Lee resumes cross country career at Alice Lloyd after a year away

Former+Harlan+County+standout+Joshua+Lee+signed+with+Alice+Lloyd+College+on+Wednesday+to+continue+his+cross+country+career.+Pictured+with+Lee+are+his+parents%2C+Steve+Lee+and+Penny+Lee.

Former Harlan County standout Joshua Lee signed with Alice Lloyd College on Wednesday to continue his cross country career. Pictured with Lee are his parents, Steve Lee and Penny Lee.

After a year away from cross country to work on completing his associate degree, former Harlan County High School standout Joshua Lee decided it was time for a return to the sport he loves.
Lee signed with Alice Lloyd College on Wednesday where he will join former HCHS teammate Alex Lewis.
“I decided to get back into running with the intent of reuniting with Alex,” Lee said. “When Alex graduated, I was in charge of the team, and now we’ll be back in action together again.”
Alice Lloyd coach Brandon Arnold said he recruited Lee during his high school career.
“Josh was one of our top targets in the 2019 class. He had a great high school career, and we knew that he could continue that success through college. Unfortunately, at this time last year we were really saddened to find out that he wasn’t going to run in college,” he said. “Then, when I got the text that he had changed his mind and wanted to join our program I was ecstatic.  We had been working hard on the 2020 class and felt that it was going to be a very strong group of runners. The addition of Josh really solidified our incoming class. We anticipate great things from next year’s team, and with this class coming in we believe that we will be strong for years to come. Josh will play a huge role in our program’s success throughout his entire collegiate career. Josh is a great young man, and we are extremely excited to have him join us.”
Lee played a key role on Harlan County’s regional championship teams in 2015 and 2016 and finished second in the region as an individual in 2016.
“I’m proud of Josh,” said Harlan County coach Ryan Vitatoe. “He was an integral part of our successes in both track and cross country at Harlan County High School. He has a solid work ethic, and I think he’s only scratched the surface of his potential. He will be a great addition to the program that coach Arnold is building at Alice Lloyd.”
“I picked Alice Lloyd for the friendly and Christian environment it brings,” Lee said. “It keeps me close to my Harlan roots but gives me the freedom along with the safe environment of college.”
Lewis was a leader for the Alice Lloyd squad last year with the top finish at the Rivers States Conference meet, placing 17th at 28:25.21.
Lee became the 31st cross country/track athlete at HCHS to continue running in college.