Maplewood's leaders are 1-2

By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
COLUMBUS -- Maplewood High junior Andy Arnio jogged past the finish line, slowed to a shuffle and looked behind to him to find a face he didn't expect to see.
As his teammate, junior Andy Morgan, crossed the line, Arnio stuck both arms up in the air, pointed the sky and yelled, "Yes! One-two!"
Thirty-three years ago, a Maplewood senior named Ted Rupe won an individual state title, leading the Rockets to the team title in Class A. Three decades and three more state championships later, Arnio repeated the feat.
Only this time, no one knew for sure it had happened.
Twenty minutes after Saturday's Division III race ended, the Rockets gathered in a huddle to await the results. The public address announcer counted down from the sixth team.
"In second place, Old Fort," he said.
The rest was noise. And jumping. And hugging.
"Wait!" said junior Phil Pavick. "What was our score?"
The Rockets had 79 points, beating Old Fort by a whopping 75 points -- their biggest margin of victory ever in a state meet.
Had 'em all the way, right?
"I know it looks like it, but I was quite a bit worried," said Rupe, who has coached the Rockets to four state championships since the 1972 season. "I like to be sure before I speculate."
Top-ranked in Ohio
The win was a reward -- and a relief. Maplewood was the state's top-ranked team the entire season and entered Saturday's meet as prohibitive favorites. As the Rockets were practicing Friday, other teams were pointing at them, prompting Rupe to replace their jerseys and headbands right before Saturday's race -- trying anything to ease the target on their backs.
"We were first all year, but in every race, we weren't first by that much," he said. "We just always managed to come out on top."
Arnio's victory wasn't as suspenseful. After finishing first in the 3200 meters at last spring's state track meet, many felt Arnio had emerged as the division's best runner. Morgan wasn't far behind, giving Arnio someone to push him every day in practice. But Morgan injured his calf late in the season, missed the district meet and returned to finish second.
"We didn't expect him to run so well," Arnio said of Morgan. "When I turned around and saw him, I was so happy."
Arnio, meanwhile, ran a 15:47, just six seconds off the school record. He stayed with the front pack for the first 2 miles, then broke away.
"I just got in my rhythm and stuck to it," said Arnio, who finished third overall as a freshman when the Rockets won the title.
Run was a real challenge
Morgan's run wasn't as easy. His leg was hurting him in Friday's practice and he said he actually had a "mental breakdown" that night, afraid he would let the team down the next day. After 2 miles of Saturday's race, he was so discouraged that he actually gave up for about 100 yards.
"As I came around the corner to go into the stadium, I saw [former Maplewood runner] Dave Pykare who's been my hero since middle school. He said, 'Morgan, you're a miler. You have a kick.' "
He kicked it in and the rest, as they say, was history.
Junior Chaz Rice ran a 16:46 to beat his personal best time by 30 seconds while junior Steve Barnhart and seniors Kyle Doneyko and Justin Pykare were plenty good enough to help the Rockets tie McDonald, Salem, Akron North and Cincinnati Elder for the second-most titles in Ohio history.
"Words can't describe this," Morgan said. "It's unbelievable."
scalzo@vindy.com