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Mahoning Valley runners combat swampy, frosty feelings
By matthew peaslee
BOARDMAN
The biggest problem for West Branch’s Drake Lohnes at Saturday’s regional cross country meet didn’t come during the race — it was after.
The junior crossed the finish line in 18 minutes, 17 seconds for fifth place in the Division II race and a berth to the state meet, but his struggles continued for a good three minutes after he was done running.
“I couldn’t move my hands; they’re frozen,” he said as he tried to remove the time-tracking chip from his shoe. “I couldn’t even untie my shoelaces. I thought about just ripping my shoe out and saying ‘take the shoe.’ ”
Lohnes says he fought through shoulder and arm pain, which was a common theme amongst the participants. He also described the course as more of a National Geographic phenomena, than a 3.1 mile excursion.
“It’s a swamp,” Lohnes said. “This is about as bad as it could get.”
The ill-fated conditions affected everybody on the course. Especially the Division I boys. They were the sixth group to run on the day, so dirt, mud and water materialized into a much more soupy mixture than the first race dealt with, four hours earlier.
“I just had to keep running back and forth to try and find high ground,” said the third place D-I finisher, Mark Hadley of Boardman. “The key is to stay out of the deep stuff because it can slow you down.”
In defending his home course, Hadley paced himself well before exerting away from the lead pack. He was edged only by Tony Hawkins of Walsh Jesuit and Nick Pupino of Copley. Those trying to catch the Spartan sophomore were greeted with a message.
Hadley and the rest of the Boardman boys team, who eventually finished ninth, shaved a ‘B’ into their heads as a sign of team unity.
“On the bus ride to districts we said if we qualified to regionals we would do it,” he said. “It was just something to remember the meet by because a lot of the best schools were coming here.”
Many of the best schools advancing to state as a team are legendary programs that look forward to repeat trips, every year — like the McDonald boys. Others are new on the block — like the Poland girls.
The Blue Devils picked up 45 points for a fourth place finish in D-III and will move on with Maplewood who earned a third place, 131 point standing. McDonald’s Kyle Joynes came in fourth place with a time of 17 minutes, nine seconds.
“We played it safe early so we wouldn’t fall back late,” Joynes, a senior said. “From my freshman year to now, it’s been the experience. We’re getting hungrier and it’s all come together now. “I mean, the hay is in the barn. We just trust in our training and our coaches and we’re ready to go out and do well at state.”
McKinsie Klim led Poland with a third place, D-II girls time of 20:33. But, as a team, the Bulldogs gained the top spot with 53 points. It’s not only their first regional championship, it’s their first trip to the state meet.
“They’re such hard workers and they work together, too,” Poland coach Kim Grisdale said. “They do a great job of motivating each other and making sure that they get out and do what they need to do to.”
Klim, though, was a little disheveled with her performance. The junior led the race for the better part of the second mile, but faded at the end. She said extended sprint work will be her main focus to prepare for next week.
“Right in the woods, I just died,” Klim said. “As soon as you hit the last 800 [meters,] you just have to go. But it’s awesome we’re moving on.”
Lohnes may have spoken best for all of the state qualifiers.
“Not a lot of kids get the opportunity,” he said. “I’m very thankful for that.”
Also moving on are: Columbiana’s Ashley Lydic; Fitch’s Carissa Jenkins; Struthers’ Catlyn Walker; Lakeview’s Eric Harris; Southeast’s Nick Sampson; Miranda Hughes and Quinn Sparks; and South Range’s Ryan Roush, Tim Nichols, Emily Rast and Monica Patrick, along with the McDonald and Maplewood girls teams.