Harlan County cross country coach Ryan Vitatoe spent the past 30 years knowing he was part of the squad that secured the highest state meet finish in county history.
Now, he can say he’s the coach of the team that broke that record.
The Black Bears broke the record by finishing fifth overall Saturday at the KHSAA cross country state championship in Lexington.
“This was obviously a historic day for our program, and I’m so proud of these kids that it’s hard to put it into words,” Vitatoe said. “They came up here to compete and there was no doubt that these kids were ready to roll. They wanted to prove they were among the best teams in the state, and they left no doubt before leaving here today. I’m so proud of them.
“I can’t say enough about these boys and the leadership that exists in this team. In our first conversation each season, we spend time talking about the goals that we have for the year. We discuss goals in the scope of individual and team accomplishments, and the first goal this group set was a top-five finish at state. There was no talk about individual goals; they wanted to leave a mark on this program as a team. I can’t think of a quote I can give you that sums up this group of guys better than that. They are all about their team and wanted to do something that’s never been done in our county’s history, and they accomplished that today. I’m so proud of them. This group never wavered throughout the season. They never took their eyes off their goals. They were a joy to coach.”
Kaden Boggs finished 20th with a time of 17:13.89 in the boys varsity race. Elijah Moore was 26th with a time of 17:34.71. Jacob Schwenke (52nd) finished with a time of 18:11.68. Jonavan Rigney placed 67th with a time of 18:35.15. Caleb Schwenke (19:10.72) and DaShaun Smith (19:11.95) were 95th and 97th, respectively. Ethan Simpson finished 136th with a time of 19:49.63.
“Kaden had a fantastic race today. If I’m correct, this is the third fastest time ran in our school’s history and he did it on the biggest stage possible,” Vitatoe said. “He narrowly missed out on a medal but ran an incredible race. Elijah was fantastic today too, turning in a top-five all-time performance in terms of time. He ran a great race, placed himself inside the top thirty and set himself up for a great senior year.
“Jacob ran great today too. He’s improved so much this season and I’m proud of his consistency. He needs to carry that growth into his senior season next year. I can’t say enough about the way Jon ended his career today. To run a PR at the state meet is incredible, but I don’t know in all my years of a breakout season like he had this year. He’s living proof of what hard work can do.
“Caleb had a great race too. He’s had an incredible senior year, and I can’t say enough about how hard he’s worked and how far he’s come in the program. Ethan had a good run today. He was dialed in and closed out really well, which is critical at a state championship. You can gain four or five spots as a team or lose four or five spots in the last 800 and I thought he did a great job. DaShaun had the best race of his career today. I told him after that this now becomes the expectation going forward. We need that from him each race. He, Elijah and Jacob will have to lead us next season, and we’ll need their best effort every single race.”
The Lady Bears finished third overall Saturday.
“I thought the girls competed hard today. When you get to this level of competition you have to be near perfect to get on the stage, and we were close to that,” Vitatoe said. “We knew coming in that Lexington Catholic is an unbelievable team, and we’ve gone back and forth with Bourbon in the rankings all season long. I knew it’d be close, and I tip my cap to them; they got us today. I’m really proud of these girls. To come into the state championship in back-to-back years and get on the stage is a huge accomplishment, and they should be really proud of themselves. They have led us into uncharted waters as a program. They’ve been fantastic this season and achieved their goal to get back on the stage. It was a great day, and they did it with class and respect all the way around, which is something I’m always proud of from my teams.”
In the girls varsity race, Peyton Lunsford placed 17th with a time of 20:59.79. Gracie Roberts finished 19th with a time of 21:07.13. Preslee Hensley (23rd) and Kiera Roberts (25th) finished with times of 21:19.69 and 21:22.00, respectively. Lauren Lewis was 42nd with a time of 22:09.53. Aliyah Deleon (22:25.48) finished 50th. Jaycee Simpson placed 69th with a time of 23:12.97.
“I thought Peyton ran a great race overall,” Vitatoe said. “She rolled her ankle getting off the bus on Friday and I wasn’t sure if she’d be able to run, but I was proud of her for gutting it out. Gracie ran great today as well. I thought she had a strong race throughout and you never really saw any point that she struggled. Preslee ran the best race of her career today. I knew she was due for a big breakout because she’s been so consistent all season long. She picked the right day to do it. She carried a big load for us.
“Kiera had a good race and improved from last season. She’s had a great year and she’s going to be huge for us next year. Lauren ran well too. I am proud of her this season; she’s really worked through some things and been super consistent for us. Aliyah ran the race of her life today. The look on her face is something I’ll always remember. She was dialed in and was ready to leave it all on the course for her team. She was huge today. Jaycee ran great today too. She’s had a great season and I’m looking forward to having her full time next year. You’re going to see a big breakout.
“I’m proud of Peyton, Aliyah and Maddie and the mark they’ve left on our program. They’ve set the stage for the girls who are behind them and have led us into uncharted waters. I’m appreciative of all they’ve given our program.”
“When you talk about team, these groups fully embody that. We had two teams place in the top five without a single medalist today. That’s almost unheard of,” Vitatoe said. “It goes to show you how well these groups run together and the power in pack running. They are excellent at that strategy and today proves it.
“I can’t say enough about this team and this group of seniors. These kids have left a mark on this program that they’ll talk about 20 or 30 years from now. They set the standard for all the kids who follow, and I’m so proud of them. There’s zero doubt that CC can be competitive at the state level, and it’s because of them.”
“This wraps another great season of CC. It’s been such a fun year with this group and I’m thankful to all of them for really buying into what we try to do here,” Vitatoe said. “We’ve had a great season in winning district, conference and region titles and we capped that off with two top-five finishes at the state level. I hope every kid on this team knows that this belongs to them too; not just the ones who competed at the varsity level. I’m hopeful there are families out there that see what these kids have done and want to be part of it. We want more to come out and be the next generation of success.“