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McDonald’s Kunkel continues family legacy
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McDonald senior Patrick Kunkel is the youngest of five brothers who have helped make the Blue Devils’ track and cross country programs one of Ohio’s best.
By Joe Scalzo
Maybe the best place to start a story on McDonald senior Patrick Kunkel is with his hair.
Kunkel has terrific hair — thick and brown and wavy — but, well, it’s stuck in the wrong decade. He looks like he could play the preppy villain in a 1980s high school movie, the type of guy that says things like, “What are you looking at, nerd?” He’s got Hollywood-level teeth, too and he’s a three-sport standout, so it works.
But here’s the thing. He may look like that guy, but he doesn’t act like that guy.
“He’s the kind of kid everybody wants to be around,” said his track coach, Lou Domitrovich. “He’s the type of kid who can hang out with someone in his own age group but he’ll hang out with a seventh-grader, too, and help him out.”
Kunkel is the last — and the best — in a group of five brothers who helped make McDonald’s running program one of Ohio’s most successful. His oldest brother, Tim, was a seventh-grader on McDonald’s first junior high cross country team, beginning a stretch of 17 years of uninterrupted running track and cross county (with a little basketball thrown in here and there).
“We have a lot of opportunities to think about it, that this is the end,” said Patrick’s father, Tom. “We’ve enjoyed the tradition of McDonald track. It’s been really special.
“It’s been fun and they’ve done us proud. But all good things have to come to an end.”
All five brothers — Tim, Joe, Andy, Jeff and Patrick — ran for McDonald, combining for four state cross country titles and two state track titles. Patrick is a four-time state qualifier in cross country and will likely make his fourth trip to the state track meet next week.
“It was really magical watching my older brothers and cousins go through it all,” said Patrick, who is related to the Stonestreet and Harryhill families, who also had runners at McDonald. “I always imagined myself one day being like them and hopefully winning state as a team.”
“They set the bar high. I just wanted to be like them and see what I can do.”
Added his father, “They’ll [his brothers] all admit it — Patrick’s taken it to a different level. And he’s very good at giving other people credit for that.”
Patrick placed a personal-best sixth at last fall’s state cross country meet, helping the Blue Devils place second for the sixth time. He was a team-best 11th the year before when McDonald cruised to its sixth state title. He was also in the top 15 as a freshman and a sophomore.
Kunkel has also done well in track, placing seventh in the mile as a freshman and ninth in the 4x800-meter relay as a sophomore (alongside his brother Jeff). He was a state qualifier in three events last June, placing fifth in the 1600, seventh in the 4x800 and 11th in the 800.
“I really love track, but there’s something more with cross country that really connected with me,” said Kunkel, who also played basketball. “It seems sometimes like it’s a little more family-oriented.”
That connection is why the next few weeks will be so tough. Kunkel graduated at the top of his class on Saturday. He was done with classes more than a week earlier, “and I was already back to visit twice,” he said, laughing.
“He started his senior year dreading the end,” his father added. “He really has loved running for Coach [Chris] Rupe and Coach Domitrovich.”
Making things even tougher is the fact that Kunkel will run for the University of San Francisco next season, a school 2,500 miles away from home. He had closer options — Ohio State, for instance — but he fell in love with the school and the chance to continue his life outside his comfort zone.
“I’m still just trying to focus on the season,” he said. “I’m really excited. I never dreamed of going that far away for school. I love the area, I love the team and I love the coach.”
Which brings us back to the hair. Kunkel started growing it out soon after cross country season, but kept having to trim it because he dyed it for the state meet.
“I tried dying it back but it kept turning green on me,” he said. “So I’ve been slowly snipping it, without cutting it too short.”
“He claims if he makes it to state he’ll cut it after that,” said his teammate, junior Bobby Johnson. “I’m ready to see that. I guess [the ladies like it] because he’s had a girlfriend for awhile and she hasn’t dumped him yet.”
His hair has become a metaphor for his life. He’s hanging on to something he loves before making a clean cut after the season. It will look different. But different isn’t always bad.
“I love it here and I’m going to miss my family and my teammates,” he said. “It’ll be hard leaving, definitely. But it’s really exciting.”