Anthony Young is Lakewood St. Edward's, Junior, defending State D1 200m Champion.  He has his sights set on defending his 200m title.  With basketball out of the picture now, he is confident that the additonal three months of training and the opportunity to run the indoor season will pay off, not ony for himself, but for his St. Ed's team.  He's focused, know's how to execute and is all business once he steps onto the track.   In the heart of the indoor season, he is already running well.  We caught up with Anthony to talk with him about his career thus far and what we can expect from him this year.

College signings are always interesting to see, but everybody wonders why one athlete chose one schol and why another athlete chose a different school.  Inside you will find out why certain athletes chose the school that they did in their own words.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Every distance runner has that moment when doubt and pain do battle with determination and strength. Rocky River senior Elyse Bierut encountered it at the Division I state cross-country meet last month. As she raced toward the finish near the lead with three other runners, experience taught her how to wage the battles within, and with her competitors. (via highschoolsports.cleveland.com)

Coaches, Athletes, Parents and Fans - Please Read This Article

Ever wonder how your old high school teamate is doing in college?  Or how about that stud sprinter from your rival high school?  Well, MileSplit and OHRunners is going to make following your favorite State of Ohio Alumni that much easier.  All you have do is check out the Alumni Report and you can see how former Ohio High School athletes are doing in college.

A quick look at the happenings from around the state in Indoor Track and Field.

Title IX is an education law which states, "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." In relation to sports, it requires men and women to be given an equal opportunity to participate in sports and receive athletic scholarships proportional to their participation. (via The Reflector)

In 2011, OHRunners  had the opportunity to interview some of Ohio’s and the Nation’s best Cross Country and Track & Field athletes.  Several of the athletes that we interviewed were underclassman and subsequent to our interview went on to not only win State championships, but Regional and National Championships.  Many are ranked Nationally in their respective events.  Many improved their PR’s.  Some faltered.  Following is an update on each of these underclassmen since our interview with them, including links to our interviews.   Watch for them this Indoor and Outdoor season!

In the D1 boys State Cross Country race an individual lost their shoe just before the mile mark.  Here is the story of who that shoe belonged to, and what he had to overcome that day.

BRUNSWICK - The reigning state champ in 400-meter dash, Brunswick senior Brianna Neitzel selects the Buckeyes over UNC, Michigan and Cincy to continue her athletic career. (via The Post Newspapers)

CHILLICOTHE -- A Zane Trace distance runner and Unioto bowler will sign letters of intent Wednesday to continue their careers at Division I colleges. (via The Chillicothe Gazette)

A quick look at the happenings from around the state in Indoor Track and Field.  It was a small slate of meets this week due to the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches annual clinic this weekend.

Ever wonder how your old high school teamate is doing in college?  Or how about that stud sprinter from your rival high school?  Well, MileSplit and OHRunners is going to make following your favorite State of Ohio Alumni that much easier.  All you have do is check out the Alumni Report and you can see how former Ohio High School athletes are doing in college.

CHICAGO (January 23, 2012) — In its 27th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPNHS, today announced Sam Prakel of Versailles HS as its 2011-12 Gatorade Ohio Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year.  Prakel is the first Gatorade Ohio Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year to be chosen from Versailles HS.

Cin. Princeton's Claudia Saunders is the 2011 D1 State Cross Country Champion and the 2010 State 100H Champion.  She is one of the most versatile runners in Ohio and as a Senior, she is one of the favorites in both the 100H and 300H, as well as the 1,600 and the 3,200.  OHRunners had the opportunity to talk with Claudia about her high school career and her goals for this years indoor and outdoor track seasons. One thing is for sure,  she is an agressive, talented runner and when she walks out on the track, her goal is to run the best race that she can to win.   

Ever wonder how your old high school teamate is doing in college?  Or how about that stud sprinter from your rival high school?  Well, MileSplit and OHRunners is going to make following your favorite State of Ohio Alumni that much easier.  All you have do is check out the Alumni Report and you can see how former Ohio High School athletes are doing in college.

