The heat index climbed and became a factor at the Annual Cub Classic held Tuesday at the Lucas Cross Country Course in Lucas. Teams from Buckeye Central, Clear Fork, Crestline, East Knox, Gilead Christian, Loudonville, Lucas, Mansfield Senior, Northmor, Plymouth, St. Peter’s and Wynford traveled to measure their endurance running at the Lucas cross country course.
Plymouth’s cross country coach Jay Follett said he felt his team did well considering the the conditions.
“Heat was a huge factor,” said Follett. The coach went on to add the team was well prepared as far as training and capability noting the course was comparable to what the team does as routine practice. That confidence may have also played a factor to one degree or another as coach Follett stated,”we got out quick, that made us pay later.”
Pleased with the overall placement and sheer will of the team, Follett acknowledged the temperature was a formidable opponent creating a disadvantage for even the most seasoned runners. Last year Plymouth’s varsity girls were regional qualifiers and brought that experience and confidence with them.
In boys varsity, Plymouth placed first, followed by Wynford, St Peter’s, Gilead Christian, and Lucas.
In girls varsity, Northmor took top honors, followed by Plymouth, Loudonville, and Wynford.
Jen Wood, varsity coach for Lucas, said,”We could not have prepared for the heat.” Wood also noted that the combination of the course difficulty and weather prioritized safety over times. “No one was looking for fast times or P/R today finishing the race and staying safe were the goals,” added Wood.
“I talked to the team before the race and made it known that the heat was not worth pushing themselves,” said Wood.
The top five times for varsity girls were as follows: Kendall Sanders of Plymouth came in first place at a time of 23.02.74. Emilie Schworm of East Knox followed with a time of 23.44.22, and Isabelle Ditullio from Northmor turned in a time of 23.47.44. Madison Schiefer of Wynford ran for 24.38.53, and Hailey Barber of Plymouth rounded out top five times with 25.02.92.
Top times for boys varsity were turned in by Sean Stockmaster of St. Peter’s with 19.49.97, Caleb Mosher of Gilead Christian with 20.24.27, Jacob Hill of Northmor at 20.29.56, and Matt Brown of Mansfield ran for 20.34.49. Matt McKenzie Plymouth rounded out the top 5 with a time of 20.37.00.
Coach Wood commented that, overall, she and the teams were pleased with the results and she felt that personal best starts with trying in any condition.
