McDonald can reach podium again
McDonald. Never, ever discount these Blue Devils.
Even though the Independence Blue Devils, which is why I’m sticking to McDonald and Independence as references, has good shot of making it to the podium Saturday for the second straight year.
No Trumbull County team has won the state title since Maplewood did so in 2005, and I firmly believe this race is Independence’s to lose. Both Kyle and Ryan Polman are the best runners in northeast Ohio.
However, put McDonald freshman Patrick Kunkel and junior Jerry Dugan up there. I can’t stress enough, if both of these runners achieve PRs and crush them, it could be a Blue Devil haven up on the podium Saturday.
“I believe that if we all run what we are capable of, we have a shot at the podium,” McDonald boys coach Chris Rupe said. ”We certainly have set up our season’s training around this meet. We’ve held people out of races along the way so we could focus on training through some of the less-significant meets, and we’ve rested people from race when their bodies have needed rest. Every aspect of our training has been centered around Scioto Downs. What has been fun for us is that we’ve enjoyed much more success along the way this season than we might have anticipated. After graduating sugh an amazing class of seniors last year, I am very impressed of the RACERS that moved in to replace them. These guys show up for races. That makes it very enjoyable for me as a coach. This season has been a blast.”
If McDonald can get PRs down the chute, one through five, I think they can give Independence a good run. I know Russia, Maplewood, St. Thomas Aquinas and Bellaire St. John Central are great teams as well, but I know McDonald. These kids have had the stuff all year which makes championship teams. They’re unassuming and know what it takes on race day.
No sickness or injuries. It’s a fair, fast track down at Scioto Downs, which should give McDonald free reign to run. As my college friend Chris told me when I was in the tee box golfing, “Let the big dog eat.” Or, if we were with my friend Rudy, “Let Rudy’s mom eat.” Poor Rudy.
“We are feeling healthy, looking forward to warmer, drier conditions,” Rupe said. “It’s been kind of fun and interesting to run through the mudpits the past 3 weeks, but we are excited about finishing the season with some fast times. Finally, thos have the potential of happening at Scioto Downs. It is a fast course in the first place, but it will produce some very fast times now that everyone is coming out of the mud. We have some guys that have been running in the low 17′s most of the season, they are excited because a time in the 16′s puts them on the all-time McDonald list of top runners. That list currently has 28 runners, but I know a few young men that would like to up that number.
As Maplewood boys coach Ted Rupe stated in today’s preview story in the Tribune Chronicle, it shapes up to be one of the best D-III boys races in years.
“Independence is the clear favorite, but there are six other teams that also have a shot at a championship or runner-up trophy,” Chris Rupe said. ” BSJ is certainly one, with Maplewood, Russia, Delta and St. Thomas Aquinas also in the hunt. Exciting to us is that we belong in that mix as well. It should be quite a dogfight. ”
It all begins at 1:20 p.m., Saturday.
Let the big dogs eat.
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