Stark County Runner of the year

MinervaMom

New member
How would it play out for both boys and girls?
Would Rankin or Saus get it for Division I?
Is there a challenge for Lightfoot in D2 girls?
How about Laney for Fairless? Any competition?
 
 
Also how is the NBC Fall sports banquet being held on the same night as the stark county coaches meeting gonna affect things???
 
From the past, the Stark County Runner of the year is usually based on the next three weeks...with each week gaining significants. The Stark county meet and league meets has some importance and other meet very little importance. As of now, those mentioned have had good regular seasons... now is usually more important.

Note: Cory Glines From STA is county champ and the top kid in DII/III...so far.
 
Considering that the postseason meets (along with the county meet) factor heavily into All-County and Runner of the Year consideration, I would focus on those meets right now rather than waste time worrying about who might receive Runner of the Year.
 
I was really only wondering about how the div 1 girls would be... It will be a close race I think..
I am pretty sure my girls team will win districts- possibly get 3rd or 4th at regionals- getting another bid to state.
 
Runners of the Year are usually based on their late season performances. An early season invite win should never be weighed as heavily as a performance at a State or Regional meet. Ive always believed people remembered what you did the last 4 weeks of the season the most.

Minerva Mom - Claymont's girls are young and improving. Anything can happen in the postseason. Best of luck to your girls, and all running this week!
 
Considering that the postseason meets (along with the county meet) factor heavily into All-County and Runner of the Year consideration, I would focus on those meets right now rather than waste time worrying about who might receive Runner of the Year.

Mr. Slippery, you must realize by now that for teams in Stark county, Runner of the Year is very important and also who wins the Federal league is a major priority.
 
Mr. Slippery, you must realize by now that for teams in Stark county, Runner of the Year is very important and also who wins the Federal league is a major priority.

That's how we roll in Stark County. ;)

This is starting to remind of all the Stark County football threads where the posters are more worried about who is the best team in the county rather than whether or not any of the teams will do anything in the playoffs.

Stark County isn't very strong in the team competition this year in XC. I can envision a scenario where not a single team from Stark County makes it to state, but there are some individuals (mainly in DII and DIII) that could do very well in the postseason.
 
That's how we roll in Stark County. ;)

This is starting to remind of all the Stark County football threads where the posters are more worried about who is the best team in the county rather than whether or not any of the teams will do anything in the playoffs.

Stark County isn't very strong in the team competition this year in XC. I can envision a scenario where not a single team from Stark County makes it to state, but there are some individuals (mainly in DII and DIII) that could do very well in the postseason.

In D1, I think Jackson Guys and Hoover girls advance to Columbus.

Winning your League or conference should be a goal with teams and would be considered a successful season.

As far as Runner of the year....the award should not even be a thought until after the season is over.
 
Mr. Slippery - considering the Hoover girls have gone for the past 5 years, it is a very bold statement saying that you see a scenario that they or any other team won't qualify for State this year. Hoover had one bad race in the season and that was at the Spartan Invitational. Jackson boys have looked strong all season and there are not going to be 4 teams ahead of them at Regionals.

Not very strong..other than that one bad race Hoover has beaten Brecksville, a top 10 team, all season and won county and league titles. That streak is not going to stop this year.

And I assure you Hoover is not concerned about individual awards, never are!
 
I have to agree with Xcfan....In reality they finished 4th at Spartan aganist the teams they will face at regionals...almost 120 points in front of the next squad..and that was a bad race for them
 
I see a few Stark teams making it out. Claimant girls are improving as the season goes. I agree that this year the teams or individuals aren't that strong. Sad that a 23:00 is making it to state! I also agree league meets are important- to the team or individual- I look forward to our league meet every season. I also enjoy the Stark County meet as well. Post season is def huge- but to our runners every race is important!
As far as team goes- I wish our team well- we encourage every girl to have their personal best every week and we hope we make it to state as a team- however the reality is that we have only 2 strong runners this year. Our girls need to get the 3,4, and 5 girls closer to be dominant. I am banking on some post season PR's and hoping for another TEAM bid to state. At the end of the day I am a mother, and I want my athlete to make it either one her own or as a team- but just make it!!!
Unfortunately in smaller schools the number of stand out athletes are limited- I wish we had the athletes that Hoover, Jackson or Lousiville had... But out kids have a great chance of making it out in D2 for sure!
 
For the record, I'm not predicting that no team from Stark County will go to state, I'm saying that none of the teams are a shoe-in like in past years. Hoover girls are a prime example of that. You could pencil them in most of those 5 years that they have gone to state because most of those Hoover teams had no weaknesses.