A quick look at the top High School marks from the past week (or two) from the Indoor Season. 

Jake Blankenship set a new Ohio Record and Personal Best on his way to winning the High School portion of the 2012 National Pole Vault Summit in Reno, Nevada with a clearence of 17-4.5.  Jake's mark tops his previous best performance at New Balance Outdoor Nationals where he cleared 17-0.75 on his way to winning the National Championship.   It has been reported that Blankenship had solid attempts at 17-10, which would have been a National High School Indoor Record.

A trio of Sunshine State track stars returned home to train for 2012 season and gear up for the Olympics in London. Bershawn "Batman" Jackson, Jamaal Torrance, and Moses Washington spent a couple of days at the National Training Center in Clermont working on their speed and strength. 

John Godina will be hosting a World Throws Center Level 1 Coaches Course at Tiffin University on January 29th, 2012. Coaches who attend will learn the basics of the WTC Drill Progression for Shot Put and Discus as well as the basics of full throws techniques.  All Course Graduates also become part of the WTC Clinicians Referral network for future athlete coaching referrals in their areas. Coaches are taught the basic drill progressions and technique theory used in both the WTC Phase 1 Clinics and with all athletes who train at the World Throws Center.(via The John Godina World Throws Center)

Alyssa Gary, a senior at Liberty-Benton High School, has chosen to continue her education and throwing career at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.  Alyssa finished as the runner up last year in three different championship events, the Division 2/3 Indoor Shot Put (43-9.75), the Division 3 Outdoor Shot Put (45.11.25) and the Division 3 Discus Throw (148-9).

Princeton High School senior, Claudia Saunders, has decided to matriculate and continue her running career at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California.  Claudia is one of the most versatile athletes in Ohio Track and Field history.  Claudia has won state titles in both the 100m Hurdles (2010) and in Cross Country (2011), as well as posting competitive personal best marks in the 55/60m Hurdles (8.59/8.92), 300m Hurdles (42.54), 400m Hurdles (1:00.32), 400m Dash (56.2h), 800m Run (2:22.26 i), and the Pole Vault (10-0).

NEW ORLEANS – The Bowerman, an award bestowed to collegiate track & field’s best athlete of the year, was awarded to Florida State’s Ngoni Makusha and Texas A&M’s Jessica Beard less than a month ago, but it’s time to look forward to 2012 with the award’s preseason watch list. The men’s list of ten, announced by The Bowerman Watch List Committee, has three semifinalists from the 2011 season. The three finalists from 2011 – Makusha, Washington State’s Jeshua Anderson, and Florida’s Christian Taylor – are no longer collegians. (via The Bowerman)

CHICAGO (January 12, 2012) — In its 27th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPN HS, today announced Claudia Saunders of Princeton High School as its 2011-12 Gatorade Ohio Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year.  Saunders is the first Gatorade Ohio Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year to be chosen from Princeton High School. 

Jake Blankenship, a Senior at Gahanna Lincoln, is Ohio’s 2011 State D1 Pole Vault Champion and the all-time Ohio outdoor record holder with a vault of 17-0.75” (5.2) at the 2011 New Balance Outdoor Nationals.  He is not only the top vaulter in Ohio, but is the nation’s #2 indoor and outdoor ranked returning vaulter. He believes that anything is possible with hard work, dedication and support. His goals this year are ambitious.  He wants to capture the National HS Indoor and Outdoor Records.  Indoors -  5.48m (17'10").  Outdoors -   5.60m (18'4"). It’s going to just take a lot of dedication, support and hard work.  (Photo Coutresy of Photorun.net)

When Brian Olinger steps to the starting line of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Marathon on January 14, he will be in for the run of his life. Of course the Olympic Trials are a big event for all who are racing, but for Olinger, it will also mark the first time he has ever raced more than seven miles on the roads. Olinger will make his debut at the marathon distance in a unique way. He gained entry to the trials through his 10,000m mark of 28:07.5 from the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational in May. In fact, to date Olinger is the only man entered in the trials using only a 10,000m time.(via usatf.org)

