Even though two of their top five runners weren’t available for the meet, the Logan County cross country team not only won its own Cougar Run last Saturday but made it clear the Cougars are indeed worthy of their top regional ranking.
Fifteen total teams competed with hundreds of runners on the LCHS campus. The Cougar varsity boys team won by over 20 points with four runners in the top 10 overall.
Jack Blanton was first overall, a position he is always in the running for.
Cole Christmas, who had been out for nearly two weeks with pneumonia, came back with only two practices and took second overall in the meet, running down the runner-up place in the last 400 meters.
Abel Connelly was Logan’s third runner in the varsity race, as a 7th Grader.
After hosting the super regionals last year and sending a boys team to the state meet for the first time in a decade, the Logan County varsity boys are now ranked first in the region and have been since opening week of the season, a month ago.
The last time Logan County was ranked #1 in the region was during 2009-2012 period. During that 2012 season, senior Sye Head won the regional cross country championship and finished second in the state. He and fellow seniors Noah Thomas, Colton Spencer and Austin Rouse led Coach Greg Howard’s team to their second straight regional championship on their home course. Sophomores Cory Ford and Levi Crossley and junior Kaleb O’Dell contributed to the championship.That team also won the Warren East Raider Run and the home Cougar Run with Head finishing first in both.
Now that same Sye Head is coach of Cougar Cross Country.
“To serve these kids is truly such a blessing,” says Coach Head. “That’s three meets we have hosted at home in two seasons that we have won. Our athletes are so devoted in a world where most kids sit inside the majority of the time. I’ll get updates from parents that the kids are out avoiding the heat and doing night runs over the weekend. They’ve become family to my wife, children and me. We went from having 0 returning runners starting last season to qualifying for state in three months. Now we are ranked #1 in the region for the first time since our senior season almost 15 years ago.
“We’ve collectively developed one of the most unique and beautiful courses in the state, and it is truly heart-warming to see runners from all over the county of all ages using the trails daily alongside our athletes.”
Also at the Cougar run, Logan had these results:
Varsity Girls race:
Natalie Robertson takes 9th in Girls Varsity in her first varsity race
Middle School Boys Race:
Team takes 3rd without top two runners (Abel Connelly and SJ Hughes stepped up to varsity race to fill slots)
Team was led by Dylan Crocker running 12:16, followed closely by Joe Blanton, who ran a personal best of 12:25
Morgan Chandler, Kooper Foutch and Stanley Seawright rounded out the top five to bring home the third-place team trophy
Elementary Girls Race:
Pyper Foutch takes 5th overall with a 50 second personal best as a 5th grader
Coach Head expressed thanks to assistant coaches, all the parents that helped put the meet on and all of the school employees and volunteers who helped us have “another seamless and successful day.”
“We couldn’t have done it without the help of the Sears family at Bluegrass Stone, our athletic department leaders and the parents of our athletes donating their time to help keep the course maintained,’ Head continues. “We have over five miles of usable course now and it’s just incredible. I’m hoping it continues to drive the community as a whole to be more active and unified in a love for fitness.”
Next weekend, the varsity boys travel to Alabama for the biggest invitational in the country.
The varsity competes in the regional race on Oct. 24 in Trigg County, and Logan officials are working toward hosting regionals again next year.
Shown from left in the photo are Coach Sye Head, SJ Hughes, Deklan Ruuska, Abel Connelly, Jack Blanton, Gabe Masterman, and Cole Christmas.