GIRLS' PREP TRACK & FIELD: Elizabethtown's Kuklinski leads All-Area Team (06/16)

Neal Cardin

Elizabethtown's Madison Kuklinski goes up to clear the bar at 8 feet, six inches, in the pole vault event Saturday.

Buy this photo

Jill Pickett

Elizabethtown's Madison Kuklinski was named 2008 Female Athlete of the Year while John Hardin's Brandon Bagley was named 2008 Male Athlete of the Year.

Buy this photo

By JOSH CLAYWELL jclaywell@thenewsenterprise.com Madison Kuklinski wanted to help put the Elizabethtown High School girls’ track and field team back on the map following her first two years on the team. It’s safe to say Kuklinski has done just that. Kuklinski, a senior pole vaulter/multiple-event competitor, helped lead the Lady Panthers to three consecutive Class 2-A, Region 2 championships starting in 2006. “She was very instrumental in our success this year,” Elizabethtown coach Dickie Jones said. “Her accomplishments this year were huge for us.” As a sophomore, Kuklinski finished third in the pole vault at the KHSAA Class 2-A State Track and Field Championships. The following year, she finished second. She wasn’t finished. Kuklinski capped off her high school career by winning the pole vault at the state championships at the University of Louisville on May 30, becoming Elizabethtown’s first pole vault champion since Kathryn Yates in 2003. “It still hasn’t set in,” Kuklinski said. “Through all the congratulatory remarks, it’s starting to. That’s what I set my goal for this season: To win State.” Now, Kuklinski can cross off another goal: Being named the Athlete of the Year on the sixth installment of The News-Enterprise All-Area Track and Field Team. Voting was conducted by the area’s seven head coaches (coaches could not vote for their own athletes). Kuklinski tallied 18 points and three first-place votes to best John Hardin sophomore Maggie Mattingly, who had 13 points and two first-place votes. North Hardin senior Linda Dixon finished third with 10 points and one first-place vote. “That’s awesome,” Kuklinski said. “Wow. I didn’t see that coming at all. I don’t know what to say.” Kuklinski began her track and field career as a short-to-medium distance runner. By her sophomore year, Jones and former co-coach Tony Kuklinski convinced her to compete in the pole vault. “When I first started, it was all for fun,” Madison Kuklinski said. “It was to do something different, to get away from running.” Kuklinski went to a pole vaulting camp that year and fell in love with the event. “When we started coaching her as a sophomore, we saw the potential was there,” Jones said. “It’s just so tough to learn. You’ve got to get them comfortable with being off the ground and bending backwards while in the air. Hopefully by the third year they can start to bend the pole better.” Jones’ three-year plan worked to perfection with Yates, who attended a few of Elizabethtown’s practices this season and helped Kuklinski work on her form. “I think that gave Madi another perspective,” Jones said. “She got to hear things from Kathryn that led her to a state championship. “It’s a fitting end to Madison’s high school career,” Jones added. “She’ll be tough to replace next year.” SOPHOMORE OF THE YEAR. Mattingly wanted to test her limits this season. Before the season began, she convinced John Hardin coach Jason Hayes to let her try the 800-meter run. Mattingly sure made her coach proud by winning the region title at the Class 3-A, Region 2 Meet and placing sixth at the state championships. “The practices got harder for me,” Mattingly said. “It was just fun to see how I could do in a different race.” Mattingly also won her second consecutive Class 3-A state championship as part of the 3,200 relay team with freshman Hanna Alcock, junior Alex Burgess and senior Kristia Worthy. For her efforts, Mattingly received 22 points and three first-place votes to be named Area Sophomore of the Year. Meade County’s Shelby Jenkins finished second with 14 points and two first-place votes, while North Hardin’s Markeshia Woodson finished third with 12 points and one first-place vote. “I think she had a really good season,” Hayes said. “She came in focused on what she wanted to do and she worked hard to get there.” Hayes said Mattingly’s region win was the most exciting race of the season. “I was really pleased with the way Maggie ran that,” Hayes said. “She didn’t let anybody else dictate the pace. She just ran a comfortable race for her.” Mattingly said the friendship she forged on and off the track with Jenkins made the season better. “She’s an amazing runner and I’ve got to know her better this year,” Mattingly said. “It’s nice to have friendly competition.” COACH OF THE YEAR. Jones knew his Lady Panthers were in for a great year. And after guiding Elizabethtown to a fourth-place finish at Class 2-A State, Jones repeated as Area Coach of the Year. “It was a great feeling,” Jones said. “We knew the potential was there to have a very good team. Going into State I had my sights set on a top-10 finish. I didn’t realize we’d be near the top like we were. I didn’t realize we had that opportunity until just before State.” Jones received 22 points and four first-place votes, while Meade County’s Larry Garner was second with 15 points and two first-place votes. Hayes finished third with 11 points and one first-place vote. “It’s always a surprise when your colleagues vote you to an award like that,” Jones said. “I don’t think I could have won it without the coaching staff I have or the girls we have. The honor wouldn’t have come without their hard work and dedication.” Jones is assisted by Leann Kinney, Bill Larrington, Jeffery McNeil, Ralph Serpico and Kevin Strader. “Without them it wouldn’t have been possible at all,” Jones said. “They took a huge load off my shoulders. They were doing a lot of the coaching and timing at meets. I knew I could turn things over to them and they’d get the job done.” ALL-AREA TEAM. Madison Kuklinski, Elizabethtown; Maggie Mattingly, John Hardin; Alex Burgess, John Hardin; Shelby Jenkins, Meade County; Linda Dixon, North Hardin; Marley Stanfield, Meade County; Markeshia Woodson, North Hardin; Chantee White, Elizabethtown; Kristen Ballard, Elizabethtown; Jessica Gabhart, Elizabethtown; Hanna Alcock, John Hardin; Whitney Maurer, Elizabethtown, Tai Phillips, LaRue County; Kristia Worthy, John Hardin; and Samantha Stewart, North Hardin. VOTING PROCESS. Individual awards were done on a 5-3-1 scale, with a 5 going to the coach’s first choice, 3 to the second and 1 to the third. Voting for the All-Area Team was done on a 15-14-13-etc. scale. Athletes who received at least one vote were named to the honorable mention team. Coaches could not vote for themselves or their athletes. Josh Claywell can be reached

