2013 Summer Runners

Please enjoy the following interviews featuring Canal Winchester Cross Country athletes.

Want to be featured as a 2013 Canal Winchester Cross Country Summer Runner??? Download this training log and read the instructions at the bottom of the page- 2013 Summer Training Log

2013 Summer Runners (click on name to read the interview)

Nick Sweeney, senior

Nicole Tennison, senior

Jason Appel, junior

Bryce Carroll, junior

Nathan Chiles, sophomore

Julia Cook, sophomore

Chloe Palmer, sophomore

Joelle Zuberi, sophomore

Cassidy Long, sophomore & Ashley Clubb, freshman

Will Morrison, freshman & Avery Warner, freshman

Nick Sweeney, Senior

Personal Records: 5k- 20:18.6, 3200m- 11:28.25, 1600m- 5:06.6

Running Accomplishments:

Runner-Up in the 1600m at the 2013 Mid-State League Junior Varsity track meet in a personal record time of 5:06.6.

15th in the 3200m at the 2013 Central District Championships in a personal record time of 11:28.25.

13th at the 2011 Mid-State League Buckeye Division Junior Varsity XC race in a personal record time of 20:18.6.

Short Answer What / Who is your favorite....

Athlete - Galen Rupp (American) and Kenesia Bekele & Haile Gebrelassie (International)

Sports Movie - Sand Lot

Running Song - I don't listen to music when I run, I think it slows me down

Running Route - An 11 mile route called simply "The Route". Go to Old Town Tavern and run on Winchester Road forever. Turn right on Amanda Northern Rd and go up a crazy set of hills. Go right on Slough and go up an awful hill. Go right on Waterloo and follow that back

XC Course - Mason. I love that race. I love the course and I love the hay bails and I feel like I ran my best race there.

Interview

Q: Let's start with this, what is your favorite race of all-time?

Nick: When we raced at Heath my sophomore year, racing with Connor Barber, Ben Craig, and Anthony Savino. Connor and Ben told Anthony to move out of my way so I could get through and I ran ahead and beat them.

Q: I figured it would be a track race, but it was a cross country race?

Nick: Well, I loved the win in track at Newark (Nick won his 1600m heat in last spring's Newark Invitational), but that race at Heath has always stuck in my head.

Q: Talk about your improvement because you had an awesome track season with gigantic improvement. What was the key to your improvement?

Nick: Mileage. I had never gone more than 25 miles in one week and then last winter I just decided I'm going to start dropping 30s & 40s. I hit the 40 mile mark in the winter and then I had a really good time trial race on the golf course (Nick ran 6:37 pace for the 7.3 mile time trial). That's when I realized I had a shot to do it, to do what I did in the track season which was to nearly break 5 minutes in the 1600m. I had to get my mileage up, and once it was up I started to get better.

Q: What is your peak mileage going to be this summer? What is going to be the most important thing for you this summer training wise?

Nick: 50 miles will be my peak. I've got to get my mileage in. I've got to know how to push it when I'm tired, so there's going to be a lot of workouts where late in the run I've got to push it. I'm going to be working on my kick a lot.

Q: Training-wise, what's the biggest thing our team can improve from last cross country season to this cross country season?

Nick: Running smarter. The biggest thing going into last season was I didn't think we paced ourselves well so we didn't run our best at the end of the season. We didn't work on all the right things. I think we need to do more sprint work and work on our kick and run when we are tired. Because a lot of times last year we would slow down instead of speed up during our runs.

Q: You are going to be a senior this year, which means being a captain. Who are some of your favorite captains from past years and what did you like about them?

Nick: Micah Cobb (class of 2011), he was a great leader. Jarrod Genther (class of 2012), he led by example. Dan Williard (class of 2012) was just a fun captain, same with Connor Barber (class of 2012) and Ben Craig (class of 2012). They were just really nice guys and they led the team well. And then Kayla Scott (class of 2012) was great for the girls team because she led by example and took charge of the team. All good role models for me. Now I'm in that role and I've got to lead us.

