Cross-Country Freshman Keynaud Randolph Headed to National Championships
Sixth-year Cross Country/T&F Head Coach Mark Pryor is pleased to announce that his top distance runner this Fall will be competing at the NJCAA National Cross-country Championships on Saturday, November 12th in Tallahassee Florida. Freshman Keynaud Randolph (Forest Park HS, Baltimore MD) is excited for the opportunity to compete alongside and against the best distance runners in the Junior College ranks from across the nation.
All season long, Keynaud has been the number one man finishing as the cross-country team's top performer. His times in both the 5k and 8k distances have been a team's best and produced several Top 15 finishes. But this young man who graduated from a high school in Baltimore City hardly had a heralded HS career. Baltimore City is not known for its distance runners, instead known more for producing world-class sprinters like Bernard Williams (Carver HS) and James Carter (Mervo HS). But Coach Pryor saw something in this young man and with the help of Forest Park HS teacher Keysha Fearon, Keynaud committed to running in college. That decision has paved the way for this talented distance runner to go places he never dreamed of. In fact, his upcoming trip to Tallahassee will be his first-ever plane ride and out-of-state travel.
Upon first seeing Keynaud run, Coach Pryor saw a lot of potential in the young man if only he could get more serious and structured training. Keynaud often played basketball before track practice in high school and would return to the court after practice. Basketball was his first sport of choice but since coming to the CCBC Catonsville campus, Keynaud realizes that distance running can take him places.........like Florida.
This young man's path to CCBC Catonsville was not without tribulations and a significant loss. In March 2022, only days after signing his official Letter of Intent to commit to the Cardinals XC/T&F program, Keynaud's mother passed away in her sleep. It was a devastating loss in his young life just 3 months before graduating high school. With the help of Coach Fearon and other teachers at Forest Park High School, Keynaud graduated and set his sights on getting a college education. Coach Pryor believes that one of the keys to Keynaud's success is his inner drive to accomplish what his mother wanted for him..........to be a college graduate.
Keynaud now enjoys running 8-10 miles at the Forest Park Golf Course with his teammate and fellow freshman Ethan Bush. Keynaud likes the scenery, local deer, and rolling green grass of the golf course. His adaptation to a more structured training program has paid major dividends. Coach Pryor also notes that Bush has been a tremendous help to Keynaud's development. They push each other in practice and on the distance runs keeping the pace honest and on point. In high school, Keynaud trained every day by himself. Having a training partner has been key and one of the goals Coach Pryor hoped to create in his recruiting efforts.
In the Caslin Classic 8k race held at Goucher College, Keynaud led the race for 3 miles producing a Personal Record (PR) for 2 miles and 5k distances. Coach Pryor believes it was that race that was a turning point in his season. Coach Pryor instructed his young charge not to be afraid to run with the lead pack. Keynaud surpassed that advice and led the race for the first three miles. Since then, Keynaud is found running with the leaders in all his subsequent races. At Wilkes University, his front running produced a 9th-place finish. But at the Region XX Championships, Keynaud's front running rewarded him with a 3rd place finish garnering him All-Region Honors.
Coach Pryor plans to advise his young athlete to be a little more cautious at the upcoming NJCAA National Championships but knows that Keynaud is not afraid to run with and compete against anyone in the college ranks. That lack of fear will serve him well for further development and possibly running on the NCAA level.
The 2022 NJCAA Division-II Men's & Women's Cross Country National Championships will be held at the Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee Florida on Saturday, November 12th. The Men's race will start at 11:45 am.
Here is the link where live results of the Championship event will be posted: https://live.pttiming.com/XC-PTT.html?mid=5225
Go Cardinals!!!!!! #JUCOProduct