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Dixon prevails in pole vault

By JILL ERWIN

SOMERSET -- Last year, Jed Meade of Boyle County beat Casey County's Nic Dixon in pole vault at the regional meet at Pulaski County.

On Wednesday, it was the same place, different results.

Dixon cleared 11 feet to win the pole vault on the first day of the Class AA, Region 4 championships, while both he and Meade advance onto the state meet for the second time.

"I'm very happy with today," Dixon said. "Losing last year really tore me up, but I knew I could come in here and get 11 feet for the automatic qualifying. Winning it was just a plus."

"I was so excited when I won last year," Meade said. "There really aren't that many vaulters in our region, so that helps us advance, too. Nic, my rival I guess you could say, went to a camp last summer. But I'm going this year."

Meade's victory last year served as a motivational tool for Dixon earlier in the season.

"Today it didn't bother me much at all," Dixon said. "But at the beginning of the season, I was working real hard for it. I've reached my peak, and I outperformed him today. It takes a certain kind of day."

While only four vaulters competed, the other two were out when the bar passed 9 feet. So it was very much a two-person competition for the regional title.

While Dixon competes in several other events, Meade specializes in the vault.

"This is all he does," Boyle coach Jim Spears said. "He loves it, and he's fearless. To do the pole vault, you can't have a fear of heights or anything, and that's never been any kind of factor with Jed. He loves the vault, and he has a real passion for it."

"I like getting up there, and it's almost like you're flying," Meade said. "It's all mental. You have to do your mental thing and know you're going to go up there and get it."

Both tied personal bests with Meade clearing 10 feet, 6 inches. However, Meade's performance came with different equipment than he expected.

Right before the Rebels' bus left for Somerset, Meade noticed his bag was gone. Inside that bag was a pair of Meade's spikes that he uses in the vault.

He had to make do with a pair of teammate Derek Vonckx's shoes, and said his expectations for the day were not high.

"I was kind of mad I didn't have my spikes," Meade said. "I thought I was only going to get 9 (feet) today. I don't know ... maybe the spikes don't really matter."

What matters is that both are making a return to the state meet. As sophomores, the duo have made the journey to Lexington for the past two years, and Dixon said he has definite goals for this year's meet.

"I want to break the school record, whatever that is," Dixon said. "The higher I can get, the better."

"Nic is one of those types that won't quit until he's done everything he can do to achieve his goal," Casey coach Randy Salyers said. "That's one thing that has gotten him where he is."

Dixon did break a school record in the preliminaries of the 400-meter run with a time of 54.1 seconds. Casey's Chad Baldock finished only .8 seconds behind him, but set a school record of his own in the high jump.

Baldock cleared 6 feet in the high jump, breaking the previous record of 5-10 he tied earlier in the season and earning a state berth with a second-place finish.

"This is a goal I've set all year," Baldock said. "Since the first day I came out, I've worked myself up for this."

Casey also won two other events, with Misty Hair earning the right to defend her state title with a throw of 118-10 in the discus.

Emily Rader came in second and also qualified in the discus with a top throw of 103-6.

The girls 3,200 relay team also won with a time of 10:54.4.

Rader 'thrives' at Heart of the Bluegrass meet

By JILL ERWIN

Staff Writer

HARRODSBURG -- Everything seemed to be stacked against Emily Rader at the Heart of the Bluegrass track meet Saturday at Harrodsburg.

The Casey County junior had what she termed a horrible practice on Friday, and wasn't sure how she would perform in the discus.

But two throws later, everything was looking up.

Rader threw 118 feet, 11 inches on her second preliminary throw, a personal best, on her way to taking first in the discus.

"It felt pretty good," Rader said. "I knew it would be more than 110 (feet). I feel good, more so now that I've got a new PR (personal record). I've been throwing fairly good some days, but I haven't been able to do it in a meet. I just said my prayers this morning that I would be able to be confident and not let any of the pressure get to me.

"I'd rather do it here than anywhere. Except state."

In last year's Class AA state meet, Rader finished third. But she said she hasn't changed her mechanics much since then.

"It's pretty much the same," Rader said. "You can always use more speed in the middle, turning your right foot. But other than that, it's about the same."

Whatever it is, it's working.

In the most recent state rankings, which came out April 20, Rader was ranked No. 1 in Class AA with her previous best this season of 111-10. Her teammate, freshman Jessica Pierce, was ranked fourth with a top throw of 93-2 1/2.

