While Kentucky was celebrating the fastest two minutes in sports with the Kentucky Derby in Louisville, Covington Catholic’s Will Sheets was gearing up for Kentucky’s ‘Dream Mile’ a one-mile race for the fastest high school distance runners in the state.
The Dream Mile is an annual showcase for the top 16 boys and girls runners in the Commonwealth based off their times in the track and field season, regardless of class, region or any designation, that took place on Saturday in Louisville at St. Xavier High School.
In a super fast boys’ race, Sheets prevailed late to win it. He finished with a PR time of 4:07.23, the fourth fastest time all-time at the Dream Mile. Nearly halfway through the race Sheets was sitting outside the top 10 and then surged to the front. Cooper’s Paul Van Laningham and Sheets’ teammate Joe Mayer also qualified for the race. Van Laningham finished fourth in a time of 4:10.31, Mayer 10th at 4:17.13. Van Laningham’s time, the 2024 Class 3A state champion in cross country, was eighth all-time in the race’s history and also a PR for him. The top four times from Sheets, Collegiate’s Roman Sierpina, Thomas Nelson’s Riku Sugie and VanLaningham were four of the top eight times in the Dream Mile’s history.
Sugie was the 2024 winner of the race.
The win adds to Sheets’ impressive high school career running resume. He’s a 2025 indoor state champion in the 3,200 meters, he finished runner-up in the 1,600 and 3,200 in the 2024 Class 2A state track and field meet, runner-up in the 2024 Class 2A state cross country meet and also runner-up in the 2024 Class 2A indoor track and field meet in the 1,500 and 800 meters. In 2023, he won the Class 3A track and field 3,200-meter race. In 2022, he won the Class 3A state cross country meet.
In the girls race, Beechwood’s Lily Parke and Campbell County’s Olivia Holbrook finished fifth and sixth, respectively. Parke ran in a time of 4:55.38, Holbrook at 4:55.83. Lexington Catholic’s Caroline Beiting won in a time of 4:49.48.