High school cross country: Avon girls want to enjoy state experience

Last year Avon's girls cross country team was left wondering what it could have done differently after missing a state berth by one place and just six points. This year the only thing the Eagles had to wonder about after Saturday's Division I regional meet was exactly how they were going to celebrate. Avon finished third at the Northeast regional meet at Boardman High School, becoming the first Eagles girls cross country team to advance to state in over 30 years. They last made it 1988 when they were also third and in 1987 when they were fourth. Both of those state appearances were in Division III, then Class A. Prior to that, the Avon girls had only advanced as far as the regional one other time — in 1986. "Everyone on the team can say that we've been practicing since June 13th for this," said freshman Kaitlyn Reese, a 2021 Division III middle school state cross country champ and the Eagles' top runner. "We put all the hard work in. It's definitely the hay in the barn (advancing to state). "We definitely want to keep pushing and keep giving it our all because it's the biggest meet of the year. We want to try to earn a top 10 spot. That would be very good for us. I feel like that'd be a very achievable goal and something we can definitely work towards." Reese, this year's Lorain County Division I Runner of the Year, placed sixth at the regional in 19:10.3, while junior Maddie Harrington, last year's Division I Runner of the Year and the team's No. 2 runner, was 12th in 19:28.8.Harrington finished 56th as an individual at last year's state meet in 19:13.4. "From what I experienced last year ... you want to get out a little bit faster and you want to be more aggressive," Harrington said. "We need to make sure if girls are starting to pass you, kind of go with them, kind of have them bring you with them. I feel like if you don't really get up fast you kind of get stuck so it's more about being assertive and aggressive." Junior Anna Argabright, freshman Maddie Gettings, junior Sarah Pomfrey, sophomore Carolina Reed and sophomore Anika Singh make up the rest of Avon's top seven. Senior Savannah Reed, Carolina's sister, is the alternate. "There's a lot of impressive teams and runners out there," said Justin Carroll, in his second year as Avon's year. "It's going to be hard to gauge. I'm just having them focus on each other and think about all their training. We can't control what those other teams are doing, like how they're going to race. I don't want them running somebody else's race so that's why I think we don't have a lot of pressure, because with what we accomplished, making it to state, it's just kind of seeing where we're at now at the state level. "I'll probably figure out a way to kind of gauge where they should be. Saturday it's more about effort and about that first mile being controlled, knowing that it's probably going to be a faster first mile because of the teams there." It's been a season to remember for the Eagles, who have won five invites. Besides winning the Southwestern Conference meet, they also took first at the Seneca East Stars, Stripes and Lights as well as invitationals at Painesville Riverside, Galion and Medina. "I'm excited and still digesting this past weekend," Carroll said. "I'm proud of them and our program. They certainly rose things up a notch. "My former coach at Berea-Midpark, Rick Mack, always told us the three C's: calm, collected and confident. It's kind of their mantra this season. I added a fourth one, choice. I like cliche things and I think it does help, especially keeping us in the right state of mind. No matter where you're ranked you have to remain relaxed and confident that you belong. You know how to thrive off the competition that you're battling." Following the back-to-back state meet appearances in 1987 and '88, the Eagles were regional qualifiers in 1989 after tying for second at the Elyria district. For the rest of the 1990s, the only other times they were regional qualifiers was in 1993 and 1999, again in Division III. After the Eagles moved up to Division II in 2001 they didn't make it back to the regional meet again until 2006. They almost made it to state in 2008 and 2009, missing by just 20 points both times, finishing seventh at the Tiffin regional in 2008 and fifth in 2009. The Eagles qualified to regionals their first two years in Division I in 2011 and 2012. After missing regionals in 2013, the Eagles have made it the last nine years. But even with all those regional appearances, state seemed always out of reach until last year. They were eighth in 2014 and sixth in 2015 at Tiffin, where only the top four teams advanced. They were 11th in both 2016 and 2017 at Boardman, where the top eight advanced to state. They were 14th in 2019 and 19th in 2020. "What shocked me the most was just how much anticipation there is," Harrington said of state. "You don't really realize it until you start racing because of all the energy that's there. It's that energy and that anticipation that kind of carries you throughout the race. That's what was the most shocking to me last year, how fast I was able to start and carry that on through the rest of the race." Carroll's primary goal for the team is to relish the entire experience of making state. "I just want them to finish the state meet knowing they gave it their all and they have no regrets and that they have fun no matter where that places the team," Carroll said. "I think that approach makes it a little bit more easy for us to just enjoy it, still expecting that it's going to be difficult but still enjoy all the great teams that are around us. Just the atmosphere that's going to be there even for those that aren't necessarily cheering for us but to utilize that energy from other teams, coaches and parents. "It needs to be a really cool experience because it's all of our first times, except for Maddie Harrington." Contact Paul Heyse at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.