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While Shadyside's Katie James may not be a vocal athlete, she certainly lets her results do the talking. After an impressive sophomore season with the Tigers, James is ready to get back to the OHSAA state meet.
"She's very quiet as a person. She's a soft-spoken kid and pretty much runs what you ask her to,î first-year cross country coach Joel Joseph said. ì
"She doesn't say much about it, doesn't complain.
"Good, bad or indifferent, she just goes out there and does what you ask her to do.î
In 2017, James led Shadyside to a third place finish at the district meet where she also placed third as she crossed the finish line in a time of 20:20.
She followed that meet up with an impressive showing at regionals where she placed 13th (20:17.44).
"That's quite a feat in any grade,"î Joseph said about making it to the state cross country meet. "As a sophomore, that's quite an accomplishment.
"I haven't really talked to her individually about her goals, but I would assume that her goal would be to get back to the state meet. I try not to dwell on that a whole lot and just work on race to race, week to week, improving and getting to better."
James also received All-Conference honors as she cross the finish line at OVACs with a time of 20:17 last season.
And with such an impressive resume in such a short career, expectations will be high for James, not only for her, but also for her new coach.
"I'd be lying if I didn't say she should make it to the state meet,î Joseph said. "That's my expectation. Coming in, new coach or old coach, you have a kid that qualified to the state meet as a sophomore, that should be your expectation for that kid again."î