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LOUISVILLE – That ever-present smile was missing from the face of Lincoln’s Zack Hill as he left the high jump area at the 2010 KHSAA Class 3A State Track and Field Championships Saturday.

The Lincoln junior, ranked as one of the state’s best high jumpers throughout the year, saw his undefeated season come to an end at the University of Louisville’s Owsley Frazier Cardinal Park as he tied for second in the Class 3A state finals with a jump of 6-4.

Hill, who had entered the competition tied at No. 1 with four other jumpers at 6-6, shared the state runner-up finish with Paul Dunbar junior Lamont Johnson because they both had no misses at 6-4.

The finish, which was seven places higher than where he finished last year, earned Hill a place on the awards podium, a spot reserved for only the elite of the state’s athletes.

Still, no smile from Hill.

“I didn’t win, and I didn’t get my height (6-7, his season high), which was two times worse,” said Hill. “Second’s just not good enough.”

Hill injured his left hamstring in last week’s regional competition at Manchester and the injury nagged at the Patriot jumper throughout the state meet.

“My leg has been hurting me since Clay County and it was even worse today. It was tighter, and it was hot. The heat took a lot out of me today,” he said. “But I still should have got that 6-6.”

Only one high jumper would clear 6-6 at the state finals. Donavan Halsel, a sophomore from Warren Central who cleared 6-5 in the Region 2 finals, claimed the state title when he cleared 6-6 on his first attempt. Halsel went on to clear 6-8, but fell short of breaking the 3A record of 6-11.25.

“He had a good day. He cleared 6-6 on his first try,” said Hill.

Halsel wasn’t the only high jumper having a good day. Eighteen of the field of 23 jumpers cleared 6-0 and Hill was in good company when the height hit 6-4.

“It was a great competition,” said Hill. “There were still five people left at 6-4. Halsel cleared 6-6 and then none of the rest of us cleared. He (Johnson) and I had less scratches to get second.”

The thrill of the competition started to bring the smile back to Hill’s face as he contemplated his senior season of high jumping.

“I’ve still got next year and I’m going to beat that kid,” he said of Halsel. “I’m going to work on my form since I know how to now and I’m going to get better.”

Hill’s runner-up finish was Lincoln’s first medal since 2001 when Ben Gaines placed second in pole vault.

“Zack did awesome and he wasn’t even happy about it. I would be so happy with a second-place at state,” said Lady Pat distance runner Emily Frith.

While Hill expected to make the awards podium, Frith never dreamed that she, too, would be under the spotlight in the state finals.

The LCHS junior’s time was not ranked among the best in the 3200-meter run, seeded 16th out of the 22 runners slated to compete and she wasn’t in metal contention.

Until she kicked in with a full-out finish in the final lap of the eight-lap race. Frith, who had qualified in three events, was running back in 16th place in her final state race of the day when she started to pick up her pace and pick off runners. She passed the 15th runner, worked her way pass the 14th, then 13th, eventually moving into eighth-place down the final stretch to earn herself a state medal.

Frith had no idea what she’d accomplished.

“In the two-mile (3200), I just went out there and ran because it’s just an honor to be at state,” she said. “I didn’t even know that I was in eighth-place until after the race when Miss Lacey (Lacey Ledford, Lincoln’s girls coach) came up to me and said, ‘You’ve got eighth-place. You medalled.’”

“I wasn’t even thinking about place. I was just like, ‘Okay, run. If you feel like you can go faster, go faster,’” she said.

Frith’s push at the end got her to the finish line in 11:56.53.

“It was the last race of the year and I wanted to do my best and I’m happy that I did,” Frith said. “It wasn’t my PR but I was really close to it.”

When Frith learned that she made the awards podium, she realized just how close she came to losing her spot.

Lindsey Mathis, a freshman from Muhlenberg County who was ranked 14th ahead of Frith in the pre-meet listing, narrowly missed claiming the eighth-place medal, coming in hot on Frith’s heels as the pair neared the finish. Mathis’ time was 11:56.91.

“She almost got me,” said Frith. “She was right at my back when I finished and I hadn’t realized it because I didn’t hear her. She was like right on me at the end.”

The state medal finish proved to Frith that sitting out one of her state-qualifying events, the 1600-meter run, was the right decision.

“I didn’t really want to sit out the race,” she said. “I made all three (3200 relay, 3200 run and 1600) so I thought I should run all three. I think if I’d run the mile I might not have had enough energy to place in the two-mile. Miss Lacey said it was a good move.”

“I’m just glad I ran my hardest to get the medal.”

Frith also ran her hardest in the first event of the state meet, the girls 3200-meter relay. Frith, Alex Bunch, Alaina King and Shelby Meece finished 17th overall in the event with a time of 10:34.57 but Frith wasn’t complaining about her finish.

“On the 4 x 8 team I ran my best split,” she said. “I ran a 2:27 or 2:28 and I’ve never done that before. I’ve always been 2:30’s. I’m glad I finally got in 2:20’s especially because it was really hot.”

The quick start helped settle Frith’s nerves about the state competition.

“I always get so nervous before races. I was nervous last night and I couldn’t sleep,” she said. “It turned out to be a good day. This is definitely the most satisfying state. From last year, where I only made it in one event, this year it feels good to know I’ve progressed.”

And Frith was in good company at Saturday’s meet, with 11 Lincoln athletes reaching this year’s state championships. In addition to Hill, Frith and the 3200 relay team, Lincoln had competitors in the 800 and 400 girls relays, the girls 800 and the boys 1600 and 3200 runs.

“I’m really happy with the team,” said Frith. “I think we’ve done so much better this year. It’s great to have so many people here this year. It’s a big achievement.”

Like Frith, Alex Bunch and Taylor Elam qualified in three events.

Like Frith, Bunch also just ran in two. In addition to the 3200 relay, Bunch qualified for state in the 800 and 1600 runs. She opted out of running the 800 but did compete in the 1600, placing 13th overall in a time of 5:35.79. She had been ranked 17th in the pre-meet listing.

Elam’s state run included a short lap around the track in the 200-meter dash and a leg in two relays – the 800 and 400. Elam was timed at 27.73 seconds in the 200 to place her 18th overall. She ran 19th alongside Melody Simpson, Bobbie Smith and Tracy Smith in the 800-meter relay, with Lincoln finishing in 1:52.40. In the 400, Elam was joined on track by Autumn Morgan, Simpson and T. Smith and the team finished 23rd in 53.97 seconds.

Lincoln senior Eric Sanders closed out his high school track career in Saturday’s state meet, competing in the 1600 and 3200 runs.

Sanders began his day with a 16th place effort in the 1600, crossing the finish in 4:44.70. He ran his last race of the day near the end of the meet, coming in 20th in the 3200 in 10:30.33.

“I wasn’t happy with how I ran today,” said Sanders. “I was glad to be here, at state, but I would have liked to have finished better than I did.”

Note: The last state championship for a Lincoln athlete came in the 1999 state finals when Maurice Napier outraced Tyson Gay to take the 200-meter title. He had three medals that year, taking second in the 100-meter dash, behind Gay, and third in the long jump field event. Lincoln placed sixth overall as a team that year with Gaines and B. J. Gooch adding fourth- and fifth-place finishes, respectively, in pole vault and Marcellous Jones placing fifth in shot put.

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