Bryn Campbell, a senior at Canal Winchester High School, has chosen to continue his academic and throwing career at Ashland University.  Bryn qualified to the OHSAA State Track and Field Championship in the discus throw last season, but his speciality lies in the Hammer Throw, an event not contested in the OHSAA trounament.  Bryn placed 6th at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals in the Hammer Throw with a toss of 195-2.  Bryn also throws the 25lbs. Weight and qualified for the OATCCC State Indoor Track and Field Championship during the 2011 indoor season.

Napoleon High School senior, Steve Weaver, has made the decision to continue his academic and running career at the Ohio State University.  Weaver is a two time state champion, winning his first title in the Division 2 1600m at the OHSAA Track and Field Championship and the second coming in the Division 2 Cross Country Championship.  During the 2010 XC season, Weaver finished as the runner-up with a personal best time of 15:21.90.

Coy Blair, a senior at Logan High School, has decided to continue his eduacation and throwing career at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.  Blair finished second in the Division 1 Shot Put competition at the OHSAA Track and Field Championship with a personal record throw of 61-11.25.  During the indoor season,  Blair placed fifth in the Division 1 Weight Throw at the OATCCC Indoor Track and Field Championship.

In this second episode of The Fit Runner our host is Tara Gidus, aka the "Diet Diva" and nutritionist to the Orlando Magic. She gives us some solid meal and hydration ideas for before, after, and during a run. This is the latest episode in our series on being a fit runner.

Nick M. Gaumer, age 16, of Fredericktown, Ohio passed away on Saturday, December 17, 2011 from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. He was born on March 17, 1995 in Columbus, Ohio to Mike and Carrie (Gerrard) Gaumer. If you know Nick Gaumer, you know he was a runner. Nick was a three time letter winner for Fredericktown High School cross country and a two time state qualifier where he just finished in 88th place in the State of Ohio. He was a two time varsity letter winner in track and is currently tied for 13th place on the All Times Runner list at Fredericktown High School. (via www.snyderfuneralhomes.com)

Hoover senior Maddie Morrow has decided to continue her academic and athletic career at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.  Maddie is the top returning High Jumper in the state of Ohio, and has the top returning mark nationally for the Indoor High Jump and the second best returning mark nationally for the Outdoor High Jump. 

INDIANAPOLIS, IN  — After 32 years as a print publication, the National High School Sports Record Book has officially moved online and can be accessed on the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Web site at www.nfhs.org/recordbook. The Record Book contains all-time records for boys and girls in 16 high school sports. Visitors to the site can select from the menu of sports, and will have the option to search for specific records across all sports in the Record Book.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Texas A&M’s Jessica Beard and Florida State’s Ngoni Makusha were named winners of The Bowerman on Wednesday night. The Bowerman is bestowed to year’s best collegiate track & field athletes. Beard won NCAA crowns both indoors and out in the 400 meters and 4×400 relay in 2011. Makusha joined Carl Lewis and Jesse Owens in winning the 100 meter-long jump double at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in June. (via USTFCCCA)

Destinee Gause, a senior at Reynoldsburg High School has decided to continue her academic and running career at the University of Florida.  Gause has a remarkable 12 indoor and outdoor state championship titles and an additional four runner up finishes at state championship meets.  On top of that, Gause was also on both the 4x400m Relay and 4x200m Relay State Record setting teams as a freshman.  Gause also won the 2011 USATF National Junior Olympic Championship in the 200m Dash this past summer.

Powell will oversee all the track & field training programs on site including SPIRE’s 2012 summer camps and SPIRE’s Fall 2012 post graduate residential academy. The high school boarding academy will soon follow. Powell will also supervise and manage all the track & field events to be held at SPIRE, which has already hosted NCAA Div I and II invitational and numerous high school meets since opening in 2010. (via www.spireinstitute.org)

Berea High School senior, Donovan Robertson, has committed to continue his academic and athletic career at Ohio State University.  Robertson has captured three Division 1 state titles in the last two years, one in the 110m Hurdles, and two in the 300m Hurdles. 

