Everything went according to plan in Colton Bullington’s quest for a state championship.

The Warren East senior set the pace early and held off the field to win the Class 2A boys’ individual championship at the KHSAA State Cross Country Championship at Kentucky Horse Park.

After two years of finishing fifth, Bullington never let his title hopes fall into doubt and finished the race in 16 minutes and 20.93 seconds.

“Everything went well,” Bullington said. “I got in front of everybody. … That’s my resting pace right there with them and I surged and kept surging throughout.”

Bullington held as large as an eight-second lead on Taylor County’s Ryan Maynard and eventually won the race with a two-second margin.

Bullington is the second Warren East runner to win a state title after Jacob England won the 2A crown in 2016.

– Elliott Pratt