State champion Stanhope recaps achieving of big goal

By Greg Gulas

sports@vindy.com

BEAVER TOWNSHIP

Prior to the start of each season, Carrie Albert passes out a note card to the Badger High School girls cross country and track athletes. She asks them to write down their goals.

Last fall, junior Miranda Stanhope wasn’t shy about letting Albert know that it was her desire to win the individual state cross country championship. Stnahope already had qualified twice for state in both sports.

By outdistancing 172 runners in the field at National Trail Raceway in Hebron in mid-November, Stanhope captured top honors in Division III to become the school’s first cross country state champion. She also was the Mahoning Valley’s only individual or team state champion in the fall.

“Due to flooding on the course the state meet was pushed back a week,” Stanhope told the Curbstone Coaches on Monday at their weekly meeting at Avion Banquet Center. “When I first heard that, I was shocked.

“I trained the same that week, ran my usual 30 miles and just tried not to let it affect me,” she said.

Stanhope has earned all-Ohio honors in her three varsity seasons. She made it to the podium as a freshman when she finished ninth (18:43). The next fall, she placed placing 16th (19:18).

Her junior campaign had other successes. Stanhope helped the Braves finish second in the Northeastern Athletic Conference. She captured top honors at the NAC championship as well as the district and regional races.

She also won the Oscar Grant Invitational, Boardman Spartan Invitational, the Suburban League championship and Trumbull County championship.

At state, she defeated runner-up Emma Watcke of Minster by two seconds and was also pushed by Jenny Sease of Peebles High School.

“My strategy was to start out conservative the first mile because a lot of runners were around me,” she said. “I wanted to keep the same pace at the two-mile mark and with a half mile remaining, started my kick.

“Emma passed me with about 600 meters to go and it was nip and tuck to the finish line,” Stanhope said. “I felt good going into the last 400 meters, had a lot of kick left and got my strength back. I felt good in the stretch.”

In her freshman track season, Stanhope qualified for state in the 3200 meters (she finished 14th overall). Last spring, she finished third in the 1600 meters while improving to seventh in the 3200 meters.

The school record-holder in all three events, she credits Albert with her development.

“It’s really nice to have the same coach for both sports because she really knows me as a runner,” Stanhope said. “She helps me when I am nervous, assists with my goal-setting or fears for a race and has been a very special coach for me.”

Albert calls Stanhope, who has a 4.0 cumulative grade point average, one of the very best runners ever to come out of the area.

“Hands down, Miranda is the best that I have ever coached,” said Albert, who will coach track for her 21st season this spring. “I have had a lot of great runners and multiple state qualifiers in both sports over the years, but no other runner comes close to her times.

“As an athlete she stands out because she’s a real student of both sports,” Albert said. “She knows them very well, is always concerned about her performance, knows what it takes to compete and does a lot of research on her own.”