Tyler Hale’s mind was rushing as fast as his feet as he traversed the 3.1-mile course at Saturday’s KHSAA Class 1A State Cross Country Meet in Bourbon County.
The Dawson Springs senior finished third at the 2021 region meet, running a personal best time of 17:32. He followed that a week later with a 31st-place finish at the state meet.
Less than a month later, Hale’s life would be turned upside down.
Tyler was a passenger in a car that was headed to Trigg County to watch a basketball scrimmage. At the intersection of Kentucky 91 and 672, their car was struck by another vehicle.
The violent crash left him with two broken legs and other injuries. The car’s driver was Landon Pace, a standout athlete at Dawson Springs who had graduated the previous spring. He suffered extensive injuries. A second passenger was Logan McKnight, another 2021 Dawson Springs graduate and athlete. McKnight did not survive the crash.
Tyler was flown to a Nashville hospital for treatment of his injuries and then spent months trying to rehabilitate the injuries to his broken legs at Caldwell County Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation.
His goal was to get back to running. And living his senior year in high school the way he wanted.
Tyler incredibly began the season with the rest of his teammates at the August 27th meet at Murray High School. He had not run a time slower than 19:59 since his freshman year. And he still hasn’t.
Tyler finished in 12th place with a time of 19:32, remarkable for where he was ninth months prior.
He was able to lower his time each week except one and finished in fourth place at the Class 1A region meet, leading his Dawson Springs team to the region title.
At his final high school meet Saturday in Bourbon County, Tyler ran with the surgical scars on his legs. Afterward, he slipped on a necklace with a medallion featuring the word ‘Logan’ and the number 3 – a tribute to his friend and former cross country teammate who did not survive that November 2021 crash.
Tyler finished in 41st place at the state meet Saturday. That place may not jump off the page at most people, but he ran the same course as the previous two seasons. His time was 45 seconds faster than last year – before the crash.
After the race, Tyler was recognized on the medal podium and awarded a $500 scholarship from Kentucky Track and Cross Country and Milesplit Kentucky. The award is given to a runner for his dedication to athletics and academics.
It’s also a reminder of Tyler’s determination – not only to make a return to running but also a return to life the best way he knows – through running.
Tyler wants to attend the University of Kentucky and seeks a field in electrical engineering or robotics.