Q: What's the best advice you can give to the freshmen this year, both the guys & the girls?

Nick: Keep your mileage up and keep your head up. Because you are going to have your tough races. It's not going to be easy all the way through. Not everyone is going to be able to run hard every day, so just be smart.

Q: What are your personal goals for the season?

Nick: Run below 17 minutes for the 5k and then I'd like to be the 3rd or 4th guy and get the team to states. My 5k PR is still a 19:53 from a time trial I did on my own, but since I've started with more competitive training I believe I could drop a 17 something or low 18s right now.

Nicole Tennison, Senior

Personal Records: 5k- 21:44, 1600m- 5:57.5, 800m- 2:33.9

Running Accomplishments:

Earned 2nd team All-MSL honors as a freshman in 2010 with her 10th place finish at the MSL Buckeye XC Championhips.

Ran varsity at district as a freshman (21:57, 55th place), helping her team qualify to the regional meet.

Won the MSL Buckeye Division Junior Varsity race as both a sophomore and a junior.

Placed 8th overall in the Central District Open Race as a junior with a season best time of 21:51.

Short Answer What / Who is your favorite....

Athlete - Kayla Scott (class of 2012). She is really inspirational and she cares about everyone so much. Even though she is so good and so fast and she has all of these things going for her, she always cares about everyone else.

Movie - Forrest Gump

Running Song - "Lose Yourself" by Eminem

Running Route - The five mile route through Ashbrook. I don't know why.

XC Course - Thomas Worthington. I don't remember the race much at all because I was in the zone the whole race.

Interview

Q: Being a senior now, what does being a captain mean to you and who are some of your favorite captains of the past?

Nicole: I really enjoy being a captain and it is an honor. It's nice to know you have other people looking up to you and you hope that you're doing the best you can to be a good leader. Some of the best leaders we've had were the whole class of 2012. Elizabeth Kifer (class of 2013) was a really great leader as well.

Q: What are the things that you can do as a captain this year to help this team?

Nicole: Being a leader, you don't have to be at the front to lead. Some of the best leaders lead from behind. I think just by setting a good example and working hard and making sure that we're doing all of the things we need to do to stay healthy and working hard.

Q: This past season in track was unique for you because many of your good friends in your class opted to take the season off. What were the positives and negatives of competing without many of your good friends?

Nicole: Track season was interesting because it was the first season that I didn't run with my sisters. So, I went into it kind of skeptical because those are the girls that I usually run with and I kind of went into the season feeling alone. But then during the season, I started to realize that I needed to be my own person and start working on myself. And I feel like it got me out of my box a little bit and opened up some opportunities. It helped me mentally break out. I feel like beforehand I had groups I knew I was supposed to "be behind" and groups that I knew I was supposed to stay with. But then track season I started to step out of that and realize that I need to try to push myself to be with those groups that I didn't think I was supposed to be with. (Note: Nicole had a very good year in track, dropping her personal record in the 800m by roughly 7 seconds).

Q: What are your personal goals and what are your goals for the team?

Nicole: I would really like to break 21 minutes this year. One big goal for our team this year is to place seven girls under 21 minutes. It is going to be tough for me to get there, but I am going to work hard and give it a shot.

Jason Appel, Junior

Personal Records: 5k- 17:20, 3200m- 10:30.0, 1600m- 4:42.03, 800m- 2:05.9

Running Accomplishments:

First team All-MSL as a sophomore after 3rd place finish at the 2012 MSL Buckeye XC Championship Meet.

Won the 3200m at the 2013 Gene Cole Invitational in a Personal Record 10:30.0.

Finished 6th in the 1600m at the 2013 Mid-State League Buckeye Championships in a personal record 4:42.03.

Placed 8th in the 1600m at the 2013 D1 Central District Championships.

Short Answer What / Who is your favorite....

Movie - Men in Black III

Running Song - I Just Wanna Run by The Downtown Fiction

Running Route - Definitely "The Route" (A 10.9 mile route out to Amanda Northern Road). The hills are amazing, especially a hill we've nicknamed "Black Pot" hill.

