frank Young, who set the record at 24-7.75 in 1995.

“We’ve had some good long jumpers at Kokomo,” Nix said. “Hopefully I can get up there and medal. I’m going to try and get on that podium.”

Ben Davis long jumper Christian Powell is seeded first in the long jump at 23-8.

Burnett, the youngest area athlete making the trip, caught a bit of good fortune in earning a state berth in the 400 dash.

After earning a second place sectional finish at :51.26, Burnett finished in the neighborhood of fourth or fifth in the second section of the 400 at the regional, but a malfunction with the timing system caused the race to be run again 30 minutes later.

“I was upset with my finish at first,” Burnett said. “I got over it, and then it was probably within five minutes, I know I was still tired, that I realized I was getting a second chance. I took it and ran with it.”

Burnett made the most of the second opportunity, racing to a runner-up finish of :50.83 and booking his first trip to state.

“I thought I was going to make it last year, but that didn’t happen,” Burnett said. “So I was kind of determined to go this year. I pictured it, but didn’t think it was actually going to happen.

Dessing, who also punched his ticket in interesting fashion, is trying not to make too much out of his first state finals appearance.

“I don’t want to get too nervous,” Dessing said. “It’s just another race with faster people. My goal is the top 15, but it would be great to place.”

Dessing and Bess will both compete in the 300 intermediate hurdles. Bess took the sectional championship with a time of :39.94 while Dessing finished third (:41.79). In the regional, Bess finished second (:40.41) and Dessing was fourth (:40.71), but the overall winner was disqualified for knocking over a hurdle, which fell into Bess’ lane, resulting in Bess taking first and Dessing moving into third.

“It really hasn’t set in yet,” Dessing said. “I’m sure it will when I get there and see all the other kids.”

For Dessing, who thanks Panther head coach Gary Jewell and his role coach Mike Smith for his progress, racing alongside Bess on the state’s biggest stage will be both a comfort and a challenge.

“I’ve been racing against him since eighth grade and I haven’t beat him yet,” Dessing said. “That’s another goal.”

And Burnett’s goals for the day?

“Have a good time and win,” Burnett said. “It should be fun.”