By Blake Colston
Sports Editor
YUKON – Piedmont’s Dade Humes stayed within striking range in the 1600-meter run, waiting for the right moment to kick into high gear.
“I knew that I had a decent finish, but I knew the guys behind me could also finish really well,” Humes said. “So, I told myself I had to go early if I wanted a chance of out-kicking them.”
When Humes decided to accelerate on his final lap, no one could keep pace with the Wildcat junior.
By the time his final push ended, Humes had opened up a wide enough lead to take a peak back at his nearest competition as he closed in on the finish line. As Humes crossed, he let out a roar of satisfaction in celebration of his third gold medal in two days at the Class 5A state track meet at Yukon High School.
Humes’ final time of 4:27.20 was more than a full second in front of runner-up Carson Burd from Lawton MacArthur.
He also took first in the 3200 and was the third leg on the Wildcats’ state championship 4-by-800 relay squad that included Kanyon Cobbs, Reese Fricke and Riley Pauley.
“That was my job to come in and get points for the team,” Humes said. “I’m just glad I executed, and that God gave me a healthy body to do that.”
Dade Humes of Piedmont w/ an impressive final kick to finish as the Class 5A champion in the 1600-meter run. pic.twitter.com/5iRxlxuZ6v
— Blake Colston (@CBlakeColston) May 13, 2023
Thanks to Humes’ huge weekend, the Wildcats went into the final event of the day – which began almost two hours late due to a weather delay – with a mathematical chance to defend their 2022 state title.
In the end, Coweta held off Piedmont for the state championship. PHS finished third behind the Tigers and runner-up Ada.
“I knew it was going to be an uphill climb,” head coach Kelly Beck said. “To be this close at the end is more than I thought might be possible.”
COLLINS SHINES
Beck lights up when given a chance to talk about freshman distance runner Claire Collins, and it’s easy to see why.
Collins finished runner-up in the 3200 and 1600-meter runs in her first varsity season. Sophomore Lily Scheck was third in the 3200 despite battling through a quad injury.
“In cross country season, they’re going to be an amazing duo,” Beck said. “When we go into 6A, we can compete for a state title because we have girls like that.”
Collins on Saturday set a new personal-best time of 5:16.22 in the 1600.
RECORDS ARE MADE TO BE BROKEN
Cobbs’ first event on Saturday was his best all weekend. He broke Piedmont’s school record in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:55.03, good for third overall. Fricke took fifth.
Fricke, Cobbs, Blue Ayers and Mikah Rocco waited out a weather delay before turning in a superb performance in the 4-by-400 relay. The foursome broke the school record by three seconds (3:22) while finishing fourth overall. Those points propelled PHS from fifth to third in the team standings.
BURNETT STAYS BUSY
Rylie Burnett‘s schedule was rather hectic over the weekend. The sophomore on Friday took part in the state track meet during the day, then later that evening traveled to Newcastle to play for Piedmont in the state championship soccer game won by the Lady Wildcats in double overtime.
After playing more than 90 minutes in a game and postgame celebration that ended near midnight, Burnett was back in Yukon again on Saturday for the conclusion of the track meet. She qualified for state in the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash, the 4-by-200 relay, and the 4-by-100 relay.
Burnett is also a starter on the PHS basketball team.
OTHER PLACERS
Bailey Howard earned a place on the medal podium with a fifth-place finish in the long jump…Jacob Cardwell was seventh in the discus throw…Nelin Kimery took sixth in the 3200-meter run…In the high jump, McKenna Auringer placed fifth…Scheck, Collins, Emily Caldwell and Rachel Caldwell teamed up to take third in the 4-by-800 relay.
