JEFFERSON CITY • Kenny Cushing didn't know he could dig so deep.
A senior from Holt High, Cushing came into the final of the 1,600-meter run Friday at the Class 4 state track and field meet as an also-ran. And with 400 meters left to go in the event, it looked like that was what he was going to be.
Cushing was in 12th place in a 16-person race, further back than he wanted to be at that point, and he had some thoroughbreds ahead of him.
"Whenever I saw how far back I was, I just had to push even harder than I even thought I could, but it worked out," he said.
Indeed it did. With a kick that would have made former Olympic champion Dave Wottle proud, Cushing came all the way back and edged Summit's Daniel Mazar at the tape. Cushing won by .01 seconds in a time of 4 minutes 12.50 seconds in the best race of the first day of the two-day meet at Lincoln University.
"It's unbelievable," said Cushing, who finished sixth in the same race last year. "I can't even believe ... I'm still in awe of it even happening."
Mazar, the favorite, didn't expect to lose. He particularly didn't expect to lose to Cushing.
"I was definitely surprised," he said. "I was not expecting him to be in even the top three for the finals."
Cushing's win did not come without a little bit of controversy. He and Mazar collided late in the race, and Mazar lost his balance and fell to the track as he crossed the finish line.
"I was so tired, I couldn't hold my lane completely, man, that's how our feet got caught up," Cushing said. "But at the very end we kind of knocked into each other, and he fell. Other than that it was clean."
"I don't think he intentionally did it," Mazar said of Cushing. "There was definitely full-on contact, which made us fully stumble, and I lost all the momentum I had going into it."
Rock Bridge's Caleb Wilfong, who was expected to challenge Mazar for first in the event, led the race most of the way and finished third in 4:12.89. Tim Rackers of SLUH also contributed to the ultra-competitive event by taking the lead at one point and settling for fourth in 4:13.28.
"It was just a really fun race," Rackers said. "I was kind of surprised when the final lap came around and I was in such good position. I kind of wish I could have held in a little longer. It was a hard-fought battle, and everybody feels good with what they got."
Cushing surely does. It was what will likely heretofore be known as the "Cushing Kick" that made the race something to see.
"Usually, from that far back, I can't catch 'em -- last year I couldn't catch the front guys -- and this year I could," said Cushing, who also qualified for the 800 final. "I kept it close enough in the last lap."
After beating out defending Class 4 champion Hazelwood Central for the sectional team championship last week, McCluer North came to state hoping to contend for a team title. However, the Stars likely needed a big day in the discus but didn't get it.
Junior Keith Jones, who was expected to contend for a title, finished a disappointing sixth (154-5) and his teammate Deondra Canaday took eighth (153-2). Their throws were well off of their bests this season.
"I'm satisfied, but I feel I could have done better because I didn't PR this week," Jones said.
Hazelwood Central had some disappointments, too, which could hurt their chance at repeating. Central's 400 relay did not qualify for the finals, and banged up Marc Franks failed to get out in the 200.
Michael Hester had a good day, however. He finished first in the 200 prelims (21.79), had the second-best time in the 400 (48.86) and ran a great anchor leg to help the 1,600 relay team clock the best time (3:20.46) in the prelims.
"Everybody was telling me to just cruise it in the final 100 because, you're going to make it to the finals either way," Hester said of his 400 race.
He had originally thought about going for the state record in the 400 in the prelims.
The Ladue 400 relay also experienced some heartache. The Rams failed to qualify in that event despite having the second-best qualifying time coming into the state meet.
