The 2023 High School boys’ cross-country season begins at the KY-IN Border Clash at Yellow Creek Park on Tuesday. Local teams and individuals are eager to prove themselves this season. Here’s what local coaches said to expect from their teams this year.
What are some expectations you have for the season?
Apollo head coach Daniel Southard: We want to enjoy progress over perfection, stay healthy, continue to increase numbers, compete for a regional title, and create life-long memories and friendships.
Daviess County head coach Josh Bratcher: I expect our boys’ team to be very strong this year. If everyone stays healthy, we should be a top contender in the region. We could potentially have three to four runners break the 17-minute mark, which would be phenomenal.
Owensboro head coach Griffin Kelley: This is my first season as head coach and my first ever head coaching position at the high school level. As a 2012 graduate of Owensboro High School, I am proud to say I am living one of my dreams – coaching the team I was once a part of.
One area of focus that we have had is understanding the historical roots of our program. I tell the guys so many times that it’s an honor to wear the big “O” on your chest and the red and black on your shoulders. It’s important to show the guys that our program has had significant success and that, with work, it’s possible to do it again.
Owensboro Catholic head coach Scott Lowe: This year’s boys’ team looks solid. We are small and young, but we’re working hard to continue the tradition of Catholic cross country.
What will be some challenges?
Apollo head coach Daniel Southard: We will definitely need several guys to step up this year, having graduated some superior talent. Fortunately, this is a challenge they are embracing.
Daviess County head coach Josh Bratcher: It’s always a challenge to keep everyone healthy and injury free. When you are training hard all season, it takes all the little things to keep everyone strong.
Owensboro head coach Griffin Kelley: While I am excited about what this season may have in store for us, it’s not going to be easy at all. It takes a special kind of mindset for an athlete to go out and run a 5k race every Saturday morning, knowing they’re unlikely ever to get a fraction of the support heard at Rash Stadium on a Friday night. We have our fair share of challenges.
Having had a few coaching changes over the last decade, we lack the depth of some of the other local programs. On top of this, our area is absolutely stacked when it comes to competitive cross-country programs.
Owensboro Catholic head coach Scott Lowe: We lost some seniors from last year’s team, but we are poised to make a deep run at state.
Who are some of your top returners?
Apollo head coach Daniel Southard: We return junior Emmitt Brock, who is currently ranked number one in the region. We also have sophomore Noah Gray returning, who is ranked fifth in the region and very hungry, as well as senior Josh Thomas, who is more confident than ever.
Daviess County head coach Josh Bratcher: Brayden Kaelin returns as our top athlete this year. He is a senior and has set new personal records every year he has run. Along with him, we will have seniors Aidan Taylor and Emerick Randolph. Sophomore Asher Alvery and Freshman Austin Spurrier will also look to make an impact. We have several other very strong runners right behind this pack.
Owensboro head coach Griffin Kelley: We have a young group this year, but luckily we have 5 returning athletes from last year’s team: Dylan Fulkerson, Jacob Coleman, Camden Johnson, Nash Miller, and Beckett Gilmore. We’ve also picked up a couple of other guys along the way: Sam Busse, Ace Skimehorn, and Patrick Alexander.
Owensboro Catholic head coach Scott Lowe: Nolan Murphy is our returning senior from last year. He has conditioned all summer to prepare for his senior season. Spencer Harris is our other senior. He sat out last year due to an injury, but he has prepared well for the season.
Our lone junior Patrick Hauke is looking strong, and sophomore Ben Booker and incoming freshmen John Wathen and Simon Thompson are eager to contribute.
What areas do you hope to improve this season?
Apollo head coach Daniel Southard: I hope we improve our split between our one through five runners. Cross country is a team sport, not an individual sport, so the goal is for our pack to run together and the time between runners one through five to be as short as possible.
Daviess County head coach Josh Bratcher: Our goal is to always focus on closing our pack and pushing the group closer to the front. We are excited to see how the season plays out.
Owensboro head coach Griffin Kelley: Being a new coach and inheriting a developing program can be tough. Luckily, some of the guys ran track for me in the spring and are a little more used to my coaching style than they were earlier this year. One of the big secrets to being a successful distance runner is putting one foot in front of the other and logging miles to help build your aerobic base.
From day one, the guys have had the goal to return as a team to the KHSAA state meet. They know that it’s going to take a ton of work to make this happen, but they’re all invested, and they come to work each day. I couldn’t be more pleased with the work they’ve done this summer. It has been exactly 10 years since the OHS Boys qualified out of the region. Our girls’ team was able to make their return for the first time in a decade last fall, so we want to join them this season
Owensboro Catholic head coach Scott Lowe: The battle will be up front for the team this year. Anyone of these guys could be our number-one runner this year. I am excited to see what we can do for the season.
