CHS'S MATTHEW MAYNARD COMES ACROSS THE FINISH LINE AT THE '22 BAYOU BOOGIE
Catholic High assistant cross country coach Tre' Hendry would have liked to see his Bears compete at a big, out-of-state meet to begin the 2023 season. Instead, Catholic will--once again--open their season at St. Michael's Bayou Boogie.
"We're not ready to compete out-of-state," Hendry said.
Part of the reason, Hendry said, is that the Bears do not have the depth typical of some of the Catholic teams in past years. Another reason for staying close to home is that Catholic is starting the season with a couple of their runners being "banged up."
Despite depth and injuries, Catholic's top two runners-Matthew Maynard , who won last year's Bayou Boogie with a 16:00, and David Lemann , who finished 11 seconds behind his teammate--are ready to go.
"We had a pretty good summer," Hendry said. "It started off strong. July is always tough. We are looking for some guys to step up this year."
Like all programs across the state, Hendry said the Bears have struggled with the oppressive heat which has plagued the entire state for the past month and a half.
In being a senior leader in the Catholic program, Lemann is drawing on some of the leadership skills he learned from Bears when he was coming up through the program.
"The 2022 class did it for me," Lemann said. "Steven Mayer, Daniel Sullivan, Harrison Thomas, Clark Chustz. Those are the four guys who come to mind. They led with authority. They held everyone accountable and pushed each other."
Now, it's time for Lemann and Maynard to lead the Bears.
Of the two, Lemann admits that Maynard is the more seasoned veteran.
"He competed on varsity as a sophomore," Lemann said. "That's rare in the Catholic program. This year, I've seen him really dedicate himself to his training. He is putting in the miles and really pushing himself and his teammates. He has also been taking on more of a leadership role and putting his head down and being a good example for the younger runners."
While Lemann has been around some great runners, when it comes to the benefits he has received from being in the Catholic program, it's the coaches who come to mind.
"Coach (Pete) Boudreaux is a legendary coach," Lemann said. "Coach Hendry has always assisted us and passed along his knowledge to us. Coach Brady is fairly new, but he is a great role model and has really helped me. He is always someone I can talk to. That's the first thing I think of when I think about my time in the program--the support we have received from the coaches. They have shown me what hard work is and how to trust the process."
Lemann is hoping Saturday's Bayou Boogie is more competitive than it was a year ago. There is no pressure to finish as high as he did last year. Only excitement to see what some of his younger teammates can do.
One of those runners, Catholic sophomore Johnathan Thompson, who is coming off an injury , will not compete on Saturday.
"He really stepped up and been grinding all summer," Lemann said of Thompson. "He surprised me. I'm really excited to see what he can do."
Last year, Catholic placed six runners in the top ten of the Bayou Boogie. Besides Maynard and Lemann, Catholic had Cooper Mockler (No. 4; 16:29), Elliott Eagleton (No. 7; 16:42), Donald Scully (No. 8; 16:49), and Daniel Hudson (No. 10; 16:49).
Mockler and Scully are the only runners lost to graduation.
When asked if the Bears will be able to place six runners in the meet's top ten, Hendry said Catholic will be hard pressed to match their score (23) a year ago.
"I think Parkview Baptist is running and they have a lot talented runners," Hendry said.