The first races at the 2020 KHSAA State Cross Country Championships brought a new aura to the event with a different venue and a set up like no other state meet. The Bourbon County Cross Country Course hosted the championships, which had been held at the Kentucky Horse Park for the last 40 years. To add to the newness, a waved start format added an additional level of interest to the races. The COVID-19 protocols made for some of these changes and the teams adjusted.
The Class AA boys kicked off the racing and Thomas Nelson junior Lane Hoyes took home the individual title with a slim margin over Western Hills' Griffin Staude, who ran in the second wave. Hoyes had been the favorite coming into the races but Griffin got some love from Dedrick Troxell in the Editor's Picks. The margin of victory for Hoyes was 0.07 seconds!
The team title was never in doubt in the boy's race with the North Oldham Mustangs dominating with a score of 78 to defending champion Corbin's runner-up total of 133. North Oldham had a 1 to 5 runner split of 54 seconds. Read that again....54 seconds! Led by Junior Jake Pyles in seventh and freshman Adam Patel in ninth, the Mustangs showed they will be a force for years to come (only one runner in their top 7 is a senior).
Up next were the Class AA girls. This race was put away in the first mile by Maggie Schroeder from Highlands. She was 10th last season at the State Meet and avenged that in dominant fashion. The senior went out quick and never looked back.
On the team side, the ladies from Christian Academy (Louisville) behind a runner-up finish by Addi Dewey took home the team title. The 97-112 margin over Highlands was a reverse of the individual runner finish where Highlands' Maggie Schroeder beat out Addi Dewey. The Centurions placed two runners in the top 10 and ran a tight pack with a spread from 1 to 5 of 1:56.
The KYTrackXC team, led by Donnie Fry, streamed the KHSAA State Cross Country Championships for the first time ever. The partnership with the KHSAA and NFHS brought a unique view of the races. Check out the coverage from the air and relive the magic of the 2020 Class AA KHSAA State Championships!