The closest competitor to her was Clarissa Hubbard of Rockcastle County, who threw 104-11. Pierce finished sixth with a throw of 88-10.

For Rader, it's almost a reversal of roles. Last year, she was finishing second and third at every meet behind former teammate Misty Hair. Now, with Hair's graduation, Rader is the top thrower for the Rebels and she has Pierce behind her.

"Toward the beginning, I was more trying to get my own self worked back into it," Rader said. "I'm trying to help her out some, because I appreciated it when my elders helped me out."

Last year, with Hair drawing all the attention, Rader was able to focus on herself. Now, Coach Randy Salyers said, that has changed.

"That's one thing I've talked to her about," Salyers said. "Last year, she could just kind of go about her business because she was really the second thrower on our team. Then all of a sudden, she's the No. 1 thrower, and I think that added a little bit of pressure to her. But she's finally come to grips with that."

But Rader has more strengths than just the discus. She is also ranked No. 3 in Class AA in the 300 hurdles, with a top time of 51.3 seconds.

Salyers has seen several great athletes in his time at Casey, and he said Rader is taking her place in that group.

"Over the time I've been here, there have been three girls that I feel like have been super athletes," Salyers said. "Lou Ann Wardrip, Robin Wall about five years ago, and Emily is probably the best female athlete we've had since then as far as being able to do different events. She could be the best ever, because she does such a wide range of things."

The Heart of the Bluegrass is one of the largest meets in the state, with 30 girls teams registered to be there. Rader said to do that well against such a strong field will help her in the long run.

"I think this gave me what I needed," Rader said. "Last night I had one of the most horrible practices ever. This proves that one day you can do all right, and things can happen."

"Last year, she really didn't get over the 110 (foot) mark until the state track meet," Salyers said. "When she got to the state meet, there was a lot of pressure, and she got her personal best. Then this was a big track meet, and she got a new personal best. She really seems to thrive under pressure."

Casey relay teams improving

Publication Date: 5/6/01

LIBERTY -- Casey County's 1,600-meter relay teams may not the best foursomes out there, but they're getting better all the time.

And as they improve, they are becoming linchpins for a Casey team trying to develop as much depth as the Rebels have seen in years.

Many coaches seem to put an extra emphasis in the 1,600 relay, and Casey's Randy Salyers is no exception. It's the last event on the track at every meet, and it's a chance to put four good athletes together to earn points that might make the difference in the team standings.

Casey's girls team may have found the four athletes it needs to succeed in the 1,600 relay. The team added a new member for last week's Double-A Derby and subtracted a few seconds from its best time.

Beth Patterson, Emily Rader and Rita Dixon teamed with newcomer Tabitha Yaden to turn in a time of 4:19.70. They were just two-tenths of a second off the school record and an eyelash behind a strong Boyle County team.

"We all ran our best times," Dixon said.

The boys 1,600-meter relay didn't win at the Double-A Derby, but the foursome of Grant Szczotka, Jeff Caudill, Chad Baldock and Nic Dixon has already made its mark among the state's best teams in that event.

They broke the school record with a time of 3:40.89 at Harrodsburg's Heart of the Bluegrass, and before that they were already ranked third in the state among Class AA boys.

"I think we have come a long way," said Caudill, a senior. "I feel we'll get better as the year continues."

Baldock, who like Caudill is in only his second year on the track team, said the relay foursome takes a great deal of pride in its success.

The four relay runners make up most of the field for 6:30 a.m. Wednesday workouts -- voluntary workouts, no less -- that they say brings the team closer together.

"We push each other," Baldock said. "Some days are better than others, and we aren't where we need to be right now."

"Our coach pushes us hard, but a lot of us understand it's up to us to get in good shape to run," Szczotka said.

Three of the relay runners are also enjoying success in individual events. Dixon is ranked fifth in Class AA in the pole vault, Szczotka sixth in the 110 hurdles and Baldock seventh in the high jump.

Two members of the girls 1,600 relay team are also ranked statewide. Rader is ranked first in the discus and fourth in the 300 hurdles, and Rita Dixon 10th in both the 400 and 800 runs.

The relay team has been out of the state rankings this season, but the current combination of girls could change that.

The difference could be Yaden, who was coerced to join fellow freshmen Dixon and Patterson and junior Rader.

