Cleveland High's Ryan Lovelace excels as record-setting runner, school leader

Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Cleveland senior Ryan Lovelace's fastest mile in high school is 4 minutes and 18 seconds, while his fastest 5K time is 15:24.
Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Cleveland senior Ryan Lovelace's fastest mile in high school is 4 minutes and 18 seconds, while his fastest 5K time is 15:24.

Ryan Lovelace may be strapped for free time, but the Cleveland High School student body president, sports radio talent and star runner is certainly making the most of his senior year.

At this past weekend's Southern Showcase cross country meet in Huntsville, Alabama, the long-distance phenom for the Blue Raiders broke a Bradley County record. Lovelace flew through the 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) course in 15 minutes and 24 seconds, which tied for the third-fastest prep 5k time in the greater Chattanooga area over the past 15 years and is No. 3 in the state this year behind a pair of Daniel Boone High School runners.

The area's only faster times in that span came from Baylor's Bill Matthews (14:48 in 2008) and Red Bank's Cole Bullock (14:54 in 2018), while the Chattanooga Patriots' Chase Faudi also clocked in at 15:24 during the 2019 season.

"I feel like God has blessed me with some gifts that I have continued to work on and figure out how to use to my strengths," said the 5-foot-11, 160-pound Lovelace, whose stature is bigger than most typical cross country stars. "I came into this season really prepared and in the best shape of my life. I tracked a lot of miles this summer, and it's really paying off right now."

Lovelace, who has run a 4:15 mile, has been making a difference in many ways.

Aside from his athletic ability, he has a 4.0 GPA and a natural charisma that helps him lead the student body at Cleveland High. A huge sports fan in general, Lovelace has been part of the high school football pregame show on Mix 104.1 FM in Cleveland with host Carman Lastoria and Raffe Howell on Friday nights.

"My coaches have been gracious to let me miss practice if I have a meeting with administrators or I am doing something for the radio station to where I can do my run later that night," Lovelace said. "I have had to learn to manage my free time. Some days are crazy and stressful, but I am having a lot of fun this year and can't wait to see what's ahead."

photo Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Cleveland High School senior Ryan Lovelace is one of the state's top cross country runners and has been heavily pursued by many colleges.

Part of what's ahead: One lucky college will get to add an all-around talent to its mix.

Lovelace has already been to Eastern Michigan and plans to travel to Iowa and Tennessee as his first three of five official visits allowed. Alabama has also been in pursuit of his talents.

"I have talked to a bunch of schools, and I think the big thing for me is finding a place I can be successful athletically and academically for the next four to five years," said Lovelace, who is a die-hard LSU football fan. "My parents have been a great support system for me. They have always told me since I was young they would support me fully in anything I ever wanted to do."

Lovelace won the indoor state championship in the mile this past February with a time of 4:19 running for E Distance, an AAU track program coached by Hugh Enicks. Lovelace credits his AAU coach as a key influential figure in his running career. Enicks also coached Bullock, who is now a star at Ole Miss.

Having blazed his mark in the local record books, Lovelace has plans for a big finish to his high school career.

"I want to qualify for Foot Locker Nationals (Dec. 11 in San Diego), which means I have to finish top 10 in Foot Locker South," he said. "At the nationals they fly you out and give you a ton of free gear. To get there, I will have to get my 5K time between 15:05 and 15:10.

"Anything can happen when you get on the line to run three miles. Rankings go out the window. I am going to give it my all to try and win a state championship this year for my school, too."

Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @PMacCoon.

Upcoming Events