Month: September 2016

Widewater Invitational Recap

P.Schwan Uncategorized

2016-widewater-sarah-ben-finish

Recap: What a great meet!  Last Saturday definitely showed why this is such a popular course with the runners.  Not only is it a beautiful place to run with a great course, but it is almost inexplicably fast.  Out of 26 Viking runners, 18 set new personal records and three more turned in their best time of the season so far.  It certainly helped that we started off with near perfect weather, overcast and in the 60’s.

The Middle School girls got us started with great efforts across the board. Morgan, Jolie and Izzy all turned in personal bests, with Morgan taking over a minute and a half off her PR going back to last season.  Kayla and Kennedy turned in strong performances in a very competitive field, finishing in the Top 20 and Top 30, respectively.

For the boys, Chris continued his streak with a third straight PR, while Owen tied his PR from the previous week and Evan ran his best time of the season so far (Will just missed his PR, but ran his best time since the Lake meet).  There was some speculation after the Fayette meet that the course might have been short because of the drastic drop in times, but the times at Widewater showed that it was no fluke; these runners are improving in big ways as their training and hard work come together in the races.

Here are the results for the Middle School:

Last Name First Name Finish Place
Barkhimer Izzy 18:48 89
Foster Morgan 16:45 72
Gleckler Kayla 13:51 19
Huffman Jolie 17:17 77
Keller Kennedy 14:16 27
Bryson Owen 16:06 96
Hartzell Chris 14:53 80
Pennington Evan 15:39 90
Thomas Will 17:09 110

The High School races were every bit as exciting as expected.  Any concerns we had about the team getting on the bus at 7:30am and not running until after noon were quickly proven unwarranted.  They spent that time walking the entire course to preview it, as well as cheering on the Middle School runners during their races.  They did a great job of representing our school and our program well, particularly in their interaction with our fellow NWOAL teams.

For the girls’ race, every runner ran a season best, with four of them setting a new personal record. Sarah took almost a minute off her time, setting a new sophomore record in the process.  Trinity was all smiles after a brisk first mile, enjoying her first race back from injury. Ashley and Katie did an excellent job of pacing and pushing each other through the entire race, with Heidi in hot pursuit.  Hannah had a goal at the beginning of the year to break the 30-minute barrier and has been working hard at practice, so it was great to see her not only achieve that goal but absolutely smash it by taking almost three minutes off her personal record!

More barriers were broken in the boys’ race as well. Ben took another 40 seconds off his PR to set a new freshman record, and Phoenix broke the 19-minute threshold for the first time. Kyle, Augie, Tom and Alex all set PR’s as well, but three more boys in particular deserve a call out. Much like Hannah, Gavin is seeing his steady hard work begin to pay off as he took just under three minutes off his personal best. Ashton has fought through some injury issues early in the season and saw his PR drop by over four minutes!  Pete took over a minute off his PR, and in doing so he put on a clinic for how to handle a hill. We have entire workouts on Country Road 16 and up at Heritage Park designed around working efficiently up a hill and then accelerating over the top to pass runners and finish strong.  As Pete crested the hill, he…took…OFF!  He accelerated into the flat final stretch and never let up.

Here are the results for the High School:

Last Name First Name Finish Place
Majewski Alex 22:11 156
Mitchey Jared 22:58 163
Pollard Thomas 21:20 142
Rhodus Gavin 24:15 177
Ruetz Chandler 23:03 164
Schwan Ben 18:09 40
Simon Pete 27:08 189
Smith Kyle 20:03 117
Tipping Augie 21:19 141
Utz Ashton 23:24 169
VanOstrand Phoenix 18:59 69
Fritsch Heidi 26:09 90
Fritsch Katie 24:39 76
Garlick Ashley 24:40 78
Klebold Hannah 27:49 106
Schwan Sarah 21:39 28
Welch Trinith 22:32 39

It’s really tough to overstate the progress these runners have made, but everything you see on Saturdays is the result of the hard work they put in Monday through Friday.  As we enter the final phase of our season leading up to the NWOAL and District Championships, you can tell they are focused and excited.

Full Event Results are available on Baumspage.

Up Next: The Middle School has the weekend off while the High School travels to Pearson Park in Oregon for the Clay Eagle Invitational

Clay Eagle Invitational Info

P.Schwan 2016, Race Info
2015 Clay Grace
Grace tries to dodge the raindrops while turning in a lifetime best.

