Runners prepare for unique season

Since the announcement the OHSAA canceled the spring’s track and field season, high school runners wondered if the novel coronavirus pandemic would impact cross country season in the fall.

Cross country’s status remained cloudy into August. The state deemed it a contact sport earlier this year, and when the OHSAA announced a suspension of competition for contact sports on July 31, the cross country season appeared to be in peril.

Runners received a longawaited green light Aug. 6, when the OHSAA aligned with the state’s updated classifications to designate cross country a noncontact sport.

The news was welcomed by Hawken senior Ella Gilson, the state’s two-time defending Division II champion. Cross country’s reclassification coincided with the time Hawken began fall practices, after it paused athletics on July 31.

“I was super, super excited,” Gilson said. “That gave me a lot of hope for the season. Since that decision was made and my school decided to go back to practice, it gave me a lot of hope and it made me super excited. I’m just really excited to get back out there and start racing.”

Gilson won the 2019 D-II girls race in 17 minutes, 45.9 seconds — 13 seconds ahead of her runner-up, Oakwood’s Grace Hartman. Gilson’s goals for this season are to repeat as the state champion for a third straight year and run a race in as close to 17 minutes as possible.

During the summer, Gilson maintained her mileage while working out on her own. She met up with other runners around the area for longer runs, and was grateful to return to practice with her teammates after missing track season.

The 2020 cross country season will look slightly different based on recommendations from the OHSAA, NFHS and state coaches association. Those include widening the course, staggering starts and enlarging starting boxes to maintain social distancing.

“Honestly, at this point, I think everyone’s in the same boat,” Gilson said. “They’ll do anything to be able to race and have a season, so whatever modifications need to be done, let’s just do it so we’ll be able to have something.”

South of Hawken at Kenston, the Bombers’ boys team eyes a return to the state cross country meet in Division I. Coach Chris Ickes returns five of his top seven runners from last year’s team that overcame a rough start to finish sixth in the boys D-I team standings.

They’ve thought about chasing a state title all summer, while also awaiting news on whether or not their season would proceed.

“We were very, very relieved,” senior Dennis Princic said. “Words can’t describe the nervousness and just the relief we had when cross country was changed.”

Princic placed 13th at last year’s regional meet and was 50th at state in 16 minutes, 15 seconds. He hopes to place in the top seven at regional and in the top 25 at state, while helping lead the Bombers to the top of the team standings.

Alongside Princic, Jack Turk, Tyler McMahan, Nathan Bertman and Garrett McConnell are back after running in Hebron last year as juniors. Kenston’s athletic programs strictly followed guidelines when they resumed activities this summer, and continued to do so after moving into the fall.

“We’re trying our best to adapt to all the guidelines,” Princic said. “We try to stay as distant as we can at practices, wear masks when we have to, it’s not an easy thing to adapt to but we’re definitely trying to do it as best we can. Whatever it takes to have a season this year.” At Mentor, sophomore Savannah Dennison is eager to build off her freshman campaign that resulted in a No. 21 finish at the D-I girls state meet in 18 minutes, 36 seconds. Dennison missed a place on the podium by one spot and hopes to maintain consistency throughout the entire season and postseason.

Although she competed in road races during the summer, Dennison wasn’t optimistic cross country would avoid the same fate as her track season.

“I thought they would look past the sport and cancel it because it would be less the state would have to worry about,” Dennison said. “I’m happy that they moved it to a non-contact, it was great and it was very positive news because it helped motivate me to keep training.”

The cancellation of Centerville’s Saturday Night Lights meet, which Dennison calls her favorite race, and the Nike Midwest Regional meet in November added to Dennison’s concern at the time.

For now, cross country competition is slated to begin Aug. 24. Dennison and the Cardinals won’t compete in the meets they’re accustomed to during the regular season, but being able to run is all that matters.

“I don’t mind what they want to change,” Dennison said. “It doesn’t really bother me because I know I’ll be out there on the front of the line. Whatever we’ve got to do to keep going, it doesn’t really matter me to. If we can get through the season, that’s what matters most.”