Sunday, November 07, 1999
Ludlow runners win school's 1st girls title
Just second championship in school history
BY NEIL SCHMIDT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
LEXINGTON — Pam Gerkin was still dabbing wet eyes in disbelief when asked to put Ludlow's state cross country championship in perspective.
“I'm as surprised as anyone,” she said. “(Winning) regionals still hasn't even sunk in yet.”
What will hit them: The Class A title won Saturday at the Kentucky Horse Park is Ludlow's first by a girls team in any sport. Its only other Commonwealth crown came in 1975 in Class A football.
The Panthers won in dramatic fashion, edging two-time defending champ St. Henry 91-92. One higher place by a Ludlow runner — or one lower for St. Henry — and the Crusaders would have won in a tiebreaker.
“We preach how every runner you can catch will ultimately make a difference,” Ludlow coach Shaun Pawsat said. “Our girls were on a mission today to earn respect, and this sure did it.”
Championships are nothing new to Pawsat. The 30-year-old is in his first year as a head coach, but he ran on Highlands' AA title teams in 1983 and '85, and he served as an assistant at Scott last year when the Eagles won the AAA girls crown.
Pawsat's key was recruiting young blood. Ludlow had three juniors who ran last year, but its seven-person roster Saturday included three sixth-graders and an eighth-grader.
“They started at 29 minutes (for 5,000 meters), but they went from 29 to 27, then to 25. They were the ones that built us into a team.”
Gerkin placed eighth in 20:32.9; junior Ashley Pence was 11th (20:46.9). Eighth-grader Camille Gulick placed 15th; eighth-grader Beth Hall, 27th; sixth-grader Eileen Malone, 33rd.
“We lose no seniors, so we'll set the same goals next year,” Pence said.
St. Henry could take solace in extending a stunning streak: finishing first or second at state 15 consecutive years. Sophomore Chrissy Cummings placed fourth in 20:06.8.
Two St. Henry stars, Casey Salzer and Nicole Rose, were suffering from stress fractures.
“All things considered, the kids ran super races,” St. Henry coach Jennifer Klayer said.
Bishop Brossart placed fourth and Walton-Verona fifth.
Class AAA
Defending champion Scott had pegged Notre Dame and Pulaski County as its chief competition. It beat both, but surprising Daviess County edged the Eagles 112-118 for the title.
“Crystal Brefeld, who had been running second or third for us, had tendinitis and was only able to be our No. 6 (finisher) today,” Scott coach Jerry Mohr said. “But the great thing is how the other girls picked it up. That's the sign of a real team effort.”
The Eagles were led by freshman Lauren Crook, who finished 11th in 20:02.4.
“We're happy to get second,” Crook said. “We have a lot of people coming back, so we'll try again next year.”
Notre Dame finished fourth, and Panda sophomore Meghan Crowe was the top local finisher: eighth in 19:56.6.
Class AA
Highlands had to stomach a runner-up finish for the second consecutive season as Warren East edged the Bluebirds 110-115. Last year, Frankfort Western Hills beat Highlands 86-95.
“Our girls all left it out on the course,” Highlands coach Dan Baker said. “I'm proud of all of 'em.”
Highlands' fifth finisher, Lauren Owsley, came in 56 seconds ahead of Warren East's fifth finisher, but the Lady Raiders won on the strength of three top-10 finishers.
“We thought we had them until they took out the individu als (not on teams) in the scoring,” Baker said. “I never have understood why they do that.”
The Bluebirds were buoyed by eighth-grader Ashley Jones, who finished 11th in 21:28.2. Jones had led Highlands in a meet just once before.
“My goal was to get on the stage (top 15), so I picked it up today,” she said.
Lloyd finished fifth.
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