Clay Eagle Invitational Sat. 10/1 (High School only)

Results available at http://www.baumspage.com/cc/clay/2016

Course maps: High School

Pearson Park
4600 Starr Avenue
Oregon, OH 43616

8:30am – Bus leaves from High School (est. arrival 9:45am)
11:20am – HS girls varsity race
12:00pm – HS boys varsity race
1:20pm – HS boys jv/open race
3:00pm – Estimated return time
Meet Notes – There’s a lot to be excited about for this meet. After a great meet at Widewater last weekend, we visit what has been one of our fastest courses in past years.  The Pearson Park course starts and finishes in an open grass field, but the rest of the race is all park trails.  It is completely flat…no hills to speak of…so it lends itself to a fast pace.  Oddly enough though, while it has seen some extremely fast times for the Middle School over the years, the High School times have been a little bit of a let down after Widewater.  Part of this has been the weather; last year was a cold, rainy affair that was very much “make or break” for our runners (this still stands as Grace’s PR race).  However, with the workouts we saw this week I would not be surprised to see more PR’s come our way.  At this point, anything is possible for these runners. It’s a good field, and we’ll see some of our NWOAL and District competitors in the race.
From a spectator standpoint, it’s a long drive (made longer by all the construction), and parking is often a challenge so get there early if you can.  While we don’t race until 11:20, there are four races before that (Middle School and D1 high school), so it’s likely to be crowded.  You do get a great view of the start and finish as the runners cross and circle the open field, but the rest of the race is obscured by the trails.
*There will be concessions available. However, we ask that athletes have a healthy breakfast that morning and NOT eat concession food until after they have competed. We will have healthy snacks provided by parents; athletes are strongly encouraged to partake of these after competing.

Widewater Invitational Info

P.Schwan 2016, Race Info

2015-widewater-john-water2

Liberty Center Widewater Invitational Sat. 9/24 (High School & Middle School)

Results available at http://www.baumspage.com/cc/libertycenter/2016

Course maps:
High School
Middle School

Widewater Retreat Center
4050 Old US24
Liberty Center, OH 43532

*Parking Note – Do not go to the main park entrance. Parking is off of County Road 4 west of the park and should be marked.  There is a $5 charge for parking, and it’s a bit of a hike from the parking area to the starting line so plan accordingly.

Schedule:

7:30am – Bus leaves from EHS (est. arrival 8:00am)
9:00am – Middle School girls race
9:30am – Middle School boys race
10:00am – Middle School awards
12:15pm – High School girls race
1:00pm – High School boys race
1:45pm – High School awards
2:30pm – Estimated return to EHS
Meet Notes – This course is a perennial favorite.  It offers a little bit of everything: fast/flat first mile, grassy and rolling second mile, and the third mile includes wooded trails, a water hazard followed by a steep hill, and a flat, open finish.  From a spectator standpoint, here is pretty good viewing of the start, one mile mark, and the finish (as well as “the hill” near the finish).  Most of the rest of the course is accessible, just be prepared to get some exercise!
The high school band has a concert later the same day, with a report time at the high school of 3:33pm. While we anticipate the bus being back with an hour to spare, parents of participating band members may want to consider arranging for transportation as soon as the HS boys’ race is finished. We don’t want race delays, a lengthy awards session, or bus/traffic issues to prevent band students from getting to the school on time.  Please let us know of any transportation arrangements BEFORE the meet if possible.
*There will be concessions available. However, we ask that athletes have a healthy breakfast that morning and NOT eat concession food until after they have competed. We will have healthy snacks provided by parents; athletes are strongly encouraged to partake of these after competing.

Fayette Invitational Recap

P.Schwan 2016, Race Recap

2016-fayette-girls-start

Recap: Last year’s meet at Harrison Lake was a soaker, and this year proved to be cast from the same mold. It was so wet Saturday that the high school meet at Ottawa-Glandorf was cancelled at the last minute over concerns that running on it might cause trouble for a meet scheduled five weeks later (we ran the course anyway).  Despite the rain last year, the middle school course proved a fast one, and that was even more so the case this year.

For the girls’ race, the Lady Vikes had multiple records fall at both the personal and school level.  Kayla finished fourth overall, setting a new 7th Grade and overall Evergreen Middle School record of 13:34 and taking an impressive 46 seconds off her personal record!  Kennedy also set a new 8th Grade record of 13:53, besting her previous school record of 14:02.  Not to be outdone, Jolie took an incredible 4:49 off her PR, Izzy improved by 30 seconds, and Morgan competed in her first race of the season.

