A ‘one-in-a-million’ kid goes from refugee to region cross country champion

One thing was obvious as James Ndayishimiye defended at right back for Lafayette’s soccer team the last few seasons: He could cover ground in a hurry.

On Saturday, he covered 3.1 hilly miles of it in 15:22.38 to win the Class 3A Region 6 boys cross country championship at Bourbon County Park. Ndayishimiye’s effort spearheaded the Generals’ latest bid for a team victory, their third straight.

“We all just run together,” Ndayishimiye said.

Ndayishimiye is a Congolese refugee whose father died as they fled their native country for Uganda, where he grew up in a remote village without electricity. In 2015, through the sponsorship of a church, he, seven siblings and his mother were able to immigrate to the United States in search of a fresh start. They all squeezed into a two-bedroom apartment, and the open pitch became Ndayishimiye’s ultimate source of comfort.

In February, a friend convinced Ndayishimiye to try out for Lafayette’s track and field team.

“They wanted him to do sprints,” Lafayette Coach Caleb Joy said with a laugh.

He showed up to the tryout wearing soccer flats with holes in the soles. Because of his soccer background, Lafayette’s head track coach urged Ndayishimiye to give distance a try rather than sprints, so he went for a 10-mile long run with Joy and his seasoned trotters..

“And he just absolutely destroyed all of us,” said Joy, who’s not too far removed from a collegiate running career at Indiana Wesleyan.

Ndayishimiye piled up several wins and ran a 4:18.34 to place eighth in the Kentucky Dream Mile, one of the state’s preeminent races, in the spring. Saturday’s win was his third in six 5K races this fall, often besting accomplished state runners with a much longer history of dedicated training. His 15:03.63 in the Trinity/Valkyrie Invitational this September for a while ranked inside the top 50 nationally.

The rookie gave up soccer after a summer “farewell tour” at the Bluegrass Games. His former team fared well this fall — the Generals made the state tournament for the first time since 1990 — and he would have liked to continue playing, but doing both would have put a lot of strain on his legs. Still, it was a difficult call.

“Soccer was his safe place from everything that he’s been through, that team and camaraderie that he’s had,” Joy said. “It took me about six months to show him that cross country could be that for him too.”

The result of that leap: a Class 3A Region 6 meet-record time and the second fastest time recorded by a high school boy on the course that for the last three years hosted the KHSAA state championships. This season’s state meets, scheduled for next Saturday, return to the Kentucky Horse Park, where they were held from 1980-2019; at this point, Ndayishimiye has proven himself to be a bonafide contender regardless of venue

What might he be able to achieve with a few more months, or years, of training? His early returns as a raw talent have been enough for multiple top 25 NCAA Division I schools to consult Joy. As good a student as he is a runner, he’ll certainly be the first member of his family to attend college.

Ndayishimiye’s mother brought him and his siblings to America in pursuit of a better life. He’s doing what he’s always done best: running right toward it, fast.

“He’s a heck of an athlete, but he’s also one of those one-in-a-million kids,” Joy said. “I’m really looking forward to his future.”

▪ The Generals secured their three-peat despite the absence of Gabe Smith, their second-highest seeded runner. He broke his collarbone while playing football with his brother last weekend. “When he hears that we won, he’ll be happy,” Ndayishimiye said.

▪ Lafayette’s girls prevailed in the Class 3A Region 6 meet as well. They were runners-up in 2022. “Last year we had a really young team, so we were just building from that and getting better,” said Caroline Fritz, a sophomore who paced the Generals and finished fifth overall. “This year it’s really paid off.”

▪ For the fourth straight season, Woodford County standout Addison Moore claimed the individual girls title. Her time, 18:15.71, was almost a full minute below her season best and PR (17:20.80) but still more than a minute faster than the next-closest runner. With former Madison Central star Ciara O’Shea finally off the course, Moore will go into next week’s state championship as the favorite in Class 3A. “I’m just happy to be here and have a really supportive team who pushes me through it all,” Moore said.

Injured but not out

With two of its top three runners sidelined due to injuries, Lexington Catholic still managed to finish in front for the Class 2A Region 4 girls team title.

