Cope rhymes with hope: Pachol clears injury hurdle

By Joe Scalzo

SALEM — On the afternoon of the first major outdoor track meet of the year — the aptly named Cope Invitational, because it’s what you usually have to do — one area track coach was so giddy about the start of the season, she didn’t even notice the drizzling rain, miserable temperatures and even more miserable wind.

Right?

“It’s awful, horrible,” she said. “I want to quit coaching just for this meet.”

OK, but the track officials were game, right?

“Hundreds of years ago the Quakers burned witches at the stake and now they’re getting back at them with this weather,” said one official, referring to Salem’s mascot.

Picking the worst weather in Cope’s recent history is like picking the worst-tasting piece of broccoli in the bunch, so it’s hard to say Friday’s meet was any worse than normal. But there really was one athlete inside Reilly Stadium who was grateful to be outdoors.

Her name is Nichol Pachol and two years ago she was one of the most promising hurdlers in the Valley. But last winter, during the indoor season, the then-Howland junior was running on a device called an Overspeed Trainer when she suffered a hip labral tear.

“I was running too fast and it slid right out of socket,” she said. “It was painful, but I think it was more painful knowing I couldn’t do anything about it.

“When the doctor came in with the MRI results, I knew it was bad. I could see the look in his eyes.”

She had arthroscopic hip surgery last February, rehabbed for six months and returned in time for the indoor season, where she emerged faster and, more importantly, pain free. She qualified for the Nike Indoor Nationals in Boston where she placed 20th out of 61 athletes in the 60-meter hurdles. A week later, she placed sixth in the event at Ohio’s state indoor meet.

Then, on Friday, she won both the 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles.

“In weather like this, people are complaining we shouldn’t be running, but to be crossing that finish line, I’ll run in anything,” she said. “I’m just so happy to be out here.”

At least one team skipped the meet and several others left before it was over, but for the ones who stayed, it was a chance to get mentally stronger and, for Fitch sophomore Ali Tolich, to set a personal-best mark.

Tolich’s throw of 137 feet, 11 inches in the discus was four feet short of the meet record but it was plenty good enough to win and it helped the Falcons tie Massillon Jackson for the team title.

“I always seem to throw better when it’s raining,” Tolich said. “It was tough. You don’t want to take your sweats off.

“I just concentrated on getting a good mark.”

Pachol didn’t break any personal records but she’s already well ahead of her times as a sophomore. And as bad as the weather was, her biggest problem on Friday was clearing a physical hurdle, not a mental one.

“I hit a hurdle and my knee’s sore,” she said. “But I’m happy with that. Usually when it rains I’m in a lot of pain, but not today.”

Pachol’s goal is to make it to Columbus — she came up just short two years ago at the Div. I regional meet, which is often called “mini-state” —and earn a college scholarship.

Friday’s meet can only help.

“You’re looking at the flag over there and see it going crazy, but mentally you just have to know whatever way the wind is blowing, you have to keep your head down and make do with what you have,” she said. “You can get through anything with the right form.”

(And the right attitude.)

scalzo@vindy.com