I actually think that a few Stark teams will go to state this year, but the teams I think will make it also have some weaknesses that could prevent them from making it.

Since the Jackson guys have been mentioned a couple of times here, I'll say this about them: Their margin for error isn't very big. That regional field is pretty tough with the likes of Walsh Jesuit, Hudson, Mentor, Solon, Chardon, Stow, and fellow county team Louisville leading the charge.
 
Last edited:
Sad that a 23:00 is making it to state!

Why do you think a 23:00 will make it to state? In D2, I don't think I have ever seen a girls team make it to state with a scorer at 23:00!

Why do you think this year will be different?

Minerva is not a small school for D2.
 
There is a difference between a small school and a small team. Your team might not have the numbers out that it should, but it's not because you are a small school compared to other D2 schools. Woodridge and Minerva are almost the same size. For the 3 classes used for the numbers, the boys are within 5 of each other and Minerva is 34 larger on the girls side. Granted, Hoover is 2.5 times as big at least, but then you'd have to be competing at the D1 level.

The tough part is getting the good ones to run together at the same time or when they are all healthy etc... Minerva had Mapes and others a few years back, but not at the same time as Lightfoot etc... Woodridge and other teams have the same problem. I also bet that there are tallented runners in the school that aren't out for the team. And that's every school...Even Hoover, I bet. The stars have to align just right.
 
Actually Minerva had mapes and Lightfoot on the same team for two years. Both years making it out as a team to state. I agree we are no Hoover. We don't have the numbers at all. In any sport.
Coming from a d1 HS myself I have had to adjust my frame of mind when thinking about our school size and ability!
 
So there you go. They did have two front runners at the same time. Mapes had a real nice team behind her in 2008 I believe but graduated 3 or 4. They were in a very very tough Boardman region then. It's just one of those things where they seem to have a few really nice runners at a time, but not 4 or 5 really strong ones at the exact same time. That's the case for 99% of all teams. It's the
 
Numbers are nice, Hoover 52 girls and Jackson 74 and yes it is easier to get 7 girls that run fast but it is not as simple as that. Those programs still have develop their runners and face different challenges for their programs to be successful. Smaller schools, which I am from, have to work harder to get those athletes out for the team (not saying that the DI schools don't work hard because I am sure they do). A prime example of a running program with small numbers but great success was Caldwell. They won 8 straight titles with a team of boys no larger than 15 and they would have beaten 99% of DI schools.
 
It was smart training and great coaching but a prime example that numbers aren't all they are made out to be.
 
They Certainly do help though. If you have more kids on the team then depth most likely is not an issue. Look at St. X or St. Ignatious, if a guy in their top 5 gets injured they have plenty of other guys ready to step up and fill that role. If one guy gets hurt on these teams that are only 5 deep then their toast. Depth especially helps in the postseason when runners bodies start to breakdown from all the mileage and sickness starts to spread around.
 
With the State Meet now concluded, I would vote for the following:

Girls Tri-Runners of the Year- Laubacher from St. Thomas, Rankin from Lousiville & Lightfoot from Minerva.

Laubacher had the highest finish at the State Meet from the County.

Lightfoot was the County and Regional Champ.

Rankin was the D1 Reg Champ and fastest time at State.

Boys- Glines St. Thomas County Champ and highest finish at state meet.

Team- Hoover Girls win County, League, and District Meets. Top finish by Stark County team at State Meet 10th.

Congrats to all runners and teams!
 
Last edited:
Lightfoot got it.
Who got coach of the year?
I thought John Williams would've gotten it. Having been Stark County's champion in Div2/3, district champs, having the regional champ, and also being 1 of 2 stark county teams to make it to state and the highest place as a team in the county kind of seemed like a lock to me....
 
Lightfoot got it.
Who got coach of the year?
I thought John Williams would've gotten it. Having been Stark County's champion in Div2/3, district champs, having the regional champ, and also being 1 of 2 stark county teams to make it to state and the highest place as a team in the county kind of seemed like a lock to me....

There were 3 girls and 1 boys team that made it to Columbus:

Girls
Hoover
Louisville
Minerva

Boys
Jackson
 
Let me clarify I meant for div2/3. That's how they vote right? By divisions. Each one has a representative for runner and coach of the year. Who in stark county had a better team in div2/3 then Minerva?
 
IIRC, they only select 1 Coach of the Year among the 20 teams in the entire county, but the teams and Runners of the Year are selected by school size.
 
Top