Area runners prepare for state indoor finale

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – We visited the Tri-Valley Scotties indoor track team as they prepared for their first meet of the season back in December. Since then, the indoor track season has been in full swing with teams throughout the Muskingum Valley League sending athletes to compete all over the state.

Friday afternoon, those athletes talented enough to be ranked in the top 40 in the state at their respective events will have the opportunity to travel to Geneva, Ohio for the chance to be named an all-Ohioan at the 2021 Ohio Indoor Finale Meet at the Spire Institute.

For some athletes like Crooksville’s Greta Barker and Tri-Valley’s Claire Martin, trips to the state meet are nothing new. For first-timers like Scottie freshman Kate Martin and John Glenn freshman Addy Burris, just qualifying for the meet alone is exciting, and the chance to compete for a state title is something that they’ve likely always looked forward to.

I asked some of the first-timers what they were looking forward to the most about competing at the meet this weekend.

“Just being with my friends,” said John Glenn freshman Addy Burris. “Like, being a team and like competing together for our relays and stuff..”

“Probably, just the experience,” says Crooksville freshman Grace Sheets. “It’s something that I’ve never done before.”

“I get to compete in my first state meet!” an excited Kate Martin said, standing beside older sister Claire, who has plenty of state-level experience to her name.

When I asked some of the athletes the benefits of running indoor track and their goals throughout the season, I was given a variety of answers. For some, indoor track was just a way to stay in shape in between sports seasons.

“Pretty much…” John Glenn sophomore Kody Clendenning admits, “Indoor [track] is just conditioning for outdoor [track] so we can get better at that.”

Crooksville senior Logyn Chamberlin says something similar, adding that it’s an important step in her preparation for the spring season.

“For me, personally, [indoor track is] probably just getting a foot in the right direction going into outdoor probably. “

The Tri-Valley boys are gathered up in the corner attempting to answer questions while being goaded into responding by the Lady Scotties, mostly Claire Martin.

Suddenly, Scotties senior Xander Sims loudly declares to the room, with faux-sincerity:

“We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t beneficial for the team! We are just trying to get better for the group! Score some more points!”

For some of the athletes, indoor track was a way to try out new events or nail down the specifics of their events.

“I’m looking forward to competing in something other than discus,” Crooksville junior Grace Frame says. “Shot [put]’s never been my strong suit…”

“We really worked on technique this year.. and then also speed work because i’m slow.. teeheeheehee. ..”

And, for some of the athletes, it’s simply about the competition..

“I’m looking for some good competition,” says Crooksville junior Trevor Bowen, heading into his first state meet. “Maybe I can learn a thing or two from them and improve. There’s always room to improve, so I’m just looking forward to getting better and hopefully making a difference for us. “

Ceramics sophomore Gage Frash says that, after appearing at the state meet as a freshman, a lot of the pressure and nervousness have been removed. “I’m definitely more excited this year.” Frash told me. “I know I’m going to enjoy it more since I won’t be as nervous.”

John Glenn junior Chris Tooms, coming off of an appearance at the state cross country meet and a long basketball season, says he’s ready to finally step right back into the big competitions.

“I’m excited to get out and race some good competition and get back into running.”

Despite all of the issues that the last twelve months has presented us, all of the teams said that the season has been nothing short of a success, and that the opportunity to compete at the state meet is something that no one is taking for granted.

“We didn’t have any quarantines, so we were happy that we went through with all of our meets,” Tri-Valley’s Claire Martin notes. “We had a full schedule, and now we’re at ‘States,’ so it’s been good.”

“Even though we’ve been [there] the past couple years,” Crooksville senior Greta Barker adds, “I think, from last year to this year, we’re just glad to compete because we also didn’t have an outdoor season.”

“But, for me, personally, I was coming off an injury last year. So this year, I’m hoping to maybe place higher and break some more PRs.”

“I’m just excited to go.”