Clinton hurdler places 5th at State
For the first time in a decade, the Clinton High School track team had a qualifier for the state championships in Murfreesboro.
Dragons’ junior hurdler Lucas Butz concluded his 2024 campaign on the state’s grand stage at Middle Tennessee State University’s Dean Hayes Stadium on Wednesday.
Butz took fifth place in the 300-meter hurdles as he crossed the finish line in 43.35 seconds.
Clinton Coach Tim Kumes said he was pleased with the junior’s performance at the Midstate.
Butz looks to return for his senior season in 2025.
“He’s a great representative for Clinton High School and a great representative for his team,” Kumes said of Butz. “He’s a team leader, and this is the first time in a long time that we’ve had someone qualify for state ... about 10 years.”
Kumes may have been happy; Butz, however, was not all that thrilled with his performance.
“He finished fifth and that was great, but I think he was disappointed,” Kumes said. “He’s the type of kid [who] expects to win every time he goes out.
“He had a guy on the inside of him that hit a hurdle and fell, and I think he might’ve finished one or two places higher if that hadn’t have happened.”
Kumes and Butz are now looking toward the future.
“He’s a transfer from Florida and this was really good for him because now he knows the kind of competition he will face,” the coach said.
