KYtrackXC.com in preparation for the 2008 Kentucky State Cross Country Meet has caught with several former Kentucky State Cross Country Champions asking them to describe their memories of winning a state championship. This is the first of five installments in the “State Meet Memories” series.
Suzanne Holt, Muhlenberg South
Year of State Title: 2006
Course Location: The Horse Park
Distance: 5K
Mine came my senior year and was an awesome way to cap off the season and high school cross country. Our team barely edged out
Jef Scott,
Year of State Title: 1988 and 1989
Course Location: "The
Distance: 5K
Of course in 1988, I was not considered a favorite for the individual title. However, by 2 miles I found myself running alone with the pre-race favorite, Brian Binion. It was very quite on the outside loop of the course. He asked my name and then said, "Yah, I've heard of you." He followed this up with a surge that I matched. My coach, Lee Lange, was standing at the quarter-mile-to-go mark and said with utter calm, "Go now Jef." And so I did. After I crossed the finish line, I turned and waited. To my surprise, my twin brother James was the only one in sight. It was very exciting as our 1-2 finish lead the way to winning the State team title.
In 1989, James and I were back to prove the prior year was no fluke (individually and as a team). Through the first mile, a huge pack had developed behind us and no one would come around for the lead. James and I glanced at each other and without a word, we started picking up the pace. Within a matter of minutes the entire pack was gone. At two miles, James told me to push on without him. Once again, Coach Lange was at his mark and gave me the same instructions as the year before, "Go now Jef." When I finished, I stood just inside the finish line staring back out onto the course. I was thrilled again to see James pop up over the hill in second place. Just as the year before, a 1-2 finished topped off with a State team title. It's so sweet when the whole team can celebrate a State Championship. Nice job Coach Lange.
Daniel Morgan,
Year of State Title: 2001 (class AA)
Course Location:
Distance: 5000 meters
I had been ranked first in class AA almost all year and felt very confident going into the race. During the first mile, there were a few people who stayed with me, but I continued to feel confident that I could pull away from them. However, by the time we had doubled back after going through the woods and were coming back up the hill (about 1.5 miles) I began to get worried because a there were still a couple of people with me; one of them was Ron Duncan. At the time, he was an eighth grader and had flown below the radar all year, so seeing him up there was a surprise. At the two mile mark, where I typically kicked the race into high gear, I started to pull away from him, but never more then 10 meters. As we closed up the race, I was running down the last hill before the final stretch and I heard my coach yell that Ron was gaining on me. I put in the overdrive and was fortunate enough to finish the race first.
After that, I could not even stand-up. People had to drag me down the chute. I also ended up see my pancake breakfast again, one of the only times that has happened for me.
Unfortunately, I did not go on to repeat in the next year (I finished 5th), but I raced to win and enjoyed my eight appearances at the Kentucky State Cross-Country Meet.
Heather (Vincent) DeJarnette, Hancock County HS
Year of State Title: 2001
Course Location: The Horse Park
Distance: 5000 Meter Run
Winning State was a great end to my high school career. I can remember working hard the entire season and the whole time the goal I had in mind was to win state. To win I had to beat Jackie Wagner something I had never done before. The night before state I had a talk with my coach and I told him I was going to win. I had no doubt about it. My
mind was set and I was going to do it. When the race started I made my way to the front and never looked back or slowed down. It was an awesome feeling, a great accomplishment. However, it was an even sweeter event, because not only did I win state, but so did my team. I think running and winning state was a big part of my life and it has definitely helped to shape me into the person that I am today.
Gordy Dooley,
Year of State Title: 2006
Course Location: The
Distance: 5000 Meter Run
State is the event in which you train all summer and all fall. It takes 7 fit and well prepared guys to win a state title and it's never a given. Being from a team that's won several state titles I can tell you it never gets old, I actually think it gets better every time you win. When you hold those trophies you finally realize what all that work was for, and you understand that you'll work even harder next year just to hold that trophy again. State titles should never be taken granted and you should cherish those moments you have with your teammates.