The 2004 National Boys Cross Country Coach of the Year. Seven Kentucky State Championships. Numerous individual state champions. Together they sound like a recipe for success. This success describes the Daviess County Panthers Boys Cross Country program in Owensboro, Kentucky since 1977 and head coach Tony Rowe. After an accident reduced his movement last year, Coach Rowe found himself with some extra time. In this opportunity, he started writing the tale of his program, his successes (many) and failures (few) in this tribute to the Daviess County running tradition. That tale became Tony Rowe's first book, entitled Trails, Trials, & Triumphs.
During a conversation last March, Coach Rowe informed me he had written a manuscript about his experiences at Daviess County High School. The word "interested" would not quite begin to explain my thoughts at hearing Rowe's statement. I was, at that moment, excited and ready to read this inside look at one of the most successful programs in Kentucky history.
Trails, Trials, & Triumphs details the Daviess County program year-by-year from 1977 to 2005. Rowe begins with a brief description of the program before he took the reigns as head coach. (The school had won two state titles under previous coach, Chuck Gullo.) Then Rowe delves into his personal experience, describing the invitationals and races his team participated in each year. A graduate of cross-town rival Owensboro High School, Rowe's passion for his Daviess team and his sport is evident. Along the way, he adds tales and quirky anecdotes garnered in his 28 years of coaching. Stories of hotel security and trash cans of water (page 23), a runner who could read backwards (page 63), team boxing matches (page 31), and a former smoker who became a two-time State Champion (page 65) add to the enjoyment of his writings.
Reading this book, one sees Coach Rowe's love not only for running but, most of all, for the young men he has coached over the years. From the outside, one might expect Rowe to focus on his former state champions (McKay Mattingly, Jeremy Kazlauskas, Charlie Moore, and David Christian) but this is hardly the case. They are, of course, written about, including trips to Footlocker Nationals. But Rowe showcases every runner who has participated at the State Meet for Daviess County, further exemplifying his zeal and esteem for ALL of his runners. The reader is also offered a glimpse of how Rowe felt coaching his two sons, Mark and Matt, both of whom made significant contributions to their father's program.
The reader sees Rowe's meticulous record keeping as he presents times and splits for his former runners from practice and meets throughout the years. Coach Rowe has always willingly offered training advice and workout help to coaches and runners in clinics throughout the country, so as expected, after the memories, Rowe displays a list of his favorite workouts.
This book provides cross country fans the chance to see the inner workings of one of the top high school programs in the state of Kentucky. Discipline, determination, and hard work are preached to the reader as the cornerstone of Rowe's success. A definite read for fans of Daviess County, anyone who is interested in the history of cross country in Kentucky over the last thirty years should find a place for this book on their shelves.
Coach Rowe concludes Trails, Trials, & Triumphs with this sound advice: "I have learned from the hills some challenges loom larger than others and will test everything within you. Those 'hills', however, impute strength and perseverance into you."
Trails, Trials, & Triumphs will be available for purchase in all major bookstores in January. It can be ordered online from Tate Publishing following this link: Trails, Trials, & Triumphs