BXC: The Cinderella story of North Harrison

RAMSEY – The IHSAA decision in the 1990s to move to class sports was, and still is, heavily debated. Lost in the furor over how the policy affected basketball was the determination of which sports would be class and which would remain all inclusive. 

Cross country, a sport that would seem to lend itself to class competition at the team level, was left as an all-inclusive sport. Since that time, the state championship has been dominated, as it always has, by some of the state’s largest schools. 

Well, there is at least one small school that thinks that is just fine. That institution is also doing a magnificent job of crashing the party.

North Harrison, a small Class 3A high school of about 650 students, finished fifth in the state finals Oct. 31. It was an outstanding and attention-grabbing performance. What is really going to turn some heads, however, is that this program has no intention of 2009 being a one-year wonder. 

The Cougars will graduate only two seniors and will return a nucleus of five runners who will possess state meet experience and success on their resume.

How has North Harrison built a program to such lofty heights? It starts with a head coach and the qualities he does – and does not – possess. Jerry Love served as a volunteer assistant for the Cougar program for more than a decade before ascending to the top spot a few years ago.

For Love, it isn’t a job – it is a lifelong passion that he has instilled in his runners. Perhaps as importantly, with that passion comes very little ego. In turn, Love’s lack of ego led to an addition to the coaching staff that jump-started the Cougars on the road to success.

Love received a phone call shortly after taking the job from a young man named Tim Martin, who offered his services as a volunteer assistant. Returning that call was, according to Love, one of the best things he has ever done. 

It turned out that Martin had been a part of four state high school championships in Arizona during his high school days. He had also won two state individual championships. He went on to run at Northern Arizona, one of the nation’s highly respected distance programs.

Martin brought not only passion and experience, but also some radically different ideas on training. The open-minded Love incorporated those ideas and thus started a juggernaut that shows no sign of slowing down.

Then there is the duo of Tyler Byrne and Peter Book, seniors on this year’s squad. 

Byrne is one of Indiana’s most talented runners. He finished fifth at the state meet despite running while battling illness. He has a bright collegiate career in front of him. His true value, however, has been as a leader and role model for team members. He is a young man who has always taken both training and personal responsibility as an athlete very seriously.

Byrne has attracted a group of young men around him who share the same vision. Book is a multi-sport athlete, including basketball. He has the profile of an athlete who might easily believe cross country is secondary. Nothing could be further from the truth. 

A brief anecdote involving Book goes a long way to summing up why the Cougars have become such a force. Prior to a Saturday morning run in the summer, Book approached Love and informed him that he had to attend a wedding in Ohio that day. He was told he could cut the run short to meet the commitment. 

Instead, when the team arrived at 6:30 in the morning to start the trek, Book’s truck was already in the parking lot. He had arrived early and put in eight miles solo in the dark. His reward was a bevy of bugs in his face, and a lifetime of respect from his mates.

North Harrison has generated the perfect storm. It has committed coaches, dedicated athletes, and vision … a whole lot of vision. We hope you enjoy the video interviews with coaches Love and Martin as well as the entire Cougar team!