By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Instead of taking it easy the week before pre-season workouts started, Covington Catholic junior cross country runner Will Sheets did some altitude training in the mountains of Colorado with one of his teammates.
“It’s really difficult, but I understand why it works,” Sheets said. “We just woke up each morning and ran. We ran doubles on Sunday and other days we did long runs.”
On the Fourth of July, Sheets said he won a five-mile road race near Aspen. He added that first-place trophy to the Class 3A state champion medals he claimed in cross country and track as a sophomore last school year.
Sheets is among the top high school distance runners in the state going into the first day of cross country workouts on Saturday, but he won’t be able to repeat as Class 3A state champion this fall.
A statewide realignment based on school enrollments moved CovCath into Class 2A for both cross country and track over the next two years.
“That’s what I heard earlier in the summer,” Sheets said. “I’ve been keeping my mind open to the challenge of moving to 2A, but also the possibility of staying in 3A. I love the competition that 3A brings, but some of the best runners in the state are in 2A as well.”
Sheets received the Gatorade Kentucky Player of the Year award in boys cross country after winning the Class 3A state meet last October in a personal-best time of 15:28. In the spring, he claimed gold medals in the 3200 run and 4×800 relay at the Class 3A boys state track meet.
“Will’s track season was fantastic, so coming into the fall as the defending 3A state cross country champion with the fastest mile and 3200 performances across all classes from the spring, you’re probably going to be seen as the favorite,” said CovCath coach Jeremy Mosher.
This will be Sheets’ third year on the varsity cross country team. As a freshman, he finished 16th in the Class 3A state meet after being hampered by stress fractures in his foot much of the season.
Last fall, he placed second in the Class 3A region meet and then became the first CovCath cross country runner to win a state championship race. His 15:28 time was 10 seconds faster than Class 2A winner Riku Sugie of Thomas Nelson, who was also a sophomore.
Sheets is confident that coach Mosher will have everyone on the CovCath team ready for the Class 2A state meet, like he did last year when the Colonels placed third in the Class 3A standings with four underclassmen among their top five finishers.
“My coach is one of the smartest men I’ve ever met when to comes to running,” Sheets said. “He’s always got it planned out to where we’re on a nice trajectory during the season. I don’t think he’s going to let us peak too early, at least that’s the goal.”
The Gatorade award that Sheets received was also based on academic achievement and community service. He had a 4.23 GPA in the classroom and volunteered at Family Promise Welcome House for the homeless and the Diocese of Covington Children’s Home.
This year, he’s looking forward to being among the group leaders in Colonels for Christ, a club that provides mentors for younger students at CovCath.
“Seniors and juniors mentor sophomores socially, religiously and spiritually, just making sure they’re figuring out what CovCath can do for them,” Sheets said. “I did it when I was a sophomore and it was life changing.”
His performances in cross country and track as a sophomore were also something special. And coach Mosher plans to keep it going in a positive direction this fall.
“Between now and October it’s all about stacking up consistent, healthy training and finding joy in that process to keep you going,” the coach said.
Saturday also marked the first day of practice for high school volleyball, soccer and golf teams in Kentucky. Football teams are permitted to practice in helmets only and can now play 7-on-7 practice scrimmages until full-contact practices being on Aug. 1.