How do Ohio high school cross country runners get to state? Here's their path to success
When central Ohio’s best high school cross country runners cross the finish line at the state meet Nov. 4 at Fortress Obetz, it will represent more than the culmination of a season. For most, if not all, the road to state will have been a yearlong journey.
Distance runners must follow a training regimen that requires months of building up their endurance and pushing their limits. Proper nutrition and ample rest also are essential.
But as the postseason approaches — it begins Oct. 21 with the district meets at Hilliard Darby — runners will back off their miles a bit. It’s part of that year-long journey for elite runners and a proven strategy. Just ask Hilliard Davidson girls coach Nate King, whose team has earned 11 top-10 finishes at the Division I state meet in the past 12 years.
“We call it sharpening, so the training does change some,” King said. “It’s a fine balance of you want to take the edge off. You want to take a little bit away so you’re not extending the athletes beyond what they can handle. Right now, you want to be pushing boundaries and expanding what they can do. In championship season, you want to be training enough so that you’re still moving forward and improving, but you don’t want to be taking risks with overextending someone.”
The same type of training is used for tapering in high school swimming, as athletes lighten their workload to help their muscles recover in hopes of reaching their fastest times.
Olentangy Orange boys coach Adam Walters tries to make sure his runners maintain their level of fitness in the postseason while dropping time.
“We try to maintain mileage and not drop a lot of miles, but more freshen them up with workouts that keep them sharp with probably a little more rest,” he said. “Every coach has their own way on how to taper their kids. We try to freshen them up, but we want to make sure we don’t lose fitness in that process.”
Dublin Jerome senior Sam Ricchiuti has followed a plan during his cross country and track and field careers. Proper nutrition is extra important for him because of dietary restrictions.
“I have allergies to gluten, beef, eggs, seafood except for salmon and peanuts, so I really don’t eat any fast foods or drink any soda,” Ricchiuti said. “My diet consists of chicken or pork and rice, gluten-free pasta, any vegetable and any fruit. It definitely helps with running. It’s a big factor why I’m able to run and have the energy that I need.”
He has shown steady progress throughout high school, finishing second in the Division I state meet (15:25.6) last season behind Hilliard Davidson's Connor Ackley (15:10.1). Ricchiuti finished 45th at state as a sophomore.
Ackley is a freshman runner at Syracuse, opening a path for Ricchiuti to capture his first state title.
“Training-wise, my coaches come up with a plan,” Ricchiuti said. “They have goals in mind. They know what workouts to do, but from an athlete’s standpoint, my science is definitely a lot mental — listening to music, getting a lot of sleep and nutrition.”
Westerville North senior Ben Gabelman should be another Division I title contender this fall. He was fourth (15:31.4) last season after finishing 26th as a sophomore.
“Workouts get easier as the season goes on,” he said. “The volume goes down so your legs feel fresher as races become more meaningful. Once you get into the postseason, you need to be your freshest to move on. ... I don’t know how much of a science change there is. It’s more of a mindset and workout change.”
For Orange sophomore Brooke Chapman, who finished 30th in the Division I state meet (19:04.3) as a freshman, her training during the regular season includes running 30 to 33 miles per week. She also pays close attention to her diet.
“I eat a lot of iron-rich foods because I’ve been struggling with my iron a little bit from the track and cross country seasons,” she said. “I’m trying to get that up. It’s getting better.”
Dublin Scioto senior Selah White, who finished 13th in the Division I state meet (18:38.6) last season, credits girls coach Matt Suttle for a training regimen that includes time in the weight room and reducing miles in October ahead of the postseason.
White has missed time this season with a stress fracture in her right leg but expects to race later this month. She has been “cross-training like crazy, working out two or three times a day” to prepare for her return.
“Around mid-October is when we start decreasing the mileage a little bit as we get closer to district and regional,” White said. “The workouts get shorter and faster as we get closer to state. ... By the end of it, you’re doing a little less weekly mileage, and your workouts are mainly speed work by the end.
“An exciting part of the last two years has been getting to that level. ... Every component of your life is going to affect how you perform.”
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio high school cross country runners travel long road to state
