CROTHERSVILLE
A Crothersville freshman isn’t just breaking school records. She’s gaining statewide attention.
Kaylyn Holman has emerged as one of the fastest runners not just in her class but in southern Indiana this fall.
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This weekend, she could become the first Crothersville girls runner to advance to state in cross-country.
Holman was fourth overall in last week’s regional at Brown County, setting record time for the Tigers in 19 minutes, 31.95 seconds.
Not only was she the fastest freshman in Nashville, but she was the first individual to get out of the regional. She hasn’t finished behind another freshman this fall.
While she turned some heads, the regional results weren’t any shock for those who have followed Holman all season long.
She became the first individual to win a cross-country sectional title at Crothersville by placing first in the Hanover Sectional with a time of 20:08 two weeks ago.
Three weeks ago, Holman won the Southern Athletic Conference race in 20:04.
In the regular season, she finished first in all but one race.
“We started to see her move away from people, and nobody would catch up,” Crothersville coach Carl Bowman said. “We saw something there. The only meet she had been beaten at prior to (regional) was the class run over at Crawford County, but it was two sophomore girls.”
Going into this weekend’s semistate at Eagle Park, Holman will compete with some of the elite runners in the state.
There are seven other freshmen coming in with times better than Holman, from schools such as Terre Haute South Vigo, Bloomington South, Floyd Central, Perry Central, Forest Park, Jasper and Barr-Reeve.
“I know I need to get out and get in front of everyone,” Holman said. “If there is anyone close at the finish, I need to sprint the last little bit.”
Holman has enjoyed the bigger meets in the postseason, as they have provided more competition, which has resulted in big drops in time.
The top 10 individuals from nonadvancing teams and the first six qualifying teams from each semistate will advance to the state finals Oct. 27 at the LaVern Gibson Championship
Cross Country Course in Terre Haute.
Tigers assistant coach Marc Bowman said the goals are set, and not much is changing this week as far as preparation.
“We’re not going to change much this week. We are going to keep the plan similar to last week,” he said. “There is going to be better competition from other regionals. The goal is 19-flat and to get top 20.”
Kaylyn isn’t the first Holman to emerge as a star runner in Jackson County.
Her mother, Winter Holman Sporleder, competed in the state track and field and cross-country meets in each of her four years at Brownstown Central High School. In Winter’s freshman season in the spring of 2000, she was the state champion in the 1,600-meter run in 4:58.50.
Kaylyn aims to have a career like her mom.
“It would mean a lot to me,” she said of the possibility of advancing to state. “I want to go to state four years in track and cross-country. If I didn’t, that would be a letdown. My mom did, and I really just want to do what she did. She gives me some advice on what to do with running.”
Holman started running competitively in middle school, but did sprints. The Bowmans moved her to distance in the seventh grade.
Holman flourished in the long runs.
“I didn’t know anything about her in the sixth grade,” Carl said. “I didn’t really think she was a sprinter from what I saw. When we saw her run cross-country, we saw the spark.”
Holman plans on running the distance events and maybe a relay in track.
Whether she advances to state or not this weekend, the Bowmans know that Holman will give maximum effort.
“She never wants to do something if it is going to be less,” Carl said. “She wants to do as much, if not more, than possible. She has the desire, motivation and definitely the talent. If she doesn’t make it, it is because they edged her out. It isn’t because she isn’t good enough.”