Somerset — After breaking onto the cross country scene as a freshman last year, Somerset High School sophomore Austin Adams had another strong season and was named the Commonwealth Journal Cross Country Runner of the Year.
Adams won his second individual regional title leading the Jumpers to a regional team title.
Adams finished 29th in the Class A KHSAA State Championships with a 17:45 clocking. Adams had the sixth best finish in Class A among the underclassmen runners (freshman and sophomores).
Adams finished runner-up in the Southern Harrier Special and finished 37th in the Lexington Catholic Invitational. Also, Adams finished sixth in the Rollback Invitational and seventh in the Pulaski Invitational.
In her first season as a varsity cross country runner, Southwestern seventh-grader Jill Collier made a strong showing. Collier picked up early season wins in the Rollback Invitational, the Southern Harrier Special and the Purple Strider Invitational.
Collier finished 76th in the Class AAA KHSAA State Championship, and she finished fourth in the Pulaski Invitational with a 21:22 clocking.
Somerset junior Lauren Cornett, who was also a fall sport all-county selection in soccer, doubled between two sports this autumn, and excelled in both.
Cornett won the Class A Region 6 individual title with a 21:55 clocking. Cornett finished 34th in the Class A KHSAA State Championship.
Cornett finished runner-up in the Rollback Invitational and finished ninth in the Pulaski Invitational.
Pulaski junior Brandon Smiley had a strong year with consistent top finishes for the Maroons. Smiley turned in a best local clocking of 17:31 in the Class AAA State Championship with a 48th place finish.
Smiley finished third in the Class AAA Region 7 Championship, finished ninth in the Purples Strider Invitational, finished third in the Rollback Invitational, finished third in the Southern Harrier Special and finished 18th in the Franklin County Invitational.
Southwestern senior Tyler Denham ended his final prep cross country season with a bang. Denham won the Class AAA Region 7 individual title with a 17:46 clocking.
Denham finished fifth in the Pulaski Invitational, finished 11th in the Purples Strider Invitational and finished sixth in the Southern Harrier Special.
Pulaski freshman Paige Ingram saw plenty of varsity cross country action as a middle schooler, and this year she proved she could compete with the top varsity runners.
Ingram led the Lady Maroons with a fourth place finish in the Class AAA Region 7 Championship. Ingram finished sixth in the Rollback Invitational, finished and 11th in the Pulaski invitational.
Former elementary school state champion Emily Belwood has been a staple for the Lady Warrior cross country team for the past three years. Belwood, a freshman, was considered the eldest of a young Lady Warrior team this season. Already, Belwood has been selected to the Commonwealth Journal All-County team four straight years.
Belwood finished fifth in the Class AAA region 7 Championship, finished 10th in the Pulaski Invitational, finished fourth in the Rollback Invitational and finished sixth in the Southern Harrier Special.
Southwestern eighth-grader Tiffany Russell competed in her first varsity season and seem to get faster as the year progressed, leaving many wondering just how good this young harrier might turn out to be.
Russell finished sixth in the Class AAA Region 7 Championship and finished seventh in the Pulaski Invitational.
Local Sports
Related Photos
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Austin Adams, Runner of the Year Steve Cornelius Photo
Commonwealth Journal All-County Cross Country Team
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Trevor Herd signs with Union College
During his four years on the Somerset High School soccer team, Trevor Herd scored 50 goals and notched 13 assists. During his junior year, Herd scored 27 goals in 21 matches, which earned him Commonwealth Journal's All-County Player of the Year. Despite being riddled by injuries during his senior campaign, Herd still scored nine goals, had five assists, and was named to both All-District and All-Tournament Teams throughout his career.
And while Herd’s injuries were serious enough to end his future as a soccer player at the next level, the talented Somerset High School senior set his mind on continuing to play and recently signed to play at the next level for Union College. -
Lady Warriors win 7th straight crown
Since joining the 48th District, the Southwestern Lady Warriors have owned their tournament. In the first six seasons, one with Coach Derrick Harris and five under Jim Woodall, Southwestern had been 12-0 with six straight 48th District crowns—and they outscored their opponents 106-5 in the process.
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Somerset grabs district crown from Pulaski
Early in the 2012 high school baseball season, the Somerset Briar Jumpers were having their fair share of struggles at the plate.
However, Phil Grundy’s club appears to be hitting its stride at the perfect time of the year. -
Lady Jumpers win back-to-back district titles
In 2011, the Somerset Lady Jumper softball team — who had won its first regional crown the year before in 2010 — brought home its first ever district title with a win in the finals over Pulaski County.
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Warriors squeak out 5-4 win over McCreary
Heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, visiting McCreary Central had a slight edge over Southwestern, as they held a 4-3 lead over the homestanding Warriors.
But Alex Eaton’s Warriors would not let that slight edge affect them, as they plated a pair of runs in the bottom half of the frame to grab a 5-4 victory in the opening round of the 48th District Baseball Tournament last night at Warrior Stadium. -
Impact of a state track meet
For most high school track athletes, the state championship is the grand finale to a to grueling high school track season or the cultivation of a long prep career filled with sweat, pain, nagging injuries and constant sore muscles.
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An old friend and a new face
On Wednesday afternoon, Somerset High School announced their new basketball head coaches for the upcoming season.
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A ‘Storm’ is heading to UK
Somerset High School’s WB Jones Auditorium was packed with ‘purple and gold’ clad students on Tuesday afternoon during their annual year-end award cermony.
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Warriors top Pulaski in Scott McAninch Memorial
Over the past three weeks, not a single baseball team inside the 12th Region had been any hotter than the Southwestern Warriors or the Pulaski County Maroons.
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Somerset track teams win Region, again
Both the Somerset High School boys and girls track teams claimed regional team titles late Saturday night in the Class A Region 6 Track and Field Championships at Somerset’s Joan Spurlock Track Complex.
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