Teams around the state will hit the field, court and course Monday as the 2020 fall season gets underway.
This is our first story in a series previewing the upcoming fall sports. Over the next several days, cross country, volleyball, soccer and football will be highlighted. Boys’ cross country is the next story in the series.
In Class 1A, Region 2, the Owensboro Catholic Aces graduated the top runner in the region as John Casey, last year’s regional champion, graduated in 2020. Joseph Fusco finished fourth in that race as he’ll lead a new regime of Ace runners.
Trinity (Whitesville) returns several top runners as Gavin Howard, Jacob Howard, Lucas Rhodes and Dalton Millay all finished in the top 50 at regionals last season.
In Class 3A, Region 1, Daviess County’s Brady Terry finished runner-up at regionals a year ago before going on to take fifth at the state championship in Lexington. Alex Adams, Justin Shelton and Caleb Tidwell also return for the Panthers as all finished in the top 20 in the region last season.
Apollo’s Thomas Ashby followed suit with a top-five finish at regionals and a top-15 finish at state as he returns for the Eagles.
The Red Devils graduated their top runner in Michael Ashley but return Nathanael Turner, Lance Burdette and Jacob Coleman this season.
Apollo – Head coach Charlie Shoulta
What’s your outlook for the season?
This is going to be a unique and exciting year for our team. Several of our top runners from last year’s team won’t be with us this year which creates a great opportunity for new people to step up and feel that void. I’ve seen many athletes over the years grab an opportunity like this by the horns and really catapult themselves to a whole new level of success. If the guys on our team step up like I believe they can then we should have a really quality squad by October.
Who are your key returners?
Our team this year will be led by three of our top guys from the 2019 season. Thomas Ashby was our number one guy for most of the season last year and finished the season as the top freshmen in 3A. Right up front with Thomas will be seniors Nick Szemethy and Jake Alvey. Nick, who is primarily a middle-distance guy during the track season, has put in one of the most impressive summers of work of any athlete I’ve ever coached. There’s no doubt that this work will pay huge dividends come November.
Any newcomers that could make an impact?
We’ve added several new freshmen and sophomores to our roster this year. Out of that group the two that could make the most immediate impact may be Freshmen Josh Thomas and Austin King. Both of these young men have worked extremely hard this summer and will have incredibly bright futures.
What is something you’ve noticed your team needs to work on?
With the boys what we need to work on differs greatly by the athlete, but one thing that all of the guys continuously are working on is building up that aerobic engine. From there it really depends on the athlete.
What do you need to do to be successful?
For the boy’s team to see the success they’ve grown accustomed to we are going to have to find some depth, which is going to require some veteran and newcomers alike to really step up. Because our depth isn’t where it’s been in the past we’ll also need to see consistency from our 1-3 runners.
How has COVID-19 changed the way you prepared for the season?
Just like everyone the athletes have had to really step up and get a lot of the work in on their own. Because we were only allowed to meet a limited number of hours a week we’ve tried to really up our level of communication on the days that we aren’t meeting face to face.
Daviess County – Head coach Mark Fortney
What’s your outlook for the season?
At this point in time, to just get started with racing would be huge for all the kids who have trained hard throughout the summer months. not knowing if they will have a season or not, has become very difficult for all athletes. Trying to keep a good mindset on having a season is hard to handle for these kids, especially when they all missed spring sports (track) and are thinking it may happen again for fall sports. Being delayed time and time again has been a bit of a strain for everyone involved with fall sports. It’s been very hard to plan for a season. As for our team, I am really proud of all of our kids for putting in a lot of miles over the summer months, as they prepare for the upcoming season. Their training has gone extremely well and everyone is just hoping for a chance to compete. They have prepared well and are ready to run.
Who are your key returners?
Brady Terry, a senior, is our top returner. He had an outstanding 2019 season, where he finished fifth at the Kentucky State cross country meet and has looked very strong in early season workouts. Alex Adams is also a key returner. He has had a great summer of training and is ready to contribute to our team’s success. Alex is heading for a special season if his racing season matches his early-season training. Seniors Logan Gish, Jacob Kirk and Parker Leachman will be big contributors for this year’s Panther squad. Junior Justin Shelton will also be a key returner.
Any newcomers that could make an impact?
Sophomores Bryson McGary and Caleb Tidwell, who are not exactly newcomers with a season under their belts, could make a big impact for Daviess County this season. Freshman Nolan Kurz has loads of talent and once he gets a few races under his belt. He should make a huge impact for the team.
What is something you’ve noticed your team needs to work on?
Consistency is always a big focus we look at going into the season. With us not being able to train together every day yet, we have been inconsistent with some of our workouts. Once the team gets to spend daily practices together, they will become more consistent.
What do you need to do to be successful?
Being successful this season will definitely be a bit different, with COVID-19. The first success will be getting the season started. This will do so much for our athletes mentally. Preparing for a season mentally is as difficult as the physical training of a season. Knowing that they will get to race will be a big relief for all. We like to see weekly improvements as we progress through the season. Doing so will make for a very successful season.
