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by M.B. Miller

There are some qualities that separate certain student-athletes from the rest of the field. One of those qualities is belief, and ALC’s super-freshman, Greg Randolph, has that in spades. When you meet him, you wouldn’t think he has a killer instinct — the guy is just too kind and friendly. But, if you get him talking about racing, you’ll learn quickly that his goal is to be the absolute best. It doesn’t matter what he has to do to get there or how many people he has to take down in the process. This guy is full of passion and determination — the stuff of champions.

Greg Randolph 5k Run

Greg Randolph wins the Gingerbread 5k.

Raised in the “little big town” of London, KY, Greg has been showing off his running skills ever since the 7th grade. He attended North Laurel High School where he wowed crowds with his stunning talents in Cross Country and Track, breaking various school records. As an individual, he shattered the mile record, speeding through it in 4:36. He holds the North Laurel Steeple Chase record with a time of 7:29. With his high school team, he claimed record times in the 4×800 and 4×400 meter relays. These stats are enough to prove Greg‘s mettle, nevermind the fact that he won the Beat the Heat Classic 5k and the Wayne County Invitational. But this is where his modesty takes over. About Track, he simply says, “I won a lot.”   

In his first race as an ALC Eagle, Greg powered to victory in the Knott County 5k, which is held every year during the Gingerbread Festival in Hindman. He finished in 17:13, far ahead of the other fifty runners.

“It felt good to win the race,” he said. “I was impressed with my time and with my team. It was a good win, a good start to the season.”

There were a few big reasons that drew Greg to Alice Lloyd College. First, he credits ALC’s Athletic Director and Cross Country Head Coach, Gary Stepp, with convincing him to come to Pippa Passes. The other reasons have to do with the people and place. “I had a tour of the campus, and everybody was so nice,” he said. “I was automatically interested in coming here. It’s a small campus, and you can begin to feel at home. My high school only had about 900 students, so I wouldn’t have felt comfortable going to a large university.” 

Greg Randolph, Gary Stepp, and Allison Holbrook

Greg with Coach Stepp and teammate Allison Holbrook

His work in the classroom is just as important to him as the adrenaline-filled races. “You have to put education first,” Greg said. “After that comes the fun part: running.” He’s not sure if he’ll major in History or Physical Education, but he does know that he wants to do well. It’s obvious that he expects the best from himself in everything.

As for the rest of the season, Greg is excited but also realistic, saying, “I think it will go pretty good. The team is training, and I think we’re going to have a strong, decent team. Most of us are freshmen, so we’re going to be running against more experienced upperclassmen. But I expect to be winning races by my junior and senior years.”

Remember that name: Gregory Robert Paul Randolph. He says it with pride. That’s three names — the royal way. And who knows? Maybe that’s fitting. This young man will accept nothing less than a crown.

Greg Randolph is the son of Paula Jones and Jason Jones. ALC congratulates him on being named our Male Athlete of the Week!