"It took a lot of persuasion," said Yaden, who ran the anchor leg. "Every day they'd say, 'Are you going to run the 1,600 with us?' and I'd say no. I'm a sprinter."

All of the girls are basketball players -- they are coached by Salyers in that sport as well -- and some said basketball figured in their motivation for running track.

But for now they're focused on improving a relay team that suddenly looks much more promising. "I'm just excited," Rita Dixon said. "Every year we've had a good relay team, but this year we haven't done as well. Now we have a chance. Now it's possible to go to state."

Rader Sets E.G. Plummer Record

A personal-best performance by Emily Rader of Casey County in the discus was named the outstanding girls small school performance of the meet.

Rader's top throw of 120 feet, 10 inches, surpassed her previous best by 2 feet and surpassed the second-best throw Saturday by 15-1.

"Last night in practice I kind of figured out what had been hindering me on it," she said. "Lately I hadn't been up where I was two weeks ago. I'm hoping I can do even better. I'm hoping it'll come at regional time."

Rader wins AA discus title, Dixon second in pole vault

Publication Date: 6/3/01

By JILL ERWIN

Staff Writer

LEXINGTON -- The omens were all around for Casey County Friday at the Class AA State Track and Field Championships.

From coach Randy Salyers' palm-reading abilities to Nic Dixon's prescient number allocation, all signs pointed to a record-setting day for the Rebels at the University of Kentucky track.

And neither Dixon nor Emily Rader disappointed.

Rader set a new school record in the discus and won her first state title with a throw of 125 feet, 8 inches. It was the third straight year a Casey girl has won the discus because Misty Hair won in 1999 and 2000. Rader finished third in 2000.

Dixon tied a personal best and took second in the pole vault by clearing 12 feet.

"It felt good, but I didn't think it would be that far," Rader said. "(Paducah Tilghman seventh-grader) Pam Bell threw a 118, so I knew anything could happen. But I just wanted to throw a 125 today and I said, 'Whatever that gets me, I'll be content.' That was my goal for this year."

Rader almost predicted her exact performance prior to the meet. She was talking with Dixon, when he said he complained about the number he was assigned to wear, 126.

"I said, 'This is my number. I got a bad number,'" Dixon said. "She said, 'That's what I want to throw ... and 12-6, that's what you're going to vault.'"

Rader didn't quite make it, but fell only four inches short. Her record-setting toss eclipsed the old school record of 123-10 set by Hair at last year's state meet.

But judging by Rader's first attempt in her preliminary flight, one might be surprised the record was broken at all.

Rader's first throw was wide and hit the standards around the throwing area. She regrouped and threw her best toss on the first throw of the finals.

"All season I told myself, 'Anything's possible,'" Rader said. "At practice, I've done pretty bad. I've thrown 105 consistently. I tried not to let it get to me, but I think it kind of did. Everything worked out for the best."

Perhaps part of the credit for Rader's record-setting throw has to go to Salyers. At the E.G. Plummer Invitational at Dan-ville in mid-May, Salyers took Rader's hand and told her, 'It feels about like a 120 (foot throw).' Rader went and set what had been her personal best with a 120-10 that day.

He didn't make any bold predictions at the regional meet because of the weather, but got back into the prognostication game prior to Friday's competition.

"I walked up to her and said 'Let me see your hands,'" Salyers said. "She held it out and I rubbed it and said, 'It feels like a 125.' And that's what she threw."

While Salyers was making predictions for Rader's day, Dixon was hoping to improve on last year's 13th-place finish.

"Getting 12-6 would have been nice, but absolutely I'm pleased that I got second place," Dixon said. "I just wanted to come in, jump well, relax, and I did all that. I told myself if I got 12-6, I'd have a shot at winning. If not that, I wanted to place in the top five."

Salyers has also been impressed with the improvement he has seen from Dixon.

"If you look at it, he's probably made more strides than anybody in the pole vault over the last year, year and a half," Salyers said. "He has worked extremely hard."

Dixon said the long hours of practice made a difference Friday.

"Probably my best jump came at 12-6 when I missed it," Dixon said. "But it's going to come and I couldn't be more pleased with what I did today. I'm glad I was able to come out here and do it, and I'm glad my hard work paid off."

Dixon's performance in the pole vault was the first time Casey has ever had someone medal in the event at the state meet.