XC Course - It still has to be Cambridge. I love how it always rains there. I always run fast in the rain and its a great course. After I'm done racing there it always feels so good.

Interview

Q: Racing-wise you've become known for having breakout races. Let's start with MSL cross country last year where you finished 3rd in a Personal Record time. What was your secret, why was that such a great race for you?

Jason: That was the first cross country race where I ever ran a slow first mile. I ran a 5:30ish first mile and I was in 14th place and I just cruised the rest of the race. Everyone I passed during that race it was just like "sayonara". I do think that strategy of starting slower works better in small races because in the big races it gets too crowded and you just need to get ahead of everybody.

Q: Talk next about your 800m personal record in track. You dropped your time from 2:14 to 2:05.9 at a home dual meet. How did you drop so much time in one race?

Jason: I have to thank teammate Robert Moore. If he was not there beside me the entire race I would have not ran that fast. He ended up getting a faster time than me later in the season, but I just really wanted to beat him straight up.

Q: Another breakout race for you was the first time you broke 5 minutes in the 1600m at the Heath Invitational. You dropped your time from a 5:02 to a 4:48. Was that more of a physical breakthrough or a mental breakthrough?

Jason: I think it was a combination because in previous years I had not worked that hard over the winter. That winter, though, I was getting miles racked up. Plus, I had a good golf course time trial that winter (Jason ran 6:30 pace for the 7.3 mile time trial) and that had to of helped. But also, with the mental part, I knew I was in the fast heat and having teammate Wyatt Gardner in front of me helped me out a lot because I had him to chase. When I broke 5 minutes in that race, I knew I could do it every race.

Q: One of our training focuses this year will be our long runs. Do you think long runs are helpful and what are good things to focus on in long runs?

Jason: Yes, long runs can definately help you as long as you start out easy and pick it up at the end. If you go out too hard you are going to be dead tired at the third mile and end up heaving by the end of the sixth. During long runs you should focus on keeping pace. Set a pace that you know you can hit for the entire run. Take it easy at the very beginning then if you are feeling good pick up the pace.

Q: What are your individual goals for the season? What are your goals for your team this season?

Jason: I would like to be around 16:30 by the first race, definitely under 17 minutes. I broke 18 minutes in a road race 5k last week and I was surprised I am already there. By the end of the year I'd like to break 16 minutes. Last year at districts I finished 32nd place and I know I can do much better this year. I would really like to finish as an All-District (top 20) placer this year.

Hopefully, if our team is good enough and we don't have injuries, our team can make it to regionals. The ultimate goal for our team would be to make it to states.

Bryce Carroll, Junior

Personal Records: 5k- 18:01, 3200m- 11:11.4, 1600m- 5:00.46, 800m- 2:14.32

Running Accomplishments:

Ran varsity (7th man) as a freshman on the 2011 MSL Buckeye Championship XC team with a season best time of 18:24.

Earned 2nd Team All-MSL honors as a sophomore with his 18th place finish at the 2012 MSL Buckeye XC Championship.

Competed on the varsity squad as a sophomore at the 2013 D1 Central District Track Championship with a personal record time of 5:00.46 in the 1600m.

Short Answer What / Who is your favorite....

Athlete- David Beckham. I've played soccer ever since I was younger and I've done a lot of biographies on him.

Running Song - I don't really run with music, I think it kind of messes me up. I do listen to music beforehand. For inspiration I listen to Hall of Fame (by The Script) and to get pumped up I listen to Radioactive (by Imagine Dragons.)

Running Route - Probably Bridge to Ridge. I love running on the skinny trail right next to the creek. My least favorite is Wal-Mart, I've had a lot of bad runs on that route. There's no shade and I always get dehydrated.

XC Course - Zane Trace. I just really liked it. I liked it because it was muddy and its really hilly and it was really crowded.

Interview

Q: I have to bring this up. One of your things has been getting so close to your goals in races but just barely missing it. Last cross country season you wanted to break 18 minutes so badly and ended up running an 18:01. What went through your mind after that race?