Caroline Beiting, last year’s individual champ, and Cate Conklin, seeded fourth overall behind Beiting, teammate Anna Dawahare and Bourbon County’s Bethany Simpson, could be available next week for the Class 2A state championship run. The Knights finished 2-3-4-5-8 on Saturday to still win somewhat comfortably over host Bourbon County.

“We just had to get through it for the team,” said Joanna Bryant, who placed third.

Simpson took the individual title for the first time in her career. The senior, who also plays volleyball for the Colonels in the fall and basketball immediately after those seasons end, dedicated herself in June to winning the region.

“Eat right, sleep good, balance it too, have fun with your friends,” Simpson said of her loaded schedule. “That’s how you keep loving it, honestly.”

▪ Covington Catholic, a newcomer to Class 2A, rolled in the boys race. Absent from its six finishers in the top nine was Will Sheets, who last year as a sophomore won the Class 3A state championship. He’s ran sparingly this year with a lower-body injury but not performed at the level to which he’s accustomed. Since CovCath qualified as a team, Sheets could elect to run at state, but he was non-committal on Saturday.

“My relationship with running right now is kind of all over the place,” Sheets said. “Right now I’m just trying to figure out what I want to move forward with and once I figure that out, I can look to achieve my goals, whether that’s on the course, off the course or anything in-between.”

Ubuntu

The ancient African term “Ubuntu” references a humanity-focused philosophy: “I am because we are.” It was a mantra of Peter Akatsa, a longtime physical education teacher at Lexington Christian Academy who died on Oct. 7 after a long battle with colon cancer.

Akatsa, who competed for Kenya’s field hockey team in the 1984 and 1988 Summer Olympics, was a favorite among LCA students and athletes. As part of their prerace and postrace outfits, the boys who ran in the Class A Region 4 meet wore shirts with “Ubuntu” printed across them and blue bucket hats with an A embroidered into the front. Akatsa was a big fan of bucket hats.

“He spread joy everywhere he went,” said Cole Roberson, an LCA senior.

The Eagles did their part in paying further tribute to their mentor by winning the team title for a second year in a row.

▪ LCA eighth grader Kennedy Moughamian led a convocation of Eagles who swept the top six spots in the girls meet en route to a 10th consecutive Class A Region 4 team championship. Moughamian had ran the 3K course at Bourbon County but this was her first time doing the 5K. “I was just gonna run my best and for the Lord’s glory,” Moughamian said.

One-shoe wonder

As he crossed the finish line to win the Class A Region 5 boys race, it was apparent that Gallatin County senior Collin Shay had lost his left shoe somewhere on the course.

Except, his shoe wasn’t befriending ants; it was sidelined prerace. Shay wasn’t sure he’d compete in the regional after being sidelined for two weeks with an ankle injury, the pain thereof worsened by the compression of his shoe. He elected to give it a go, and sans one piece of footwear.

Shay, last year’s runner-up, won the race by 12 seconds.

“I gotta do what I gotta do,” Shay said. “I’m really proud of my performance for sure.”

TOP RESULTS: CLASS 3A REGION 6

Boys teams—1. Lafayette 34, 2. Paul Laurence Dunbar 73, 3. Woodford County 93, 4. Henry Clay 112, 5. George Rogers Clark 113.

Individuals—1. James Ndayishimiye, Lafayette, 15:22.38; 2. Ryan Hendrix, Woodford County, 16:15.18; 3. Forrest Gago, Tates Creek, 16:18.66; 4. Jase Crume, Woodford County, 16:30.17; 5. Xavier Richardson, Lafayette, 16:33.45; 6. Josh Arnett, Paul Laurence Dunbar, 16:46.25; 7. Canaan Thomas, Henry Clay, 16:51.70; 8. Jackson Profitt, Lafayette, 16:54.85; 9. Andrew Grace, Lafayette, 16:55.96; 10. Stephen Tackett, Dunbar, 17:01.42.

Girls teams—1. Lafayette 42, 2. Henry Clay 78, 3. Paul Laurence Dunbar 99, 4. George Rogers Clark 116, 5. Woodford County 147.

