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This is a letter to all the Athletes (as well as their Parents) interested in running Cross Country for Ashley High School this season.
My name is Shawn McKee and I will be entering my 11th year as the Cross Country Coach at Ashley High School. I currently work at the Island Gazette along with my wife (Jasmine). We have been married since 2005. I have 3 beautiful daughters and 2 sons: a 12 year old (Holly), 9 year old (Lily), my youngest daughter Teagan is 6, Desmond is 4 and Nathaniel is 5 Months. The Island Gazette is my Full Time job and is a family newspaper started by my parents before I was born. I do a lot of layout for the paper that only I can do, but I will still be able to attend every practice, This season I will be having a few volunteer coaches helping me out. My running has taken me to California twice VIA the Junior Olympic Program to compete in the Nationals. Which I placed 9th in the 2000 Steeple Chase in 1996. I was also a member of the Hoggard Cross Country team in 1995 that won the Conference Championship with a perfect score of 15 points. That same year we won our Regional event and took 5th Place in the State (which I is their best placing in school history). I also won 1st Place in the Conference Championship my freshmen year in the 2-mile.
Volunteer coach Duke Hagestrom will be lending a hand again this season. In eighth grade, Coach Duke recruited his wife, Tracee, to run for the High School cross-country team coached by his mom, and running has been a family affair ever since. Coach Duke's son Sam is a Senior on the team and his 13 year-old daughter Hana will be a Freshman at Ashley this year. Duke & Tracee are avid swimmers, cyclists, and runners competing in local triathlons and swim events. They are excited to offer their expertise from many years of coaching and competing, but mostly are eager to help our runners drop time and have fun while doing it.
Also another good friend of mine joining the coaching ranks here at Ashley High School Peyton Chitty. Coach Chitty is serving his second year with Ashley High School's cross country team as assistant coach. Mr. Chitty is a competitive age group runner, a New York City Marathon and Boston Marathon Qualifier who also has several years of track and cross country coaching experience in the USATF Junior Olympic and high school levels. Mr. Chitty works as a professional school counselor for Ashley High School. He has twenty-two years experience in the mental health and educational arenas and enjoys working with youth of all ages, stages, and areas of development.
Another volunteer coach for Ashley XC this year is Caroline McClure. Coach McClure just completed her first year as an Assistant Coach for Ashley’s track team and is excited to join the cross country team this year. She completed the USATF certification program this summer to become a Level 1 Certified USATF Coach. Coach McClure works at Ashley High School as the Job Coach in the OCS-EC department and is looking forward to pursuing her career to become an EC teacher. Coach McClure is excited to combine her love of running and working with youth as she begins her coaching career.
We will be competing in 3 Invitationals this season. The Jungle Run held at South View High School in Hope Mills (the site of the Regional Championships) held on Saturday, September 1st. This is a long Meet with some races starting at 6PM and the awards Ceremony held at 10PM. This is a Meet that Parents have to get there kids to and also we need to know a week in advance if they CAN NOT GO! The 2nd Invitational is a local Meet called the Wilmington Beach Blast September 7th and is held at Olsen Park, which is just North of Laney High School and is Laney’s Home Course. This will be a Night Race and we will keep you updated on times when they are posted. The 3rd and final Invitational is the adidas XC Challenge held at WakeMed Soccer Complex in Cary September 15th.
Five years ago I re -started the Cape Fear Flyers Track & XC programs. As a youth runner in the 90s I competed w/ the Flyers, & have many positive memories & life long friendships from the program. Over the last few years we’ve had student athletes compete not only locally, but at the highest levels, winning individual and team medals at the State & National levels, versus the top young men & women in NC & the country.
We would love to have any interested young men and women join the Flyers family. For more more info please contact myself, or find us via the Internet on our FB & IG pages, and our website thecapefearflyers.com.
The Flyers XC season will start in early September, & is also available at a reduced rate for interested HS harriers after thier XC season concludes in the fall. We will practice into early December. The Flyers 2019 Track & Field season will begin next April, & in May for HS athletes following their season
-Coach Shawn McKee
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