Local man takes reigns of KHSAA State meets
As the starting gun trigger is pulled for the cross country runners at the KHSAA State Cross country meet on Saturday, October 31 at Bourbon County Cross Country Course in Paris, a new face will be overseeing the event, a face familiar to the cross country and track officiating world and in Pendleton County.
Tim King has been named the State Meet Manager for Cross Country and Track and Field in the spring.
“Tim has been a Kentucky Track & Field licensed official for 20 years and has served as the assistant meet manager for the last 10. His dependability and commitment to both sports will serve him well going forward,” said KHSAA Assistant Commissioner Sarah Bridenbaugh
“I am very humbled and honored to be selected as the State Meet Director,” said King. “I am excited to take the reigns.”
While not running for Bracken County High School, he became involved with the two sports (cross country and track and field) because of his sons.
Kurtis King started running in the third grade and ran all the way through high school. He had a lot of success with making the state meet multiple times.
Aaron Teegarden was very succesful in track and field in shot put and discus. He too qualified for several state meets and holds Pendleton County records in the two events.
He served as President of the PCHS Boosters during this time, a time that produced individual state champions on both the girls and boys side, multiple team appearances and the best run of success in the program’s history.
“He was my second asssistant coach and he has grown so much. I am so impressed with him. He’s gone to the very top,” said present Pendleton County Head Cross Country Coach Craig Chaplin who was that head coach during those early days.
“He was like a sponge watching every detail over the past years, learning from eveyone that he came in contact with,” Chaplin added.
From that love of family which led him to the sport, the love of the two sports flourished and grew.
He has been officiating for 20 years and at two NCAA Divisin I championships, one NCAA Division III championship, five USATF Junior Championships, four USATF Championships, selected for the Olympic Trials and been assistant meet director for KSHAA the past seven years. He also serves as the USATF Kentucky President and KTCCCA Assistant Executive Director.
From his experience the past seven years, he knows it is a daunting task, one made even harder in the midst of a pandemic.
“I will be setting up the course, selecting officials, checking entries, selecting regional sites, and selecting regional officials. On race day, he will be taking care of issues, any protests, double checking results, filling in spots that need to be filled and making sure all the officials have what they need for the meet and support them.”
He continued, “Covid is going to change a bunch. We might have to change qualifying and more than likely to run the races in waves instead of all at once. Some of my main officials might not be officiating due to concerns with age and health.”
While King wondered about changes earlier, Covid is giving him a last minute headache.
No changes to qualifying had to be made, but KHSAA website indicates the race will be run in three stages; further, Bourbon County was designated a red county for Covid positive cases leading up to the race. It is scheduled to start on Friday, October 30, with both Pendleton County runners Garrett Jack and Klaber Wolfe running.
At press time, uncertainity surrounded the state meet.
The state meet will be utilizing wave starts with a total of three waves in each class and gender.
All of those items he will draw on experience he has learned from a mentor that had been the one handling the state meet director.
“The KHSAA wants to send a special thanks to Gordon Bocock for his commitment to the state of Kentucky and countless officials, coaches, and student-athletes for over 50 years. During that time, he spent over 35 years as the state meet director for both Track & Field and Cross County. While Gordon has stepped away to spend more time with family, it is a great honor in asking Tim King to step into the role of State Meet Manager,” said Bridenbaugh.
A point echoed by King. “Following a legend like Gordon Bocock will be tough. He has been a great mentor. I would not be in this position if it was not for him. He helped me find opportunities early in my career to get high level experience. I ahve beenm his assistant for many years and he has led through his example.”
If there is an issue that arises at the meet, there is a good chance that King will have an answer because of Bocock and the years he has spent watching and learning..
“We have talked about scenarios, before, during and after the meets,” he said about working with Bocock.
While the face will be different for the first time in a very long time, the philosophy and direction will be very similar with King leading the way for KHSAA Cross Country and Track and Field.