Bryce: In cross it wasn't so bad just missing my goal because the 18:01 was at one of my earlier races. But then we ran a lot of really hilly courses and I got injured so I never got to break 18 minutes.

Q: In track you really wanted to break 5 minutes in the 1600m and in the last race of the year you ran a 5:00.42. Has that motivated you or has it been discouraging?

Bryce: It was discouraging at first, I was really upset. But, I know next track season I'm going to break it easily. I've never really trained over the winter and I'm definitely going to train this winter. I never want to miss a goal like that again so the best way to avoid that is to train.

Q: This summer has easily been the best off-season of training in your career, what do you do to keep yourself motivated?

Bryce: I try to run with my teammates. Its hard to run by myself and keep motivated, so I've ran with Robert Moore 3 or 4 times. I've run with Jason & Nick many times. One time at Chestnut Ridge I ran with pretty much the entire guys varsity team, and its kept me motivated.

Q: What are your personal goals for the year?

Bryce: By the Dr. Bender 5k I'd like to break 18 minutes or run low 18s. By the end of the season I'd like to break 17:30. I want to take baby steps and progress throughout the season.

Q: What do you think the team can accomplish this year?

Bryce: I know some of the upperclassmen really want the team to go to states, and I think we could. We're going to have to do our best and train our hardest. But, I think overall we need to tie our teammates closer together. We need to get together more as a team, and build a better relationship. Its already ok, but I think we can make it better.

Nathan Chiles, Senior

Personal Records: 5k- 26:04

Running Accomplishments:

Ran a season best time of 27:08 as a freshman in the open race of the 2012 MSL Buckeye XC Championship.

Broke his personal record by over a minute at the 2013 Dr. Bender XC Classic, finishing the race in 26:04.

Short Answer What / Who is your favorite....

Athlete - I don't follow sports a lot. I've got to say honestly that it's people from our own team. I like Kayla Scott (class of '12) a lot because she was a big inspiration. Before I even started doing cross country my mom always told me about how Kayla did not run good times at all when she started. She was at the very bottom, but now she's running in college.

Movie - Either the new Star Trek movies or Lord of the Rings

Running Song - Movie Tracks are pretty good. Also "Walk" by the Foo Fighters.

Running Route - I like Chestnut Ridge a lot. I love doing those loops.

XC Course - Johnstown. It was just a nice, scenic route. It was bad because I just had an awful time for that race because I was just too busy enjoying the scenery.

Interview

Q: You just started running last year. What has running meant to you?

Nathan: Running has meant lots of showers (laughs). I've gotten very sweaty. It's also a lot of good memories and a lot of hard work and determination. Finally developing some muscles. Having friends because pretty much throughout middle school I didn't have any friends at all. No one I could really call friends. And then between starting cross country and other stuff like Boy Scouts they finally just developed and I broke out of my shell. There's still stuff I need to do to break out of my shell, but I'm on a good track because of cross country.

Q: Has the sport changed you?

Nathan: Yeah. There's physically because I've lost some fat and developed muscle. I have lost 35 pounds since last year at this time. I'm also a lot happier because I'm part of something. I've had to push myself a lot. Before cross country I used to work out but I never was really working out hard core. Like I would run a mile and think "Oh my gosh, I'm doing so much." But now I'm like, "That's my warm up." I'm running five times that amount now. Just being able to do stuff I would have never been able to do before.

Q: What are your personal goals?

Nathan: Coach Bender talked about being realistic at the retreat. I know I can break 24 minutes and I would love to break 23 minutes.

Q: What's the most important thing that our guys team needs to do this year to be successful?

Nathan: Well, we've lost a couple of sophomores off the team so we need to just allocate for that. We need to run even harder now to cover our tracks. And we need to stay healthy to be able to do that. When we're feeling any pain we need to stretch it out, ice it, do whatever we need to do.