Individuals—1. Addison Moore, Woodford County, 18:15.71; 2. Billie Phemister, Henry Clay, 19:30.29; 3. Sophia Anderson, Henry Clay, 19:51.02; 4. Susanne Estepp, Paul Laurence Dunbar, 20:02.06; 5. Caroline Fritz, Lafayette, 20:22.74; 6. Elizabeth Folsom, Lafayette, 20:39.97; 7. Eden Anderson, Frederick Douglass, 20:41.51; 8. Lexi Hunt, Lafayette, 20:44.26; 9. Caroline Warren, Henry Clay, 20:45.91; 10. Jaiden Lazarin, Scott County, 20:53.36.

TOP RESULTS: CLASS 2A REGION 4

Boys teams—1. Covington Catholic 19, 2. Bourbon County 47, 3. Lexington Catholic 74, 4. Harrison County 131, 5. Pendleton County 146.

Individuals—1. Joe Mayer, Covington Catholic, 16:34.81; 2. Michael Zechella, CovCath, 16:36.22; 3. Nolan Bonta, CovCath, 17:10.56; 4. Stephen Perraut, Bourbon County, 17:24.97; 5. Jesus Mendoza-Solis, 17:26.28; 6. Luke McClane, CovCath, 17:29.88; 7. Jackson Germann, CovCath, 17:34.50; 8. Daxton Noe, Lexington Catholic, 17:34.75; 9. Luke Meagher, CovCath, 17:42.91; 10. Reeves McCullough, LexCath, 17:49.97.

Girls teams—1. Lexington Catholic 22, 2. Bourbon County 42, 3. Franklin County 88, 4. Harrison County 102, 5. Western Hills 123.

Individuals—1. Bethany Simpson, Bourbon County, 19:12.94; 2. Anna Dawahare, Lexington Catholic, 19:35.28; 3. Joanna Bryant, LexCath, 20:31.44; 4. Cecelia Lowry, LexCath, 20:49.38; 5. Abigail Turner, LexCath, 21:18.74; 6. Rylee Schaffner, Franklin County, 21:24.57; 7. Macey McKinzie, Bourbon County, 22:17.53; 8. Nora Parker, LexCath, 22:22.28; 9. Madison Hunt, Harrison County, 22:36.56; 10. Ruby DeAtley, Bourbon County, 22:38.25.

TOP RESULTS: CLASS A REGION 5

Boys teams—1. Lexington Christian Academy 38; 2. Frankfort 123; 3. Berea 132; 4. Owen County 133; 5. Augusta 137.

Individuals—1. Collin Shay, Gallatin County, 17:18.59; 2. Bode Byall, Lexington Christian Academy, 17:30.84; 3. Tyler Cammack, Owen County, 17:34.28; 4. Grayson Miller, Augusta, 17:44.03; 5. Maddox Donovan, Nicholas County, 17:49.15; 6. Cole Roberson, LCA, 17:53.72; 7. Bruce Hayden, Paris, 17:55.06; 8. Talon Wilson, Owen County, 17:59.38; 9. Hagan Schoolfield, Frankfort, 18:12.88; 10. Carlos Fukushige, LCA, 18:16.84.

Girls teams—1. Lexington Christian Academy 15; 2. Frankfort 65; 3. Trimble County 97; 4. Gallatin County 113; 5. Nicholas County 143.

Individuals—1. Kennedy Moughamian, Lexington Christian Academy, 19:34.93; 2. Annie Sewell, LCA, 20:33.53; 3. Hadley Raisor, LCA, 20:59.88; 4. Annalise Randles, LCA, 21:02.44; 5. June Karls, LCA, 21:03.78; 6. Jenna Raye Hopper, LCA, 21:07.97; 7. Rebecca Kainer, Trimble county, 21:44.38; 8. Laynie Hopper, LCA, 21:54.00; 9. Jamie Bessinger, Frankfort, 21:58.19; 10. Isabella Olivigni, Gallatin County, 22:00.84.

This story was originally published October 21, 2023 at 7:14 PM.