On the boys’ side, Owen turned in a great effort in taking over a minute and a half off his PR.  Chris also shaved 22 seconds from his personal best, and Evan turned in his best performance of the season so far.

Here are the results for the Middle School:

Last Name First Name Finish Place
Barkhimer Izzy 19:26 95
Foster Morgan 17:48 83
Gleckler Kayla 13:34 4
Huffman Jolie 17:53 86
Keller Kennedy 13:53 12
Bryson Owen 16:06 91
Hartzell Chris 15:12 80
Pennington Evan 15:49 87

What has been a slow and frustrating meet for the high school is clearly not so for the middle school as they had an excellent showing across the board.

Full Event Results are available on Baumspage.

Up Next: Liberty Center Widewater Invitational. Consistently mentioned as a favorite among the Viking runners, this one should be a treat!

Fayette Invitational Info (EMS)

P.Schwan 2016, Race Info
2015 Fayette Alexis
Alexis powers up the hill to the finish

Fayette Eagle Invitational – Sat. 9/17
Harrison Lake State Park
26246 Harrison Lake Road
Fayette, OH 43521

7:15am – Meet at High School (est. arrival at Harrison Lake 8:00am)
9:00am – Girls’ middle school race
9:30am – Boys’ middle school race
10:45am – Estimated return to Evergreen

Notes – One of the most beautiful courses we run with a few moderate hills and lots of wooded trails. It did rain quite a bit last year, but it looks like it may be a pleasant day this time around.  This course was pretty fast for the middle school last year, and nearly every runner set a personal record at the meet. Be sure to give yourself extra time to find a parking spot and walk to the start/finish area.

*There will be concessions available. However, we ask that athletes have a healthy breakfast that morning and NOT eat concession food until after they have competed.  We will have snacks provided.

Ottawa-Glandorf Invitational Info (EHS)

P.Schwan 2016, Race Info
2016-nwoal-preview-sarah-trinity
Sarah and Trinity work the NWOAL Preview meet Tuesday as they get ready for Ottawa-Glandorf this weekend

Ottawa-Glandorf Invitational Sat. 9/17 (High School only)

Results and info available at http://www.baumspage.com/cc/ottawa/2016/

Course maps:

High School Course

Ottawa Memorial Park
730 N Locust St
Ottawa, OH 45875

6:30am – Meet at High School (bus leaves 6:45am sharp, est. arrival 8:00am)
9:30am – HS Varsity boys race
10:40am – HS Varsity girls race
1:00pm – Expected return to Evergreen

Meet Notes – Another new meet for us, but also another established one.  It’s also a bit of a haul to get down there, so plan accordingly.  This course can be very fast and has hosted District Championship meets in the past for several districts.  It should be a great opportunity to knock down some PR’s and starts a run of great courses over the next few weeks (including Widewater and Clay).

*There will be concessions available. However, we ask that athletes have a healthy breakfast that morning and NOT eat concession food until after they have competed. We will have healthy snacks provided by parents; athletes are strongly encouraged to partake of these after competing.

Archbold Invitational Recap

P.Schwan 2016, Race Recap

2016-archbold-kayla-kennedy

Recap: Wet, wet, wet.  In years past, the Archbold meet was always sweatshirt-cold at the start and blazing hot by the end.  Not this year. It was overcast from start to finish, and right on cue the rain started pouring as the Middle School girls kicked off their race.

Kayla and Kennedy again worked together through this race, pacing and pushing each other until the final half mile when Kayla pulled a head to a new personal record time.  Kennedy was only a second behind her season best and was over 40 seconds faster than last year. Izzy also ran really well in her first ever cross country race!

On the boys side, Chris continues to see the results of his hard work over the summer as he set a new personal record and ran over two minutes faster than his time at Archbold last year. Owen just missed his PR by two seconds, and Will turned in another solid effort.

Here are the results for the Middle School:

Last Name First Name Finish Place
Barkhimer Izzy 19:56 82
Keller Kennedy 14:37 13
Gleckler Kayla 14:20 11
Hartzell Chris 15:34 86
Bryson Owen 18:17 137
Thomas William 17:24 125

A very solid outing by our Middle School runners heading into a fun meet next weekend.

Full Event Results are available on Baumspage.

Up Next: The Middle School travels to Harrison Lake State Park for the Fayette Invitational (hopefully with no rain this year!).

