In this week's article, we will dive into the high school boys this season who could potentially break the 15-minute barrier. To qualify for this group, you have to have a PR under 15:30 already and show consistency to run around or under that time.
The first athlete who could break 15 minutes in the 5k this cross-country season is Riku Sugie from Thomas Nelson. Sugie is the defending KHSAA Class 2A Cross Country State Champion and the defending 1600m and 3200m from the KHSAA Class 2A Track and Field State Championship two weeks ago. Sugie's current 5k personal best is 15:12, but he averaged 15:38 this past season. His best two performances, however, came from large meets in the Trinity / Valkyrie Invitational and Champs South Regional where he ran under 15:20 both times. If he can replicate that success this season, then it is plausible that he breaks the 15-minute barrier in a large, competitive race this season.
The second athlete on this list is Will Sheets from Covington Catholic. The newly minted Class 2A standout won the KHSAA Class 3A Cross Country State Championship this season and followed that up with a win in the 3200m at the KHSAA Class 3A Track and Field State Championship this season. His current 5k 15:21 but his average is over 16 minutes. However, that average is misleading as his final two races of that season were 15:28 on the State course and 15:21 at Champs South Regional. Personally, that 15:28 on the State course was one of the best performances from last season. Sheets then built on that by lowering his time by another 7 seconds. Given his progression from Cross Country season, Sheets could break the 15-minute barrier.
The third and final athlete on this list is Tiger Bartlett from Ryle. Arguably the biggest shocker from the Cross-Country season, Bartlett finished 3rd at the Class 3A State Championship last season. The year before, he narrowly scraped into the top 20 running a 17:29 making his 2022 performance a 1:45 improvement from that mark. His current 5k PR is 15:26 that he ran at NIKE XC Town Twilight Invitational, but his average from September on was 15:41. His inclusion on this list is largely based on his noted improvement and his potential. If Bartlett was to improve at a similar level to his 2022 season, he could absolutely break the 15-minute barrier next season.
Honorable Mention
Cooper Wasson, Sophomore, George Rogers Clark
Cooper has the fastest returning time in the field from last season at 15:03, however, he has been injured all of Track season making his improvement less easy to gauge. If he does regain his strength, Wasson could absolutely break the 15-minute barrier.