Julia Cook, Sophomore

Personal Records: 5k- 21:35 3200m- 12:37.0, 1600m- 5:49.22, 800m- 2:34.32

Running Accomplishments:

2nd Team All-MSL as a freshman, finishing 11th at the 2012 MSL Buckeye XC championship with a personal record time of 21:35.

Finished 12th as a freshman in the 800m at the 2013 D1 Central District Championships in a personal record time of 2:34.32.

Short Answer What / Who is your favorite....

Athlete- Shawn Johnson. I used to be a gymnast before I stumbled into running and she has always been an inspiration during that period of time.

Movie- Either Titanic or Ferris Bueller’ s Day Off

Running Song - I don’ t generally listen to music while running but the chorus of Bleed it Out by Linkin Park plays in my head from time to time.

Running Route - I like running the middle school route, and I have a love/hate relationship with Chestnut.

XC Course - I really liked Cambridge this past season.

Interview

Q: You had a breakout season in track, lowering your 2-mile time to 12:37 and your 800m time to 2:34. What were the most important ingredients to your success?

Julia: Since last season, I have increased my mileage a ton and started working on getting faster. I had a natural kick at the end of races, but I had to learn to extend the speed for a full 800 meters. I’ m also very competitive, so if I’m given a goal to complete during a race I'll do all I can to complete it.

Q: You have mentioned that the 800m is your favorite race. What do you like most about that race?

Julia: I think I enjoy the 800 as much as I do because I’m not a full blown sprinter, and I don’t have as much endurance as other girls I race against- so this race meets in the middle. I also improved almost every race, until near the end of the season. I think I might have gotten burned out a little and enjoyed races like the mile and the two-mile. However, the 800 still stands to be my favorite race because I see it as a challenge.

Q: What do you think is the biggest difference between cross-country and track?

Julia: There is a big change on the usage of your speed/endurance. Cross country involves a lot more mental toughness because, unlike a fast race in track, you have about 20 minutes to think. If you give up in your head, the race is lost, and your endurance seems to shorten itself. You can't rely on speed alone, you have to persevere the whole 3.1 miles, mentally and physically.

Q: What are your personal goals for the upcoming cross country season?

Julia: I, firstly, want to get healthy again, and then I want to race sub 21 and then eventually sub 20. My PR stands at 21:34 and I think I can break it by a substantial amount this season. I have officially been tested for mono and it came out positive, so now I need to rest before I can begin full time training. It’s a big setback, and I’ll have to work even harder when the school year starts to make up for it, while still staying healthy.

Q: What do you hope the team can accomplish this upcoming season? What is the one most important thing for the team to focus on to have a successful season?

Julia: Going into the OCC I think the team will face more challenging opponents, but knowing everyone, I think that it will just make us race harder and come out with even bigger accomplishments. I think the team should just focus on helping each other out and scoring points this year. We have a lot of strong, dedicated runners who can kick some butt this season.

Chloe Palmer, Sophomore

Personal Records: 5k- 20:17, Two mile- 11:57, 1600m- 5:24.89, 800m- 2:29.59

Running Accomplishments:

Won the 2011 MSL Buckeye XC Championship as an 8th grader with a personal record time of 11:57, setting a school record & home course record

Finished 7th at the MSAA Middle School Championhips meet as an 8th grader.

Placed 3rd in 1600m at the 2013 Mid-State League Buckeye Championships as a freshman.

Advanced to regionals with her fourth place finish in the 1600m (personal record of 5:24.89) at the 2013 D1 Central District Championship.

Short Answer What / Who is your favorite....

Athlete- Khadevis Robinson, two-time Olympian in the 800m

Movie- Harry Potter Series

Running Song - Can't beat "Remember the Name" by Fort Minor

Running Route - I like Ashbrook & Chestnut

XC Course - Our home course and also the course at Watkins Memorial

Interview

Q: You had an exceptional middle school career, setting CW's middle school record as an 8th grader and breaking 12 minutes for two miles. Talk about the transition to high school after such a successful middle school career.

