With nearly 300 high schools in Kentucky, few do better when it comes to athletic competition than the district student-athletes in Hardin and LaRue counties.
Elizabethtown High School alone has won 12 district championships, including two teams that were runners-up in the state championships—the girls’ soccer team and most recently, the boys’ tennis team.
There have been some fine individual and team achievements in the region. Let’s take a look at the spring sports:
tennis. The Elizabethtown boys team finished second in the team at the state championship.
“It’s a true testament to their work ethic and drive over the years,” Elizabeth Town coach Karen Hansen said of her team. “They grew up playing tennis together, so ending the year with a state runner-up trophy is truly a special moment for the boys, their families, our team and the EHS track and field athletes.”
The singles duo of Matthew Parsons and Mason Baldwin and Landon Hagen produced the deepest game for the Panthers.
The EHS girls’ team takes three points in the state championship.
At Central Hardin High School, the doubles team of KK Ditto and Annie Yates advanced to the state quarterfinals with a first-place finish in third after a strong performance in the district.
On the boys’ side, senior singles standout Jacob Jiranak is also in the deep state championship.
track and field. The North Hardin boys dominated the region with 168 points, while county rivals Central Hardin finished second in the team standings with 110 points.
North Hardin Senior Devin Sealey went on to win the state championship in the high jump.
Elizabethtown also finished third in the Division 2-A regional competition.
On the girls’ side, Elizabethtown won its second regional championship with 115.50 points in 15-team play. Larue County ranks third.
EHS senior Ella Johnson defended her 3,200-meter state title, and Central Hardin’s Serena McNeilly won gold in the triple jump in the triple-A competition.
baseball. It was the All-District 5 Tournament Final and LaRue County beat Elizabethtown 6-4 in the title game, giving the Eagles their fourth district baseball title in school history.
The Eagles lost their state championship opener 4-3 to eventual state champion Whitley County.
softball. Perennial powerhouse Central Hardin defeated Green County in the final for the regional title.
In the state tournament, the Bruins started with an 8-3 win over Harrison County and then lost 7-0 to Henderson County in the state quarterfinals.
Bass fishing. The Elizabethtown High School bass fishing team of Nolan Maggard and Lucas Wheatley achieved the best result in school history by finishing second at the second Regional Championships on Lake Cumberland in April.
The duo competed against 88 other double fishing teams in the competition.
archery. Central Hardin won its third regional boys’ team championship, ahead of 11 other schools, and Elizabethtown finished second in the girls’ team standings with 11 participating schools.
