Arabians boys cross country aim to dominate

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PENDLETON — Alan Holden is entering his 32nd year as coach of the Pendleton Heights boys cross country team, and just as in seasons past, he’s expecting good things from his squad.

Last year, the Arabians won the Madison County and the Hoosier Heritage Conference championships for the 15th time. They also won their ninth sectional title and sixth regional title for the school.

The team once again is vying for the top spot in the county and conference, as well as state.

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“I’m thinking we should be competitive,” Holden said.

The Arabians did not graduate a single senior last year, and Holden expects most everyone who was part of last year’s top team to compete this season.

Holden knows a thing or two about setting the bar high and reaching expectations throughout a season.

The Charlottesville High School graduate was himself a high school runner who also ran four years for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, earning eight varsity letters in track and cross country.

While the Arabians will be strong again this season and will be the team others are gunning for, Hamilton County still assembles state-level cross country teams, the coach said.

Both Hamilton Southeastern and Fishers will be part of Pendleton Heights’ sectional. Because cross country does not have class-level competition, Arabian cross runners will be competing against much bigger schools and the best in the state.

This isn’t the first time the schools with larger teams will be in the Arabians’ sectional. In 2003, 2004 and 2005, when Holden had state champion runner Brock Hagerman, the Arabians held their own against the likes of Carmel and HSE, and he feels they can do so again.

“I look for us this year to be competitive with them, too,” Holden said.

Holden expects to have more than 20 runners on the team — who for the most part know what is expected of them.

Unlike many coaches who ask runners to turn in times during the off-season, Holden holds his runners accountable and expects them to do the work they know is needed to be elite athletes, he said.

“I want them to take that responsibility to become great runners,” Holden said. “I want them to become independent and do things on their own, where they don’t have to have a coach to say, ‘Go out and run three or four miles.’”

Returning Arabians cross country runners include Milan Jones, Caleb Martin, Sean Roan, Luke Upton, Cole Buck, Andrew Alderman, Seth Leicht, Caleb Harrington, Jayden Wenning, Kyle Drinkut, Mitchell Cobb, Nate Spencer, Austin Davis, Joe King, Clayton Todd, Casey Brown, Owen Lowhorn, Riley Keller, Taylor Skalon, Trevor Ellyson, Nick Poynter, Dylan Ellyson, Jayden Watson, Sam Allen and Jace Longere.

The Arabians will start the year at 9:45 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 18 on the road at the Hokem Karem at Hamilton Southeastern.

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