MANSFIELD, Ohio — Her specialty is the 800 meter run, but Mansfield Christian’s Claire Reynolds can go long, too.
The Richland Bank Athlete of the Week, Reynolds pulled off an unusual triple when she won the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 at the Forrest Pruner Invitational at Crestview High School on Friday. The sophomore accounted for 30 of Mansfield Christian’s 38 points as the Flames finished sixth in the nine-team event.
“She runs the 3,200 for conditioning after her other events are done,” her father, Patrick, said. “It’s interesting because she has been very strong in the 3,200. Her times have continued to drop.”
It should come as no surprise. Reynolds has qualified for the regional cross country meet each of the past two years. She finished 11th at the Division III Galion district last fall in 21:08.70.
“She’s been very good for us in the mile and the two mile,” Mansfield Christian coach Doug MePeek said. “At first she was a little reluctant to run the two mile, but now she embraces it.”
At the Shelby Invitational on April 11, Reynolds took runner-up honors in all three distance events. She won the 800 (2:30.59) and was seventh in the 1,600 at the Cowen Redbird Invitational a week later.
“As we get closer to the postseason, we’ll focus on the 800,” MePeek said. “Realistically, she has a chance to qualify for the state meet. I think she would have run in the 2:20s (at Crestview) if she had had somebody to push her.”
If she punches her ticket to Columbus next month, Reynolds wouldn’t be the first member of her family to qualify for a state meet this school year. Twin sister Abby advanced to the Division II state swimming tournament in both the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle events.
“They are competitive, but very supportive of one another,” Patrick Reynolds said. “Abby excels in swimming and Claire excels in track.”
The postseason begins the week of May 18 and McPeek is looking forward to watching his emerging star progress.
“She has really developed in terms of her mental toughness,” McPeek said. “Earlier in the year she didn’t know if she could run in all three events, but now she is asking for more.
“It has been a joy to watch her progress from middle school until now. She’s just a sophomore. The sky is the limit for her.”
“She has really developed in terms of her mental toughness,” Mansfield Christian Coach Doug McPeek said. “Earlier in the year she didn’t know if she could run in all three events, but now she is asking for more.”
