'I just feel faster': Athlete of the Week Aiden Rodstrom starting to soar for Rootstown

MOGADORE — As Aiden Rodstrom tore around the track, sweeping the hurdles at Friday's Wildcat Invitational, no one was the least bit surprised.

Rodstrom has been one of the area's top hurdlers for some time. He's also the son of a top hurdler, with his father, Kyle, earning state runner-up honors at Riverside High School.

From the moment he hit a growth spurt that cemented his transformation from a distance runner into a hurdler, Rodstrom seemed destined to shine at his new event.

Still, if it was destined, it was also chosen. And hard earned, as Rodstrom battled his way back from a torn labrum he suffered the summer before his junior year.

After racing back in 2023, and putting up some impressive results, the Record-Courier Athlete of the Week is even better coming off a full offseason.

His times in Friday's 110 (15.52) and 300 (41.99) were already well ahead of his times at last year's league meet.

"I'm about 10 pounds [down], so I'm like 210, 215, so it's definitely a little lighter so that helps and I just feel faster," Rodstrom said. "That's all there is to it."

Aiden Rodstrom's path to track

Kyle Rodstrom didn't want his son to feel any pressure to become a hurdler like him.

In fact, Rodstrom, who coaches Rootstown's girls track and field team, didn't want his son to feel any pressure to run track at all. He was fine with his son taking a greater interest in baseball when he was younger.

"I didn't care whether he did anything in track," Rodstrom said. "It was up to him. He was finding his own path, and I wasn't going to be, like, 'You got to do this or that.'"

Even when Aiden started getting into track, Kyle didn't talk to him about climbing the podium for Riverside or earning All-America honors at Mount Union.

But somehow his son found out, regardless.

"A lot of people, especially the coaches in middle school, they're, like, 'Oh, you're going to be like your dad,'" Rodstrom said. "I'm, like, 'Oh, OK,' and then I just did it."

Aiden Rodstrom bounces back from serious injury

Aiden Rodstrom was a great high school hurdler from the jump.

As a freshman, he finished fourth in the Portage Trail Conference 110 hurdles, against loaded competition, including Garfield's Ryan Stoller and Mogadore's Mason Murphy — both of whom made state that season — and his own teammate Xavier Birkett. As a sophomore, he earned PTC runner-up honors in the 110 and 300, trailing only Murphy.

Then came a tough break as Rodstrom dislocated his shoulder at a June basketball camp at Mount Union. He tried to keep on competing, but after reinjuring it in September, he had to undergo labrum surgery.

Rodstrom returned in time for track season — and won his first PTC title in the 110 and advanced to the regional meet — but it was a hard year, nonetheless.

"We got him in and rushed him back as best we could," Kyle Rodstrom said. "To be honest, he exceeded my expectations of what I thought he could do because, to be fair, he was probably in as worst shape as you could be. I mean, it was a major surgery. He couldn't do anything. He was immobilized for six or eight weeks, and then even at that [point], he was only allowed to do minor movements."

"Mentally, it was just tough," Aiden Rodstrom added. "I mean, it's hard to get into that shape, especially because not playing basketball, it's just I have nothing. I'm just sitting around all winter, so it [was], like, just working, doing everything I can to get back."

This year, Rodstrom is back in his comfort zone. He got the chance to play basketball again, and excelled.

That momentum has carried into track.

"Having basketball this year was, like, 'I'm ready to go,'" Rodstrom said. "And senior year especially. It's just put me into gear."

Aiden Rodstrom eager to learn

The relationship between father and son in sports can be complicated. Some sons prefer to figure things out on their own versus listening to their dad's advice.

Aiden Rodstrom, on the other hand, welcomes his dad's coaching.

"Obviously, we got [Coach Larry] Bailey, but the best resource is right here," Rodstrom said, pointing to his dad. "I mean, he was really good and obviously he's the best guy for it."

Kyle will shout something out during a race or practice and Aiden will gladly take his advice.

"In practice, I'll be over here coaching the girls and I'll look over and be, like, 'Oh, no,'" Rodstrom said. "I'll yell 50 yards away. He's, like, 'Oh, OK, Dad, got it.'"

For Aiden Rodstrom, it's simple.

As good as he is, he can always get better.

"It's just, like, put my ego aside because I know what he's capable of from a coaching perspective and I know what he once was," Rodstrom said. "I know that he's good. I know that he knows what he's talking about."

The Walsh University commit will gladly take any help he can get as he has some big goals in mind.

"Just qualifying for state is important to me," Rodstrom said. "And just in the future at Walsh, just getting better, continuing to get better, continuing to work hard like I do now and see where it takes me."

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Athlete of the Week | Aiden Rodstrom starting to soar for Rootstown