NWOAL Preview Meet Info

P.Schwan 2016, Race Info

This year’s NWOAL Championship Meet will be hosted by Swanton High School. As with years past, they will be hosting a preview meet to allow all league teams a chance to see and run the course.  The “race” is typically run with boys and girls together; no official timing or placement, and uniforms are not necessary.

Here are the details:

Swanton High School
601 N Main St
Swanton, OH 43558

Course maps:

Swanton NWOAL High School Course
Swanton NWOAL Middle School Course

3:45pm – Bus leaves Evergreen High School (ETA 4:00pm)
5:00pm – Gun goes off for preview run
6:30pm – Estimated return time to EHS

Notes – Because this is not a regular meet, we typically treat it as more of an off-site workout. While we will have some sections of the course done at pace, most of it will be an easy recovery from Monday’s long run.  Again, the goal is to give the runners a chance to familiarize themselves with the course so that there are no surprises at the championship meet.

Archbold Invitational Info (EMS)

P.Schwan 2016, Race Info

2015 Archbold Chris.jpg

Archbold Invitational Sat. 9/10 (Middle School only)
Archbold Reservoir
502 South Street (parking)
Archbold, OH 43502

8:00am – Bus leaves from the Middle School (est. arrival 8:30am)
9:00am – High school girls
9:30am – High school boys
10:00am – Middle school girls
10:45am – Middle school boys
12:00pm (est.) – Bus returns to Middle School

Archbold Course Map

Meet Notes – This meet involves loops around the larger and smaller reservoirs, with hills in between and a downhill finish. The middle school makes one loop around each reservoir, while the high school adds a second loop around the larger reservoir. Spectators can see pretty much the entire race, although individual runners can be a little hard to make out when they’re on the far side of the water. This is not a fast course despite being mostly flat; in part, because it’s so open and flat. It’s much harder to push your pace running a one mile long circle around the reservoir. Still, all the runner have to run the same loops, so it’s a chance to get out and compete against some of our NWOAL rivals.

*There will be concessions available. However, we ask that athletes have a healthy breakfast that morning and NOT eat concession food until after they have competed. We will have healthy snacks provided by parents; athletes are strongly encouraged to partake of these after competing.

Otsego Invitational Recap

P.Schwan 2016, Race Recap
2016 Otsego Augie 2
Augie comes up out of the water on the way to a strong finish

Recap: This season features three new invitationals, and Otsego was first on the list. This is a long-established meet featuring a few of our NWOAL teams, so it was a great chance to switch things up from the norm.  From a course standpoint, this meet offered a little of everything: trails, hills, water, open grass.  The only challenge was figuring out the course as it involved multiple loops on two different sides of the course (some parts of which were not very well marked). Despite the challenges the course posed, we still had eight out of the fourteen Viking runners set a new personal record.

For the boys team, the varsity runners finished eighth overall out of eleven teams.  Ben set a new freshman record with his 17th place overall finish, and Alex also set a new PR. In the JV race, all four Viking runners set new personal bests; Gavin and Augie took 2:40 and 1:25 off their PR’s, respectively!

On the girls side, we had a small team this week as several runners were out for the fair or other important events.  Sarah set a new PR with her 19th place finish despite losing several seconds on one of the aforementioned poorly marked spots on the course (she was not alone as Alexis too lost critical time on a course error).  Hannah pushed to better her previous PR that went all the way back to last year’s Archbold meet.

Here are the official results for the High School:

Last Name First Name split Finish Place
Majewski Alex 7:42 23:04 68
Mitchey Jared 8:12 24:25 71
Pollard Thomas 7:21 21:47 58
Rhodus Gavin 9:34 27:08 32*
Ruetz Chandler 7:37 22:47 66
Ruth John 7:45 22:29 65
Schwan Ben 6:17 18:49 17
Simon Pete 9:28 28:22 36*
Tipping Augie 7:26 22:04 23*
Utz Ashton 10:13 27:30 34*
VanOstrand Phoenix 6:31 19:43 37
Klebold Hannah 10:03 30:32 55
McCormick Alexis 12:23 35:05 61
Schwan Sarah 7:14 22:31 19

* High School JV Race

Another week, another improvement as a team.  These runners continue to work hard every day, and their work continues to show up on race day.

Full Event Results are available on Baumspage.

Up Next: The high school has a weekend off before heading to Ottawa-Glandorf on 9/17, while the middle school travels to Archbold next Saturday.