Chloe: Coming into high school, I did feel a lot of pressure. We had just lost several really good seniors like Kayla Scott, Ali Stauffer, Jessy Wheeler. I felt like people expected me to come in as a freshman and instantly take over at the top. I also did not have a very good 8th grade season in track so it made it tough coming in to high school. It was an adjustment, but I'm learning how to raise my mileage and I'm getting healthier and I feel like it's really starting to pay off.

Q: You talked about how you struggled your 8th grade track season. You broke out of that slump in a big way at last spring's 1600m MSL race, placing great and cutting 15 seconds off your previous season best. Tell me about the details of that race.

Chloe: Such an exciting race. The race itself was a very competitive race, probably even better competition than the district race a week later. I knew everyone and that makes it more competitive because I want to beat the girls that I'm kind of friends with. So, the entire race it was just a huge pack and people were taking turns leading and you could tell me were all so close. Most of the time I was just focused on where I was going to be in the pack and my footing so I wouldn't fall. The last lap everyone started to spread out, but there was still a pack of 8 or 9 girls. Leading into the last 200m of that race I had so much frustration built up. I had been running so hard but every race I was ending up slower than my PRs which I hadn't set since 7th grade. The last 200m of that race I just said, "I have to do this." I was 7th coming into the last 200m until I built in to the last sprint and tried to get as many girls as I could and I ended in third with a new PR (5:27.63).

Q: What are your individual and team goals for your sophomore year of cross country?

Chloe: Well, I want to get healthy first, out of this boot (foot injury) so I can get back to running. I just really want to do the best that I can for the team and get our team as far as we can. Obviously, regionals would be awesome since we were one place away last year. We missed regionals by a few points last year and that was really heartbreaking. Every time I think of that race it just motivates me a lot more during my runs. I think of that moment when we were sitting down at districts not knowing if we were going to be the team that made it or not. It stunk because we knew we raced well and we all thought we were going to go, but then we just missed out. It would feel so good to be on the opposite side of that this year.

Joelle Zuberi, Sophomore

Personal Records: 5k- 27:58.59, 3200m- 11:39.48, 1600m- 5:30.71

Running Accomplishments:

3rd in the 3200m and 6th in the 1600m (5:30.71 PR) as a freshman at the 2013 MSL Buckeye Track Championship.

Regional qualifier in the 3200m after finishing 4th (11:39.48 PR) at the 2013 D1 Central District Track Championship.

Fastest freshman girl in school history in the 3200m.

Short Answer What / Who is your favorite....

Athlete - David Beckham, he's hot.

Movie - Life of Pi & Radio

Running Song - I don't really listen to any songs when I run.

Running Route - Even though it gives me poison ivy a lot, it would have to be the Covered Bridge trails.

XC Course - Buckeye Valley because that is the meet that we had a perfect score in middle school.

Interview

Q: You struggled last cross country season with health and injuries, competing only in the first two races and finishing near the back of the pack in each. What did you learn from that and ultimately, how did that make you a better runner?

Joelle: When I was injured and sick and stuff, I couldn't look at it in a negative way. I had to look at all of that stuff in a positive way. And I couldn't dwell on it either. I took it more as a blessing in disguise. I learned a lot about nutrition and how important food is and how important it is to keep your body healthy. It made me more dedicated as a runner and it made me more grateful for when I could run.

Q: I remember last cross country season you told me how you saw Kayla Scott (class of 2012) as an example of someone who struggled as a freshman and then really turned it around. How has her story been a motivation to you?

Joelle: Kayla is like my biggest role model. I look up to her. Whenever she comes to practice I get excited like, "Look! Guys! Its Kayla!" I look at her story, and I think, you put in that hard work and you can do anything.

Q: When did you know that you were healthy again and that you were going to do really well?

Joelle: It was at an indoor track meet over the winter, running the 3200m. I came out running around six minutes the first mile and I thought, "Did I really run that?" And I ended up getting 2nd in that race (12:26.12) so I was excited. And also, before that there was the Cart Path Time Trial (Joelle ran 7:30 pace for 7.3 miles) and that really helped out a lot.

