Led by Ethan Pendleton and his national record-setting high jump, the Owensboro Middle School track and field team finished runner-up last weekend in the KTCCCA Middle School State Championship.
Pendleton, an 8th-grader who’d never competed in the sport before, cleared the bar at 6’2” to set the new national record, easily claiming the high jump championship.
Nearly every other athlete on the team posted personal bests in their respective events, capping off an unexpectedly great season in what head coach Anthony Tate thought would be rebuilding year.
After most of last year’s team moved on to high school, Tate knew he’d basically be starting from scratch. Pendleton was a top target because of his success in other sports, and Tate saw plenty of potential.
“This is his first year running track,” Tate said. “I told him a couple times in the hallways, ‘I think you should do track. I have a funny feeling if you do, you’d be a state champion.’”
Pendleton didn’t come out the first day of practice, but he showed up on day two with a handful of friends. The group trained through February and had a solid showing against Hancock County in their first meet on March 26.
Still, Tate knew there was plenty of work to do before they could think about qualifying for state. Even Pendleton had to come a long way, starting the year with 5’0” jumps.
“I said don’t worry about it, you’ll be fine,” Tate said. “It’s a process. It’s not something you’re going to get all at once. I told them I’d just give us times, heights, feet and yards of what we’d need to do. Everything will take care of itself.”
They continued to improve each week, and OMS got their first real test late in the season at a meet at North Oldham. Competing with some of the top teams in the state, Owensboro claimed first place.
“We did well in all of the running events, shot put and disc throw,” Tate said. “I wanted to see what Ethan could do in high jump. I said, ‘All you have to do is jump. Just do what we’ve been teaching and you’re going to be fine. Don’t worry.’”
Pendleton won with 5’8” and entered the middle school state meet as the No. 1 high jumper. Still, Tate knew he needed more from all of his guys.
“Once we ran the North Oldham meet, I knew we had a chance,” he said. “When we won, I told our guys we had a chance to be top three in the state. I told them that everybody had to do their best, and that meant they can’t peak at the wrong time. We were going to need points from everybody.”
All but two athletes finished with their best results of the year, and Pendleton led the way. Tate had done his best to prepare Pendleton to clear 5’10” — a goal he considered lofty enough.
“Every time he would get something, I would push the bar because I didn’t want him to get comfortable,” Tate said. “But at practice, I wouldn’t let him jump hard because if he competes too hard in practice he could just be dead.”
So, Pendleton only jumped two times a day all week leading up to state, and his fresh legs paid off. With all eyes on him — an announcement over the intercom made the entire crowd aware of the jump — Pendleton kept going higher.
“I looked at him and said you’ve got it,” Tate said. “Just do what you do, but give a little bit more effort. He got 6’0” and I said holy camoly. That’s as far as I expected him to go.”
Pendleton went on to clear another two inches to set the new national benchmark.
“Ethan is just one of those kids that if you be honest and straight and level-headed with him, he does his best for you,” Tate said. “I’ve coached a lot of kids at Owensboro, but I’ve never coached a talented kid in high jump like Ethan.”
Tate said the team was largely able to find success after buying in to competing hard as well as doing well off the track.
“Buying in means doing right in the classroom, respecting your teachers, doing right in the public,” he said. “Sometimes I have to let people go because it becomes a cancer to the team. It’s not me that makes the decision, it’s the team. I just make the final call.”
It’s not an easy decision, but Tate is trying to help instill the right values and maintain a positive program. That doesn’t mean he forgets about those that are let go, though, and he said they always understand their actions have consequences.
“We are a big family,” Tate said. “Whether you’re on the team or we had to take you off, we’re still a family no matter what.”
STATE RESULTS
100 Meter Dash
Eddie Badger — 2nd, 12.08
100 Meter Hurdles
Ethan Pendleton — 11th, 15.83
200 Meter Dash
Eddie Badger — 3rd, 24.44
Khalil Rogers — 12th, 25.23
400 Meter Dash
Zackary Clark — 3rd, 54:50
Jashawn Carr — 6th, 56:12
Shot Put
Savhon Hines — 3rd, 43-09.75
Discus
Sahvon Hines — 13th – 109-08
Turbo Javelin
Kyle Sturgeon — 20th, 90-06
Triple Jump
Jeremiah Goodwin — 8t, 36-08.25
Pole Vault
Adien Fregoe — 15th, 7-05
High Jump
Ethan Pendleton — 1st, 6-02
Long Jump
Zackary Clark — 6th, 18-06
400 Meter Relay
Jayvionte Leak, Kyle Sturgeon, Khalil Roger, Eddie Badger — 2nd, 47:10
800 Meter Relay
Khalil Roger, Jashawn Carr, Jeremiah Goodwin, Zackary Clark — 4th, 1:38.50
1600 Meter Relay
Trey Farmer, Jashawn Carr, Ethan Pendleton, Zackary Clark — 3rd, 3:51.64
3200 Meter Relay
Trey Farmer, Jacob Coleman, Walker Smith, Adien Fergoe — 12th, 9:56.67