at 505-1752 GIRLS’ ALL-AREA TRACK & FIELD TEAM ATHLETE OF THE YEAR Madison Kuklinski, Elizabethtown SOPHOMORE OF THE YEAR Maggie Mattingly, John Hardin COACH OF THE YEAR Dickie Jones, Elizabethtown ALL-AREA TEAM Madison Kuklinski, Elizabethtown Maggie Mattingly, John Hardin Alex Burgess, John Hardin Shelby Jenkins, Meade County Linda Dixon, North Hardin Marley Stanfield, Meade County Markeshia Woodson, North Hardin Chantee White, Elizabethtown Kristen Ballard, Elizabethtown Jessica Gabhart, Elizabethtown Hanna Alcock, John Hardin Whitney Maurer, Elizabethtown Tai Phillips, LaRue County Kristia Worthy, John Hardin Samantha Stewart, North Hardin ALL-AREA HONORABLE MENTION CENTRAL HARDIN: Mallory Chaney ELIZABETHTOWN: Emily Buck, Kaylee Gabhart, Samantha Matherly, Deanna Maurer, Denisha Nichols and Taylor Perkins FORT KNOX: Tiana Benjamin, Ashley Ivory, Abby Raney and Emmy Raney JOHN HARDIN: Andrea Body, Leilani Hunter and Chantler Jernigan LARUE COUNTY: Haley Carrico and Shana Zajdel MEADE COUNTY: Tiffany Brown, Kim Dukes, April Level, Emily Miller and Jaci Reardon NORTH HARDIN: Miriam Cho, Chianta Holmes, Janaiqua Horne, Denisha Oggs, Desiree Russell, Stacie Vaughn, Chandler Windham and Brianna Woodson