Q: How specifically has your training changed since the end of last cross country season?

Joelle: I do run a lot. I try to run six times a week. And I also always give myself one off day each week because the running you are already doing and the stresses of life and stuff impacts you so rest days are really important. And then also, of course, with nutrition its really important to eat well and get protein in and eat fruits and vegetables because that helps you with recovery, and a faster recovery means you can have a better run the next day.

Q: What are your personal goals for cross country this season? What do you think you can do?

Joelle: We had a guest speaker at Myers Cross Country Camp (OSU women's coach Khadevis Robinson) and after he talked to us it got me pumped for cross country. It really made me realize that I can do anything if I just put the hard work into it. I mean, going to regionals would be really cool, but going to states would be awesome. My goals are more about place than time.

Q: What do you like about your team? How do you think the team can do this season?

Joelle: Everyone is so friendly. That is what I love, that you can go off and talk to someone and have a great conversation. The team is good, we just have to make sure we stay healthy. That's my biggest concern. If we work hard, like I know we will do, the goal is to go to state. That would be awesome.

Cassidy Long, Sophomore & Ashley Clubb, Freshman

Cassidy's Personal Records: 5k- 20:53, 3200m- 12:33.42, 1600m- 5:52.8

Ashley's Personal Records: 2-mile- 12:14, 1600m- 5:51

Cassidy's Running Accomplishments:

Was the top finisher for the team as a freshman at both the 2012 MSL Buckeye & D1 Central District Championship XC races.

Earned 1st team All-MSL Honors with her 9th place finish at the 2012 MSL Buckeye XC Championship.

Missed All-District honors by one spot with her 21st place finish at the 2012 D1 Central District XC Championship in a personal record time of 20:53.

Ashley's Running Accomplishments:

Placed in the top 10 of every 2012 XC Invitational as an 8th grader.

Won the 2012 MSL Buckeye XC Individual Championship, leading her squad to the team championship.

Placed 17th at the 2012 MSAA Middle School State XC Championships in a personal record time of 12:14 (ranks 5th on the CW middle school list).

Short Answer What / Who is your favorite....

Athlete - Ashley: Jordan Hasey & Alexi Pappas, two teammates & good friends at the University of Oregon.

Cassidy: My favorite athlete is Ashley Clubb, she's come so far and I'm very proud of her!

Running Song - Ashley: Lose Yourself (by Eminem)

Cassidy: The Fighter by Gym Class Heros. My mom introduced me to that song.

Running Route - Ashley: From my house I run to Zekes and back and it is 4 miles. There is no shade, but I like it.

Cassidy: Bridge to Ridge.

XC Course - Ashley: Johnstown. I really like it, it feels like a "natural" cross country course.

Cassidy: I really like our home course because I know it really well. I also like Buckeye Valley, especially our 8th grade year because we got a perfect score there.

Interview

Q: I interviewed both of you together because I want to talk about how you two train together. The past week you both ran 35+ miles and you did almost every run together. What does it mean to have someone to train with?

Ashley: It's so much more fun because we can talk about anything since we're best friends and all. It goes by faster. When I run by myself I think "Oh my gosh, can this be over now." When I'm with Cassidy or someone else, I'm like "You know, it was good. It was better than by myself." I feel like I feel better with someone because they push me more to run faster.

Cassidy: I usually like running with people more. Unless its like an easy day then I just run my own pace. But, I really like running with Ashley because with some people you feel like you're racing them when you run with them, but with Ashley I feel like I'm running WITH her. I live out in the country, and I really hate running out there, but whenever I run with someone it's so much better. I ran it with Ashley out there recently and when we came home we sprayed each other with the hose when we were done and that was awfully nice. I really like running with Ashley.

Q: I'm going to ask you, Cassidy, how do you think Ashley will do this year? What's the hardest adjustment she will have to make as a freshman?

Cassidy: I think Ashley will be able to break 21 minutes by the first three meets. And I think she can come close to breaking 20, also, by the end of the season. I don't think she'll have a hard adjustment to high school at all. High school is a lot better than middle school. There's more places to run at the high school. I feel like training for high school is more fun because there's more competition so you want to keep getting better. I feel like you have more motivation.

