The Kentucky State Cross Country Meet is here, a season of running is getting ready to come to end with a day chalked full of great racing and matchups. Let's take a look at the six races and see what is going to happen.
CLASS AAA GIRLS
"Going for the Win"
This race is hard to say favorite in as the top group is all relatively close. The front group should have Bailey Davis, Katherine Receveur, Emily Bean, and Kenzley Defler of Assumption, Maggie Allen of Sacred Heart, Cassidy Hale of duPont Manual, Caroline Grogan of Oldham County, Whitney O'Bryan and Claire Payne of Daviess County. Out of this group the front three to watch are Davis, Receveur, and Allen. The three went head to head at the Region 4 Championship last week with Davis winning over Allen in second and Receveur in third. Davis won the Valkyrie Invitational over all of the above runners dropping a smoking 17:47 to win. Allen has pulled off a couple big wins herself this season taking both the Greater Louisville Classic and Lexington Catholic Invitational. Receveur, the KYtrackXC.com Distance Runner of the Year last spring is typically right behind Davis. The other six runners are mentioned above because the gaps are that close and they all are veterans who could win if they are feeling great.
"Team Hunt"
This race is all Assumption. They have won the Valkyrie Invitational in Louisville, the Palatine Invitational in Illinois, and the Great American Cross Country Festival in North Carolina. They have achieved national success and received national recognition which they have deserved. They come with the real potential of placing all five of their scorers in before fifteen place. If they are having a great day, it could be five of the top ten. This is just a stop on the map as they head towards their target of Nike Cross Nationals in Oregon.
The race behind Assumption is between Sacred Heart and Bowling Green. Sacred Heart relies on a front trio of Allen, Samantha Simms, and Caitin Carroll. Bowling Green relies on their pack which can flip flop leaders. Toward the end of the season, 8th grader Madisyn Peeples had led the charge but then last week Ciara Scott pulled the win at the Region 2 Championship. duPont Manual, Oldham County, and Daviess County will all make a run at getting a team trophy as well. Class AAA Girls has really grown in talent and depth over the last few years.
Class AA Boys
"Going for the Win"
Last year St. Xaver went 1-2 with Connor Sheryak and Sam Lewis. Both are back along with Butler's Patrick Gregory with all three going after the title. They have all beaten each other most recently with Sheryak winning at the Region 3 Championship. Gregory won at Lexington Catholic on October 20th whereas Lewis was the top of the three at the Trinity Invitational. The two from St. Xavier have an advantage in terms on pure numbers as they might try to overwhelm Gregory in a sea of Tigers. There is no way to really predict this one.
"Team Hunt"
St. Xavier like Assumption has won or placed very high at national meets. They won the Trinity and Palatine Invitationals. They were second at the Great American behind Christian Brothers of New Jersey. They placed all of the top five under 16 flat at the Trinity Invitational, pretty sure that was a first in Kentucky history. They ran at Lexington Catholic against many of the best runners in Class AAA placing their entire top seven in the top ten of the WHOLE race. Like Assumption this is not their final race of the season as they work towards winning the NXN Southeast Regional and moving on to Oregon for Nike Cross Nationals.
Trinity, Apollo, Daviess County, and Meade County will battle behind them. Trinity is coming off a regional performance of note when they took the first six spots in the race. They are a pack team that always shows up in November, if someone was going to take down St. Xavier it would be them. But it would have to be a perfect storm if St. Xavier runs even an average race.
Apollo beat Daviess County last week 47-49 and it should be another close one this week. Meade County is going after their highest team finish ever at state.