Kentucky Track Star Kaden John Blazes State Record as Rival King Combest Fuels Family Comeback Story

At last Wednesday’s Kentucky High School 3A State Indoor Track and Field Championships in Louisville, a showdown in the boys 55-meter dash triggered a sportswriter’s alarm.

A Record-Breaking Night for Kaden John

The matchup between Frederick Douglass junior Kaden John and Henderson County senior King Combest created a narrative dichotomy worth writing about.

The Rare Sprinter–High Jumper Double

John competes in the rarely seen 55-meter dash/high jump double—actually, he runs a fierce 200 meters as well. You’d be hard pressed to find any track and field athlete who has competed as a sprinter/high jumper.

John exudes confidence about his sprinting.

“I knew I had the third fastest time in the 200, but I knew I could win it. And then, the 60 (55 meters), I knew it, too.”

The Bronco wide receiver triumphed in the 55-meter dash, setting a state record of 6.43. And his 21.62 200-meter victory wasn’t half bad, either.

“I felt great today,” John said. “Actually, I’m coming to these meets after football, lifting and stuff, my legs tired. But I feel good.”

Perhaps the lifting impacted his jumps. John placed third, leaping 6-2. He entered the meet with a strong mark of 6-6. Nevertheless, the high jump seems to be a work in progress.

“I wasn't really good at it in middle school,” John revealed. “I started getting into it last year, like high heights last year. So just continuing with it.”

At last season’s outdoor championships, John placed third in the 100 meters (10.84), second in the deuce (21.47) and fifth in the high jump (6-4).

Podium finishes in the high jump, and sprints for one athlete are a rarity indeed. John has made his mark.

King Combest’s Comeback After Two Difficult Years

For Combest, it’s a family matter, so to speak. If the name Combest sounds familiar, well, it is. King’s pedigree runs through his father and paternal grandfather.

His father’s story has been well documented. Casey Combest did his best impression of Houston McTear. Both 5-foot-7 speed merchants, with mind-blowing drive phases (first 20 meters), explosively blazed down the track each time out, but also blazed paths of uncertainty to a dead end. They were two “could have beens” and “should have beens,” superhuman potential unrealized.

King’s high school athletic career also ran into undisclosed hiccups a couple of years ago, which prevented him from competing, but it seems he has now righted the Combest ship.

“You know, over the course of two years, it's gone up and down, up and down,” he said. “I quit running. I had to step back because I had some issues going on at home and stuff. So I worked really, really hard and I made it to state. And I'm very pleased that everybody is behind me and cheering me on.”

King placed second in the 55-meter dash last week, clocking a highly respectable 6.46.

“In my last couple of years, my actual time was 6.39…I came here looking forward to first or second because I come along a long way and worked really, really hard to get that time,” King said. “I’m just coming here and having fun, experiencing the joy and showing everybody I'm here and I'm ready to take my next step.”

A Family Legacy Built on Speed

Casey set the high school 60-meter record in March of 1999 in Columbus, Ohio. He ran 6.57. It stands to this day. That time roughly converts to a time of 6.11 in the 55 meters. The national high school 55-meter record of 6.08 was established in 2012 by Marvin Bracy of Boone High School in Orlando, Florida.

King’s grandfather, Keith Combest, was a two-time state champion in the 400 meters. So, the gene pool has been kind to the Combest men. But the gene pool also gave the Combests a legacy to maintain. King is trying his “best” to do his part. He is aiming to run the 100 meters in the 10.3-10.4 range this outdoor season. Last year’s winning 3A time was 10.52.

“I got to get stronger. That's the only key,” King admitted. “The only thing that is killing me is getting strong, and driving super fast, and pushing out of the blocks. That's the only issue I'm having. My coach and my dad tell me you need to do the little things. Repeat, over and over and over. So that's what I've been doing.”