Q: Now I'll ask you, Ashley, what do you think Cassidy can accomplish this fall?

Ashley: Cassidy has already broken 21 minutes, and I think she will be low 20s, maybe right on the borderline of 19:59 or below that.

Q: What do you think the team can do this year?

Ashley: I think we have a strong team this year. Even though many of us are younger I think we can do really well. I think if we work really, really, really, really, really, really, really hard we can get past districts and on to states even.

Cassidy: I think we will have a really strong team this year, because last year we still did well with a lot of us being freshmen. I think we are for sure going to make it to regionals because we were so close last year. Ashley and our freshmen class are going to help us. By junior year, I think we are going to make it to states, for sure.

Will Morison, Freshman & Avery Warner, Freshman

Will's Personal Records: 5k- 20:25, Two mile- 11:43, 800m- 2:15

Avery's Personal Records: 5k- 20:40, Two mile- 12:04

Will's Running Accomplishments:

Finished sixth as an 8th grader at the 2012 MSL Buckeye XC Championship, helping his team to a league title and an overall record of 135 wins and 5 losses.

Earned a top 10 individual finish eleven times during the 2012 XC season.

Finished second in the 800m at the 2013 MSL Buckeye Championship.

Avery's Running Accomplishments:

Finished ninth as an 8th grader at the 2012 MSL Buckeye XC Championship, helping his team to a league title and an overall record of 135 wins and 5 losses.

Earned a top 10 individual finish five times during the 2012 XC season.

Short Answer What / Who is your favorite....

Athlete - Will: Usain Bolt, I've heard he's really cool in person.

Avery: Steve Prefontaine

Movie - Will: Chronicle

Avery: Prefontaine

Running Route - Will: I make up my routes as I go. I wear a GPS on my run so I can just kind of go where ever.

Avery: I run my block at home and then the high school and back. My block is about half a mile and it takes two miles to get to the high school and back. I usually base all of my routes off of that.

XC Course - Will: I really like the Newark course. It is really flat and fast, like a track.

Avery: I haven't done it much, but I like our home 5k course. It goes by really fast.

Interview

Q: Let's talk about being a freshman. What do you think will be the biggest adjustment?

Will: Probably the longer distances. Also, the harder training, way harder than middle school. During middle school track we did primarily sprints and stuff. Other times we would just be given a watch and would go run where ever. The high school training is going to be hard, obviously, but I feel like some of the best training we got last year was when we were able to come and run with the high schoolers over the winter.

Avery: I would say putting in more miles, working harder, and taking it more seriously. But the more you put into it, the more you will get out. We will be able to get faster times with the harder training which is what everyone is working towards, so it will be worth it.

Q: Is it intimidating racing against older athletes now?

Will: Yeah, its intimidating. Especially heading into the OCC this season. We get to be the class that goes into a new conference.

Avery: It will be different, as a freshman. Heading into races and being seen as possibly one of the slower runners in the field. Some people might not expect as much from a freshman in a varsity race, but I look at it as a way to prove other people wrong.

Q: Do you feel like you are able to "hang in there" with the varsity guys during practice?

Will: Yeah, I've made a conscious effort to run with our upperclassmen and some of our faster people.

Avery: I can, obviously, always make more of an effort to run with those guys, but I've still being trying. It's practice so the more I put into running with those guys the faster I will get.

Q: What are your individual goals for the year and what do you think will be the strength of our team?

Will: I want to make varsity. That is my main goal for the year. And as many good people as there are going into the year and how big of a squeeze it's going to be to make varsity, I feel like that is a good goal. I feel like we have ten or twelve guys that could make varsity. I think the strength of our team will be how we can all train together and get better together.

Avery: I think a good goal for me is to break 19 minutes. I really want to keep up the pace and not slow down every mile. I would like to be able to speed it up every mile. I think the strength of our team will be improving off of each other in practice and pushing each other in races.