By Blake Lehmann
NKyTribune sports reporter
Over the last two years, sisters Renae and Allison Kopser shared successful seasons together in two sports at Ryle High School. They were on cross country teams that won region championships and they set school records running on relay teams in track.
Renea graduated last spring, but she and her younger sister get one more chance to compete together in the AAU Junior Olympics track and field national championships that begin July 30 in Greensboro, N.C. Both of them qualified in four events in their respective age groups as members of the BCK Thoroughbreds track club.
Allison Kopser, left, and her older sister, Renae, each qualified to compete in four events at the AAU Junior Olympics. (Photo provided)
At the Region 6 qualifying meet, Renae finished first in the 800, 1500 and 3000-meter runs as well as the 2000-meter steeplechase in the 17-18 age group. Allison won the 1500, 3000 and 2000 steeplechase and placed third in the 800 in the 15-16 age group.
“It’ll just be me and Allison for most of the time there since we were the only ones from BCK that qualified,” Renae said of the Junior Olympics. “That being the situation, it makes it even more fun that this will be my last time with her. It’s all about us for this trip, and it’ll just be us together for everything.”
This is Renae’s final year of eligibility for Junior Olympics. Last year, she placed fourth in the 2000 steeplechase and eighth in the 1500-meter run in the 17-18 age group to earn AAU All-America honors.
Allison also received All-America honors last year for her eighth-place finish in the 13-14 age group 800-meter run. She’s moving up to the 15-16 age group this year and will be competing against some older girls in her events.
Renae had been running for only a year at Ryle when Allison joined her on the cross country and track teams. They said it was initially awkward, but it eventually turned into a great bonding experience for the sisters and helped Allison find her passion for distance running in the process.
“It’s helped us become best friends,” Allison said. “I never would’ve started running if Renae hadn’t done it. She helped me get into it and I could never be more grateful because it’s something that I love.”
Allison Kopser won the Class 3A region meet in cross country and placed fourth in the state meet as a freshman last fall. (File photo by Bob Jackson)
Allison will enter her sophomore year at Ryle as one of the top returning cross country runners in Northern Kentucky. Last season, she won the Class 3A region meet and Renae placed third to lead Ryle to the team title.
At the Class 3A state meet, Allison finished fourth in a time of 19:38, the fastest mark among local girls in the state meet’s three classes.
Renae crossed the finish line 98 seconds later to place 58th. Ryle took fifth place in the team standings after placing third the year before with both Kopser sisters in the lineup.
With the Junior Olympics on the horizon and Ryle’s cross country team beginning preseason workouts, Allison will be training for both over the next couple weeks.
“One of my main goals in track is to have the distance records at Ryle,” she said. “I’ve already got the mile, 1600-meter and steeplechase records, but I want to get the 800-meter and 3200-meter as well. I don’t really know what’s in store for me yet in cross country, I surprised myself at state this year.”
Renae, who was named Student-Athlete of the Year in Kentucky girls high school sports by Midway University, will begin her first semester at Purdue University next month. She plans to join the cross country and track club teams on campus that compete in meets similar to the AAU.
“I just didn’t think that being a walk-on at that Division I team was something for me,” Renae said. “I maybe could’ve done it, but this club route is going to be really fun.”
