The Press-Dispatch
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The Press-Dispatch Fall Sports Preview Wednesday, August 15, 2018 D-9 GIRLS' XC BOYS' XC Pictured above is the 2018-19 Pike Central High School boys' cross country team. They are, first row, left to right: Lane Potts, Nate Woolery, Draven Huff, Sam Theising and Ijaa Chambers. Second row: Assistant Coach Joe Chamberlain, A.J. Hill, Colt Armstrong, Ethan Gorby, Noah Russell, Trent Zimmerman and Head Coach Josh Roach. Not pictured: Assistant Coach Wil Teague and Managers Amelia Bailey and Austin Goodrid. Ed Cahill photo Pictured above is the 2018-19 Pike Central High School girls' cross country team. They are, first row, left to right: Charlotte Dudenhoeffer, Jenna Meyer, Madison Peer, Erin Craig, Shelby Vaughn and Lauren Young. Second row: Assistant Coach Joe Chamberlain, Libby Stone, Morgan Sallee, Quinlan Teague, Morgan Anderson, Laney Johnson and Head Coach Josh Roach. Not pictured: Assistant Coach Wil Teague and Managers Amelia Bailey and Austin Goodrid. Ed Cahill photo See STEP UP on D-11 A number of Lady Chargers ready to step up By James Capozella Press-Dispatch Sports sports@pressdispatch.net A number of Lady Chargers are in the wings to step up where Hal- ley Powers left off last season. In 2017, Powers cut off more than 30 seconds off her previous person- al record (PR) to place 80th at the semi-state at Eagle Park in 2017. The senior had clocked 21:04 at the Prides Creek-hosted regional and followed that up with a 20 :32.3 at semi-state. Powers earned First Team All-Conference honors two years straight. Charger head cross country coach Josh Roach said, "We had four girls advance to Regional last year and one that was injured (Charlotte Dudenhoeffer) that was running times that would have advanced her as well. Two of the girls that advanced are returners in Lauren Young and Jenna Mey- er. Both of these two and Charlotte Dudenhoeffer ran pretty consis- tent times last year, while battling through the adjustment to the in- creased mileage. "This year the mileage isn't as much of an adjustment to them, we hope to see them really take off. Erin Craig also returns and she wants to got out on a high note in her senior year and she has shown it in practice. She has taken a great approach to every day this year. "We have seven new runners this year including four freshmen. They have taken very well so far to the adjustment in mileage. We know that once the races come, it well be rough on their legs, but they are doing everything they can to prepare their legs for that and take care of their bodies. "Quinlan Teague has been run- ning very well all summer and in- to practices. I'm excited to see her continue to excel like she has been. Laney Johnson, Mor- gan Anderson and Morgan Sal- lee are our other freshmen. As with the boys, they have done great in practice at adapting and improving. Other new runners in- clude Madison Peer, Libby Stone and Shelby Vaughn. Madison had ran in the past but took a few years off. She has done well getting back into the swing of being a runner and has been really pushing her- self in practice. "Libby Stone ran track and swam last year. This year she de- cided to give cross country a try and has really stepped in like she has been running for years. She has a lot of talent and we are ex- cited to see what we can push her to. Shelby Vaughn plays soccer as well, as does Lauren Young, and has decided to run cross coun- try to help her in soccer. We have seen some girls from other schools do the same, so Shelby and I dis- cussed it last year in school and she jumped on board. She has do- ne really well with the running as- pect. I think even better than she thought she would do. We hope that it just helps her excel in both sports. Although the girl's team has a lot of new faces this year, they have showed in practice that they We have seven new runners this year including four freshmen. They gave taken very well so far to the adjustment in mileage. We know that once the races come, it well be rough on their legs, but they are doing everything they can to prepare their legs for that and take care of their bodies." -Coach Josh Roach Charger boys cross country team returns seven By James Capozella Press-Dispatch Sports sports@pressdispatch.net Meandering amid the trees, lake shore and rolling hills at Prides Creek Park, is a closely mowed start and finish line along with everything in between on the 3.1 mile course. Although set for another year of cross country, the Pike Central varsity coed cross country team will not see compet- itive action there until September 4. They begin the season where they left off last year, running scores of courses through which both the boys and girls teams ad- vanced to regional. Goal number one was reached by the Pike Central Charger Boys Cross Country team last year when then freshman Ijaa Cham- bers placed 10th out of 65 run- ners to lead the Chargers to their first advancement to the regional since 2011. Head Charger Cross Country Coach Josh Roach had said that the advancement was "goal number one for them all year long." Chambers ran a 17:52 then which was just above his personal best on the South Knox course at the South Knox Invitational about three weeks earlier. Draven Huff returns as a senior runner having broken 17 minutes in the Pocket Athletic Conference meet, placing ninth overall on the Southridge course. Huff and Chambers were 22nd and 25th, respectively, at regional last year. Third year coach Josh Roach said "We have seven returning from last year's team as well as three new runners this year. Last year's boys team went to region- al for the first time since 2011. We did lose three runners from that team, but I believe we have three to six boys that are ready to step in and battle to fill the voids of those runners. We do have two return- ing boys in Draven Huff and Ijaa Chambers that went to semi-state last year. "Our boys looked at each oth- er last year while there and made a pact to each other to try to get there as a team this year. It's go- ing to take a lot of work but they are up for the task, and I believe they are capable of it. Draven had a great summer and is real- ly pushing to lead the team this year. "He has stepped up in a lot of ways. He and Nate Woolery want to make sure every day at prac- tice that everyone on the boys and girls team feel like a family. Nate is one of our more talented run- ners that no one knows about. He went to regional in the two mile in track this year. He has just had a struggle with injuries during cross We have seven returning from last year's team as well as three new runners this year. Last year's boys team went to regional for the first time since 2011. We did lose three runners from that team, but I believe we have three to six boys that are ready to step in and battle to fill the voids of those runners." -Coach Josh Roach See RETURN on D-11