< Previous68 @UKFootball T he year is 2007, the fall weather is be- ginning to set in as the leaves fall and the air cools. The York High School cross country team in the western suburbs of Chicago is starting to warmup before a workout led by assistant Coach Charlie Kern. Running around the track while his dad coaches the prep runners, is young Ethan Kern, who will one day be able to run as fast, if not faster than the talented York High School runners. Although Kern's work ethic is one that coaches look for when recruiting athletes, running fast is also a talent in his blood. Kern grew up around one of the most his- toric high-school cross country teams in the nation, he was able to see national- ly-acclaimed teams and individuals. "Running was ingrained in me from a young age," Kern said. He not only grew up looking up to the well-known York High School cross coun- try and track distance squads, but both of his parents competed on the University of Kentucky cross country and track team during a heyday for the programs. Kern's father was first-team All-SEC for the 1988 cross country season, while his mother Lynne (formerly Segreti) holds UK’s fresh- man indoor 5,000m record and freshman outdoor 10,000m record. Running came naturally to Kern. After taking an official visit to Kentucky, Kern quickly decided that Lexington was where he wanted to continue his running career. The coaching staff, trainers and team members created an instant connec- tion with him, and with great facilities and amenities offered at UK, he saw an oppor- tunity to succeed. Kern has been nothing short of great in his time so far at Kentucky. The sophomore has led UK in every race in which he has competed this season. Most recently, Kern placed 16th (24:02.2) at Southeastern Conference Champion- ships and 29th (30:08.0) at NCAA South- east Regionals. As a freshman, Kern fin- ished 18th overall at the SEC Cross Country Championships, earning Freshman All-SEC honors. He had a similar impact during indoor and outdoor track and field for the team. Now, the 19-year-old, Kern has been the Wildcats lead cross country runner. Kern brings a positive attitude and the right mindset to his UK leadership role as the Wildcats enter the track season. "Running is just as much mental as it is physical – being mentally tough is a huge part of the sport; a lot of runners do big things right, but the way to set yourself apart is doing the smaller things right as well," Kern said. The Wildcats have a great group of guys building the program back to national prominence with Kern playing an import- ant role. "The biggest goal for me is to run every day and avoid getting hurt. If I can manage this and stay completely healthy, all my in- dividual goals will fall into place. As for the team, bearing good health, we believe that we can be competitive in track this year and cross country again next year," Kern said. Kern and the Wildcats will compete in their first track meet of the season at the University of Louisville on Saturday, December 11. Ethan Kern Plays an Important Role for UK Track By Jenna Gearing UK Athletics Communications and Public Relations Ethan Kern70 @UKFootball UK Sports Network Radio Information Market Call Letters Frequency Ashland, KY WCMI 92.7 FM / 1340 AM Ashland/Greenup, KY WLGC 105.7 FM Benton, KY WCBL 99.1 FM / 1290 AM Bowling Green, KY WGGC 95.1 FM Cadiz, KY WKDZ 106.5 FM / 1110 AM Campbellsville, KY WCKQ 104.1 FM Cincinnati, OH WCKY 1530 AM Columbia, KY WAIN 93.5 FM / 1270 AM Corbin, KY WCTT 107.3 FM / 680 AM Dry Ridge, KY WNKR 106.7 FM Elizabethtown, KY WQXE 98.3 FM Flemingsburg, KY WFLE 95.1 FM Grayson, KY WUGO 99.7 FM Harlan, KY WTUK 105.1 FM Hazard, KY WSGS 101.1 FM Henderson, KY WSON 96.5 FM / 860 AM Hopkinsville, KY WHOP 98.7 FM / 1230 AM Jamestown, KY WJRS 104.9 FM Jenkins, KY WIFX 94.3 FM Lancaster, KY WRNZ 105.1 FM Leitchfield, KY WKHG 104.9 FM Lexington, KY WBUL / WLAP 98.1 FM / 630 AM London, KY WWEL 103.9 FM Louisville, KY WHAS 840 AM Madisonville, KY WKTG 93.9 FM Mayfield, KY WLLE 102.1 FM Maysville, KY WFTM 95.9 FM / 1240 AM Monticello, KY WKYM 101.7 FM Morehead, KY WIVY 96.3 FM Morganfield WMSK 101.3 FM Nashville, TN WPRTHD 102.5 HD Owensboro, KY WBKR / WOMI 92.5 FM / 1490 AM Paducah, KY WKYX 94.3 FM / 570 AM Paintsville, KY WSIP 98.9 FM / 1490 AM Pikeville, KY WDHR / WPKE 93.1 FM / 103.1 FM Pineville, KY WRIL 106.3 FM Prestonsburg, KY WQHY / WDOC 95.5 FM / 1310 AM Providence, KY WWKY 104.9 FM Somerset, KY WSEK 93.9 FM / 910 AM Whitesburg, KY WXKQ / WTCW 103.9 FM / 920 AM Williamsburg, KY WEZJ / WEKX 104.3 FM / 102.7 FM 2021 Schedule Sept. 4 ULM W, 45-10 Sept. 11 Missouri W, 35-28 Sept. 18 Chattanooga W, 28-23 Sept. 25 @South Carolina W, 16-10 Oct. 2 Florida W, 20-13 Oct. 9 LSU W, 42-21 Oct. 16 @Georgia L, 13-30 Oct. 30 @Mississippi State L, 17-31 Nov. 6 Tennessee L, 42-45 Nov. 13 @Vanderbilt W, 34-17 Nov. 20 New Mexico State W, 56-16 Nov. 27 @Louisville 7:30 p.m. (Don Franklin Auto Countdown to Kickoff begins 2 hours prior to kickoff} UK HealthCare Mark Stoops Radio Show (Mondays 6-7 pm) August 30, 2021 UK Sports Network September 6, 2021 UK Sports Network September 13, 2021 UK Sports Network September 20, 2021 UK Sports Network September 27, 2021 UK Sports Network October 4, 2021 UK Sports Network October 11, 2021 UK Sports Network October 18, 2021 UK Sports Network October 25, 2021 UK Sports Network November 1, 2021 UK Sports Network November 8, 2021 UK Sports Network November 15, 2021 UK Sports Network November 22, 2021 UK Sports Network November 29, 2021 UK Sports Network@UKSportsNetwork 71 UK Sports Network Television Information Monday – Friday at 7:30 pmSaturday at 9:00 am UKATHLETICS.COM UK SPORTS NETWORK KENTUCKY FOOTBALL @UKSportsNetwork @UKFOOTBALL uk_sportsnetwork UKFOOTBALLNext >