How has COVID-19 changed the way you prepared for the season?
As we all know COVID-19 has been a year of so much uncertainty and daily changes. It has changed the whole world without a doubt. You can’t prepare for something of this nature. You have to take what is given to you and make the best of what you have. I will say this, the guys have prepared themselves very well, and in a smart manner. They have run many days on their own, and running on your own can be very difficult in the sweltering days of summer. As a team, we have only met three days a week from mid-June until now. Normally, at this time of the season, we are training together daily, and have had a few meets already. Three to four days a week the guys would go out on their own or meet up with 1 or 2 teammates for their daily runs. We have all learned to respect what COVID-19 has brought everyone’s way.
Owensboro – Head coach Keith Jared
What’s your outlook for the season?
Being a new coach, in a new school, during a pandemic has been a tough transition and made the beginning of the season different than any other. I am very pleased with the guys that have stuck it out through the uncertainty of the season. They are here because they love the sport and want to compete however they can. This common principle has made me feel great about the upcoming season and the future of Owensboro XC.
Who are your key returners?
Senior Nate Turner was the top runner for most of the season last year. He has been a great leader during a time of transition and uncertainty. He has put in a terrific summer of training and has excelled in early season workouts. Junior Adrian Askin is another one that has put in high-quality miles over the summer and the early results are encouraging. He is flying through workouts and I can’t wait to see him compete against the competition.
Any newcomers that could make an impact?
I have three freshmen that will make up the rest of the team. Jacob Coleman ran regional last year so he has the experience that many freshmen do not have. He has a high running IQ. Will Wilson has varsity experience and has been running for several years. Beckett Gilmore is the third freshman that could make an impact for the Red Devils.
What is something you’ve noticed your team needs to work on?
The athletes that are out with me now are doing a wonderful job with their training and communication with me. I can ask no more of the guys I have representing us right now.
What do you need to do to be successful?
As a team, I’m just looking for constant improvement from each guy. It will be tough to judge with the limitations on our race distance early this season but watching each athlete improve his understanding of what it takes to have success in this sport is a top priority. As a coach, I have to hit the training schedule right to give us a chance at running well in late October. I feel everything is abbreviated so adjustment is critical and we need to hit each new training cycle just right so we are running our best when it counts.
How has COVID-19 changed the way you prepared for the season?
Being a first year coach it was hard getting things started with the guys. I didn’t have contact information so we struggled getting together initially. With the pandemic restrictions, it made it harder organizing and limited our summer training group runs. I became an online coach through most of the summer. Introducing myself, getting to know the guys and pass training schedules through email and text. Not how I would have wanted to start a new season with new kids but I learned the character of the guys I have running and look forward to seeing them progress throughout the season.
Owensboro Catholic – Head coach Scott Lowe
What’s your outlook for the season?
The boys program at Owensboro Catholic is under a rebuilding year. We lost many runners to graduation.
Who are your key returners?
Joseph Fusco is one of the seniors who returns this year but he also is a member of the soccer team. Ty Gatten is the other returning senior who has the ability to qualify for state this year. Recce Peach and Clay Thompson are the other seniors for the Aces.
Any newcomers that could make an impact?
Catholic will also get contributions from one junior and two sophomores for the upcoming season.
How has COVID-19 changed the way you prepared for the season?
This season will be like no other I have ever experienced in my 20 years as a coach. We will do our best.
Trinity – Head coach Seth Dant
What’s your outlook for the season?
Trinity’s outlook for the season is to qualify for the Class A State Cross Country Meet. We were so close last year. We are chomping at the bit to make that happen. We have a strong core four who should help us do that. Our goal is to get our next three runners up there to make us a force to be reckoned with. This is the strongest Trinity team we have had in over 30 years.
Who are your key returners?
The key returners for the Raiders are Gavin Howard (sophomore), Jacob Howard (freshman) and Dalton Millay (freshman).
Any newcomers that could make an impact?
Landon Smith (sophomore) will make the biggest impact. His determination will push him far. My other newcomers are freshmen twins Christian Miller and Jonathan Miller. They are still learning what it takes to run cross country but I believe once we get to regionals they will be ready and will surprise myself and a lot of other teams.
What is something you’ve noticed your team needs to work on?
Trinity has come a long way in the last three years since our former coach Emily Payne and I took on coaching Trinity. We have accomplished so much that we only need small improvements. Our biggest area of need is to be more consistent carrying over are good practices to actual races. We come out so fired up and hungry to succeed during practice that we sometimes leave that same passion behind when it comes to actual races.
What do you need to do to be successful?
For our team to believe in their training and to believe in themselves and their coaches. We all have the same goal and the same passion to reach that goal.
How has COVID-19 changed the way you prepared for the season?
The biggest change has been the need to wear a mask when required. The requirement of a shorter practice season and race season cannot also be overlooked. Thankfully our kids are so resilient they have been able to roll with the punches that COVID has thrown us and moved on. They just want to run and make our school and community proud.
