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. Girls’ cross country is the first story in the series.
In class 1A, Region 2, Owensboro Catholic will have to reload as the Aces had four seniors runners finish in the top-11 during last season’s regional race in Bowling Green. Catholic returns its top finisher from region a year ago as sophomore Ella Claire Goetz finished 21st in BG.
The Trinity Raiders have one returner in Natalie Rhinerson and one newcomer in Sienca Valdez as Seth Dant looks to build the Lady Raider program as he enters his first year as head coach.
In class 3A, Region 1, Daviess County returns Ainsley Taylor as she finished second in the region before finishing 31st at state while returning teammates Emily Ann Roberts (15th) and Emily Rempe (22nd) also turned in solid finishes at state. Of the top 11 spots in the region race a year ago, seven were Panthers. Even better news for Daviess County? All those runners return for 2020.
Owensboro’s returns Ashley Colburn as she took 23rd in last year’s region race at Marshall County. Apollo’s Abby Rumage is the top returner for the E-gales as she finished 30th in the region but teammate Ahmira Pickett (sophomore) was right behind her at 34th.
Apollo – Head coach Charlie Shoulta
What’s your outlook for the season?
This is my first season coaching our girls cross country team and I can’t tell you how excited I am to work with this group of young ladies. We have a great group of girls returning from last year’s team and with the addition of some very talented freshmen, I think there is tremendous potential to have a very good season.
Who are your key returners?
Our girls’ team will be returning three of our top four runners from last year’s team. Abby Rumage and Baylee Hare are both seniors and have been an integral part of the girls’ team for the past three years and Sophomore Amirah Pickett was also an important part of the girls squad last year.
Any newcomers that could make an impact?
Our feeder schools always do a really good job of sending us athletes that are well trained and ready to step into the rigors of the high school program and from what I’ve seen early on, this year is no different. If we are going to achieve the level of success we all want we will definitely be counting on some of our younger athletes to step up by the end of the year.
What is something you’ve noticed your team needs to work on?
Something that I focus a lot of attention on any time I’m working with a new group of distance runners is overall athleticism. So often people think of distance runners as simply runners, but I want each of my athletes to think of themselves as athletes who specialize in distance running. Once we’ve created a better all-around athlete everything from endurance to speed will come a lot easier.
What do you need to do to be successful?
Distance running really comes down to consistency and that’s one of our big focuses. There’s no great improvement until athletes start to string together consecutive days, weeks, months, and if you want to become elite years of training. So in order for us to really take this program to the next level, consistency is going to be the key.
How has COVID-19 changed the way you prepared for the season?
Typically starting early June, the teams I’ve coached start meeting nearly every day and with COVID and the rules set in place, it’s really limited the number of face to face practices we’ve been able to have. That being said, our athletes have done a really good job following our training on the days that they’ve been on their own.
Daviess County – Head coach Mark Fortney
What’s your outlook for the season?
Now that we are getting closer to starting our cross country season, just being able to teach and practice our athletes has become a very good feeling. Our outlook for this season is, one just being able to run in some races this season and embrace the friendships that will be made throughout the year. The joy the girls have had, from just being with each other has been a joy to watch. Keeping everyone healthy and safe is our biggest concern for sure. Running is a privilege for all of us and we just want to enjoy every day this cross country season. No doubt there will be obstacles to overcome with COVID-19.
Who are your key returners?
Seniors Ainsley Taylor and Emily Ann Roberts are our top returners. Both will have fantastic seasons due to the hard work and effort they give every day. Emily Rempe, a junior, continues to improve at a rapid pace and will be pushing the others to be their best every day.
Any newcomers that could make an impact?
Elli Crabtree, a junior, will be stepping into an everyday varsity position. She has been a very bright spot this summer and will make a big impact for this team this season. Micah Sagar, a new addition to our team, has been a pleasant surprise in the early season. She has a lot of potential and will look to garner a top-five spot on the team.
What is something you’ve noticed your team needs to work on?
In the sport of cross country, training in a solid pack pays huge dividends, but this year with COVID-19 and social distancing, we have trained a little differently than in a normal year. Learning how to race will require our team to adjust as the race goes by. As a team, we need to key off of each other during different phases of our races to keep our gaps at a minimum between each runner.
