Thorpe’s Bos balancing soccer, x-country

It all started simply while joking around with a teammate at soccer practice.

Soon, the friendly joke became a reality for Jim Thorpe’s Katelynn Bos.

And now, the sophomore is literally running with the idea, making the most of two varsity sports – soccer and cross country – this season.

Bos is in her second varsity year as the Olympians’ goalkeeper. And with some friendly persuasion from Nicole Carroll — who also runs herself — Bos is in her first season as a member of the cross country team.

“So, Nicole and I were talking, and we were kind of joking about it the one day at (soccer) practice,” said Bos. “And she’s like, ‘We’re going on a run tomorrow. You should come with. You’d probably love it.’

“So, I went with (them) and honestly, it was so much fun. I really, really enjoy it.”

With the help of Athletic Director Dustin McAndrew, girls soccer coach Tom Condly and cross country coach Marie Rosahac, the friendly banter eventually turned Bos into a dual-sport athlete — one who is having success in both places.

But what does she do when schedules conflict?

“When it comes to cross country and soccer, soccer is my main priority,” Bos said. “I go to cross country meets when I can. When I don’t have a soccer game, I go to the meet.”

All this began when Bos started playing soccer when she was five years old. As she got older and improved, Bos became a member of the Lehigh Valley United travel team, in addition to being a full-time starting keeper for the Olympians.

Over the years, Bos also took it upon herself to run at home when she wasn’t practicing or playing competitive soccer. But now, her love for running has allowed her to be part of another team.

Because of scheduling, Bos has only had two chances to run competitively with Jim Thorpe — one invitational (Moravian Invite to start the season) and a Schuylkill League meet at Tamaqua.

In the invite, Bos finished 34th out of 110 runners. And, at Tamaqua, she finished third in a time of 23:53.

“She’s never really ran a cross country meet until this year,” Rosahac said. “So, she’s still in the learning process. In her first meet, she kept talking with me between the races because she didn’t really know how to run a race. So, it’s a learning experience for her.

“I think once she gets more comfortable running them, and gets more comfortable with her pace, she can do even better than she is now. This is her first year and everything is new to her. But, she’s a naturally talented athlete.”

With a solid run at her first invite, and a top-three finish in her first varsity meet, Bos has already made a good first impression with the sport.

What’s helping, she said, is having a great supportive cast.

“I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it at all,” Bos said. “But, the girls and guys on the cross country team are so supportive. Even if I was to have a bad run, they are there with motivating advice and simply being my friend.

“I just have so much fun with them. And I love running, and I have so much fun doing it.”

Bos is also having fun on the soccer field, where she continues to help the Olympians. Last year, as a freshman, Bos posted three shutouts.

This year, Bos has already surpassed that. She has recorded four shutouts – Schuylkill Haven (8-0), Northern Lehigh (1-0), Lehighton (4-0) and Weatherly (8-0) — and has allowed just one goal in three other games.

“Having four shutouts halfway through the season is pretty spectacular,” Bos said. “We have improved so much since last season. We still have (a number of) games to go this season ... Hopefully, we can get a lot more (shutouts).”

While sports has become an important part of her life, she still realizes what is most important.

“My personal belief is that school is top priority over everything,” said Bos, who strives for straight A’s and was on the Principal’s List all four quarters her freshman year. “I get all my schoolwork done. And, if I need extra time to do schoolwork, that will always come first. I’m just thankful for (having) amazing coaches and them helping me, because they’re both very understanding that school is my top priority.

“(Coach Rosahac) understands that it’s about soccer. And (Coach Condly) understands that I need to go to cross country sometimes. It’s just wonderful to have both of them being so understanding.”

Rosahac knows soccer comes before cross country for Bos, but she’s happy to have her whenever she can — both now and in the future.

“I hope she sticks with it,” Rosahac said. “Our team is small ... it’s hard when you have a smaller school and all the different sports programs. I’m glad we can make it work.”

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TIGER PACK … The Northwestern boys’ cross-country team is proof that it’s not necessarily all about first-place finishes. Sometimes, it’s depth and balance. During the past week, the Tigers recorded a sweep in a Colonial League meet with Moravian Academy, Notre Dame GP, Palisades and Saucon Valley. The Tigers didn’t have a top-five finisher, but instead relied on a tight pack of runners to pull out the win. RJ Zack (6th), Cole Chukoskie (7th), Matthew Santana (8th), Sam Bower (9th) and Joseph Chukoskie (12th) combined to help Northwestern go 4-0 on the day.

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ATTACK CAM … In a wild Eastern Pennsylvania Conference volleyball match last week, Cameron Caffrey had a huge performance as Pleasant Valley pulled out a 26-28, 25-16, 31-29, 25-23 victory over Whitehall. Caffrey had some amazing all-around numbers as she finished with 25 assists, 21 digs, eight kills, three aces and two blocks. Desi Beade (29 digs) and Andrea Crilley (16 digs, nine kills) were also key contributors in the Bears’ marathon win.

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FANTASTIC DUO … Sophia Boyle and Emma Kuczynski have been on a scoring tear for the Tamaqua girls’ soccer team. The duo took their scoring to a new level on Saturday, combining for all of Tamaqua’s goals in a 7-4 victory over Jim Thorpe Saturday afternoon. Boyle scored four times in the win, while Kuczynski added three goals.

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CAREER MILESTONES … Panther Valley volleyball players Erika Dubosky and Olivia Dacey both hit the 500 kill milestone in the past week. Dubosky, a junior, hit the mark on Tuesday (Sept. 17) in a win over Lehighton. Dacey, a senior, reached the milestone on Monday (Sept. 23) in a win over Tamaqua.