By STEVE CORNELIUS, CJ Sports Editor
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.
