The Shelbyville News

NEWS staff report

Shelbyville sophomore Jake Knight stunned the pole vaulting field Thursday at the Connersville Regional by winning the event, breaking a school record and qualifying for the State Finals.

Knight was the first vaulter to clear 15 feet, one inch which earned him the regional title. Knight's personal best prior to the meet was 14-1.

"Jake broke out a new pole and made everything from 13 feet to 15-1," Shelbyville track and field coach Pat Parks said.

The old school record at Shelbyville was 15-0 set by Travis Sosbe in 1994 at the State Finals.

Knight barely qualified for the regional one week earlier. Now he has vaulted himself into a state contender.

The 106th annual Boys' Track and Field State Finals is June 5 in Bloomington on the campus of Indiana University.

Knight, Center Grove's Tanner Riley and Franklin Central's Matt Knox all cleared 15-1 at the regional. But Knight cleared it on his first attempt to take first place.

East Central's Colton Robinson finished fourth but also advanced to the state championships after clearing 14-6 which is the state standard required to compete in Bloomington.

Patrick Ellis, a state qualifier in the long jump last season, missed a return trip to the State Finals with a fifth-place finish at Connersville.

Columbus East's Duwyce Wilson (22-7), Franklin's Jake Moran (22-4), Greenwood's Brad Carnes (21-10) and East Central's Garrett Rauch (21-9.75) all advanced.

Ellis, who set the school record earlier this season with a leap of 22-7, could only get 21-5.25 on Thursday.

"Patrick struggled," Parks said. "It was just one of those nights."

Warren Central won the regional team title with 106.5 points. Franklin Central and Center Grove tied for second with 58 points.