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Fitch cross country teams optimistic about season
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Fitch Cross Country runners Shannon Rech and Josh McHenry.
A couple of three-year letterwinners will provide leadership for both boys and girls.
AUSTINTOWN — The Fitch High cross country team is paving its future by looking at the past.
“Both teams have a rich cross country tradition to live up to,” said Fitch coach Rich Kempe, who has been the girls coach since 1990 and the boys coach since 1998. “For the past several years we’ve been down.
“We’ve struggled, but are optimistic this season because of better summer training, better attitude, more quality athletes and our numbers are up a little bit.”
Veteran distance runners Josh McHenry and Shannon Rech, both three-year letterwinners, provide leadership.
Kempe said he runs every day with the athletes. The Fitch team runs a combined 1,000 miles a week.
“These kids have been dedicated, committed and responsible so far,” said Kempe. “They are involved in other school activities. At least 50 percent are in the band. Some of them are club officers and most have a 3.5 grade point average.”
McHenry, with a best-ever time of 17 minutes, 45 seconds, wants to be in the mid-16s.
“We’ve been training a lot this year and we want to have our guys in the low 17s to the mid 16s,” said McHenry. “We run eight to 10 miles every day including Sundays and our goal right now is to get out of district and regional and hopefully make it to state.”
McHenry called Kempe “one of the best coaches in Ohio.”
“He expects a lot out of us, stays behind us and wants us to be the best we can,” he said. “We get along well together and if someone is down, we get behind him with encouragement, and support to lift him back up.
“Everyone knows that we are just trying to do the best we can and see where it takes us.”
McHenry is in National Honor Society, student council and the band. He also runs indoor and outdoor track, competing in the 800, 1600 and 3200.
Rech recorded her best time (20:22) two years ago at the Pittsburgh Central Catholic Invitational. Her best effort last year was 20:49 at the Malone College Invitational.
She and her sister Clare are co-captains for the Falcons. Shannon started running cross country in middle school. Rech carries a 3.9 GPA and is in NHS. She also runs indoor and outdoor track.
“We are pretty good together and a very tough cross country team,” said Shannon. “Our goals are win Suburban League, finish in the top two in Federal League and hopefully get out of district and regional.
“Coach Kempe tells us to run the very best we can and be supportive of each other.”