Male KY Junior Sprinter Entered In Three Events, Headlines Home Invitational

By Keenan Gray of DyeStat

Photo by Evan Poulsen

Nike Indoor Nationals All-American Grace Bethel will begin her outdoor season as the main headliner of the Johnny Conn Invitational, hosted by her school, Male KY, Saturday in Louisville.

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Bethel, the reigning Kentucky Class 3A state champion in the girls 100 and 200 meters, is slated to race in 100, 200 and the 400. Bethel last raced a 400 her freshman year when she ran 59.95 seconds.

Bethel, who was eighth in the 60 at Nike Indoor Nationals in early March, owns lifetime bests of 11.77 in the 100 and 23.72 in the 200. Her 200 personal best was run during this past indoor season at the Eastern Indoors Invite. Her 200 outdoor personal best is 24.12 from last spring.

Bethel's teammate, Jaliyah Taylor, is another top entry in the girls 100, 200 and 400. Taylor, who owns lifetime bests of 11.87 and 24.45, was runner-up to Bethel at the Kentucky Class 3A Indoor Championships in both the 55 and 200 races this winter.

Soren Wilson (Sacred Heart KY) and Joanna Bryant (Lexington Catholic KY) lead the girls 400 entries.

Trinity KY will feature two of its four New Balance Nationals Indoor All-American athletes - Sullivan Yaden and Jake Hagan - in the boys 4x800 relay. Yaden and Hagen, along with Ayden Taylor and Aidan Albritton, collectively ran 7:45.11 to finish fifth at New Balance in March. Yaden and Hagan are also scheduled to run in the 800

Riley Burton of Fern Creek KY, Kentucky Class 3A runner-up in the 110 and 300 hurdles, will make his season debut in both hurdle events. Burton is the lone sub-40-second performer in the 300 hurdles field, owning a lifetime best of 38.79. Burton is also a top entry in the 100.

Kentucky Class 3A triple jump champion Ibrahim Soumare (Fern Creek KY) leads the boys field with his 48-foot, 3.25-inch mark from indoor. He will take on Male's Sean Anderson, which Soumare will meet in the long jump, too. Anderson is the top entry in the long jump with a mark of 23-4.