What do you need to do to be successful?
Preparation is a big key in being successful. The girls have prepared themselves very well during the summer months. They know how to get the job done. They have work ethics that are second to none. If you take all of those attributes mentioned and continue to do the right things right, success will come their way. Success breeds success. They have been a squad that has been very successful during their tenure of running. I expect that success to continue for this team.
How has COVID-19 changed the way you prepared for the season?
COVID-19 has definitely changed the lifestyles of everyone. Without a doubt preparing for a season has been difficult with COVID-19. Trying to keep a team of athletes at social distance lengths is a very difficult thing to do, especially when these girls have come accustomed to training as a pack. They have made adjustments in their preparations for this season. Group runs have become individual runs many times this season. It’s very hard to train by yourself for a cross country season, but the girls have done an excellent job this season when they’ve had to run by themselves.
Owensboro – Head coach Byron Morris
What’s your outlook for the season?
This year we are looking at beginning to build a good foundation moving forward, I am excited to see what these girls can do this year and the years to come. We have a pretty experienced group coming out this year, we are still hoping to continue to pull in some freshmen and sophomore runners, but it should be an exciting year.
Who are your key returners?
Tasih Pettigrew comes in as a returning senior looking to continue to grow and improve on her times. She is definitely focused on improvement over the course of the season and has shown some good speed in practice already. Claudette Villalpando is another senior that provides great leadership and enthusiasm on the team. She is looking at some great gains after a good off-season program. Ashley Colburn is a junior that is really starting to come into her own as a runner. She is looking to start getting very competitive this year and is hopeful to qualify for the State Meet for a second time
Any newcomers that could make an impact?
Kayla Davidson (freshman) is an exciting prospect coming up from the middle school this fall. I look for her to start making her impact later in the season as she gets up to speed but she provides a great base for our future.
What is something you’ve noticed your team needs to work on?
As with any team in the midst of a global pandemic, focus can be an issue. The off-season program seemed to have some disruption but really started to come together in the later stages of the summer as the ladies began to really focus on the task at hand. They recognize that we still have quite an uphill battle to compete with some of the other teams in our area, but they are starting to pick up the pace and do what needs to be done.
What do you need to do to be successful?
Time. Cross Country teams aren’t put together over an offseason. It takes time to develop athletes. We are in the midst of rebuilding the program. We have a few strong runners and a few inexperienced runners. The longer this season and over the offseason, they work together, the more we will continue to grow as a team. Success takes many forms in this sport, which is something I talk to the ladies on this squad about regularly. They have their goals and know what they each need to do to achieve those and be successful, but they also know it takes time.
How has COVID-19 changed the way you prepared for the season?
Really COVID has not changed the overall preparations for the season. These ladies know what the season has in store for them and have done a great job overcoming the challenges. They have had more opportunities to guide themselves through the workouts and focus on their individual needs as runners, but the preparation has not been any different. Now we get the benefit of not competing in the August heat and having fresh legs at the end of the season. If anything, it has allowed us to be in a better position because we had the opportunity to rest a little more and avoid some of the heat-related fatigue and injuries. We are all a little disappointed that we aren’t in competition, which is natural, but we are eager to get the season going in September.
Owensboro Catholic – Head coach Rowan Jones
What’s your outlook for the season?
This season will definitely look different than other seasons in the past, but that doesn’t have to be a negative thing. I think that we are just happy to be able to run and compete given the recent uncertainty surrounding sports in general.
Who are your key returners?
We lost several strong seniors from last year and have just one senior on the roster for this season (Katherine Caudill). Leadership from her as well as some of the returning underclassmen will be crucial.
Any newcomers that could make an impact?
Sophomore fraternal twins Addison Tignor and Ashten Tignor will help fill the void of the big senior class from a year ago.
How has COVID-19 changed the way you prepared for the season?
Many more considerations have to be made for nearly every aspect involved from practices to meets and so on.
What do you need to do to be successful?
As a team, we need to not lose sight of cross country being a team sport. Individual results are great, of course, but every finish, place, and point contributes to the overall results.
