Henry Clay’s Cross Country team is in the midst of their season, and it’s off to a promising start. The boys and girls have young stars rising, and the whole team is preparing for future meets, including the state competition. Coach Tommy Craft and Marcus Carmicle have been pushing and motivating their team all season long.

“All of our runners have improved a lot this year,” senior runner Lilly Clifford said. “From the beginning of the year to now, we have all set pretty good PRs [personal records], and we [girls] have been placing top three in every meet we have been to so far this season.”

The team looks forward to placing in regionals to qualify for the state meet on October 29th in Paris, Kentucky. Last year they did not qualify, so the team is setting high hopes for this year. To prepare, the coaches lay out the course and plan  where the runners should push themselves. Both coaches are always on the sidelines, encouraging their team during the race. 

“They are very encouraging,” Clifford said. “They always tell us that we are going to set a new PR and that this meet will be the best one yet.”

The cross country team is gathering younger runners as well. One such runner this year is Billie Phemister, a HC freshman. She fell in love with cross country in 8th grade and hasn’t looked back since. This cross country season, she has been one of the top runners on the girls’ team. 

“I really appreciate the opportunity that I have gotten,” Billie Phemister said. “I really value the team, and it’s a great opportunity. I am genuinely happy to be a part of it.” 

Looking forward, Phemister has set goals to finish this season. She, along with the rest of the team, is preparing for regionals and the state meet coming up. As they are all excited to see how they can do, they are focused and ready to work hard.