Brunswick senior Selena Pasadyn won the female Wendy's High School Heisman during a ceremony Friday night in New York City. Brunswick High will receive a $10,000 donation from trophy sponsor Wendy's. Pasadyn does not receive any scholarship or financial awards. "I'm thrilled, honored to be able to win this award among such an amazing group of people I've been able to meet this weekend," Pasadyn said in a telephone interview. (via highschoolsports.cleveland.com)

A quick look at the meets from the past week, including top times, links to results and links to any photo albums posted. Quick Foot Locker National Results for Ohio Athletes: Ryan Polman (Independence) - 28th, 15:56.2

USATF Coaching Education will offer a Level 1 School December 16-18 at Westerville South High School.  Registration will take place in the high school’s library beginning at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, December 16th.   The USATF Level 1 program is intended as a starting point for coaches.  It will cover all events in a rudimentary manner by emphasizing fundamentals, rules, safety/rish management, and instruction techniques.

A quick look at the meets from the past week, including top times, links to results and links to any photo albums posted. Quick Nike Cross National Results for Ohio Athletes: Sam Wharton (Tippecanoe) - 21st, 15:43.6 Claudia Saunders (Princeton) - 74th, 19:02.0

THE SOUND OF 100,000 HANDS CLAPPING has been messing with Yuriy Sedykh's mind all day. Three times he has stepped into the throwing circle at Neckar Stadium in Stuttgart, West Germany, to fling the 16-pound ball-and-wire contraption known as the hammer. And three times the beefy Soviet has failed to wrest the lead from Sergey Litvinov, his teammate and most bitter rival, who shattered the European championships record on his first attempt. Sedykh is unnerved by the steady thwack-thwack-thwack that builds in volume as the crowd anticipates his every throw. He wishes he could yell at the 50,000 fans to shut up and let him concentrate. Yuriy Sedykh's hammer throw record is one of the best in all of sports, writes Brendan I. Koerner in ESPN The Magazine. (via ESPN.com)

The Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) brings together the best teams in the country and pits them against each other on the most unique course available.  Portland Meadows will once again play host to the championship battle and the manufactured course that traverses the interior of a horse racing track will have all the traditional features of European style cross country racing; including plenty of mud.

Lakota West track and cross country standout Brady Holmer has verbally committed to compete at NKU, according to Lakota West. “I love the coach’s training philosophy and with their proposed jump to Division I next year, I know there will be inter-team competition to push me to my limits,” Holmer told the Lakota West website. (via High School Sports Blog)

Twenty-two of the nations' top teams and forty-five of the best individuals will make the trek to Portland, Oregon for Nike Cross Nationals. The teams are comprised of two winners from nine different regions and four “At-Large” berths, decided on by a team of Nike consultants. 

Danielle Pfeifer, a senior at McAuley High School in Cincinnati, Ohio has chosen to continue her education and running career at the University of Michigan.  Pfeifer secured two silver medals at the 2011 OHSAA State Track and Field Meet, one in the 800m run and one in the 4x800m relay.  During the indoor season, Danielle captured both a gold (800m run) and a silver (4x800m relay) medal at the OATCCC State Indoor Championship.

Mason senior Monica Lake has chosen to continue her academic and running career at Oklahoma State University.  Monica finished 6th in Division 1 this past Cross Country season and lead her team to a Division 1 4x800m Relay Gold Medal during the 2011 Track season.

Versailles Junior, Sam Prakel, is this years Division III State Cross Country Champion. His winning time of 15:19.34 was the fastest of the three boys divisions on the new National Trailways course.  OHRunners had the privelege of interviewing Sam about his championship run.  He provided us a glimpse, though his mind and his eyes, of his experience in preparing for and winning a State title. 

A quick look at the meets from the past week, including top times, links to results and links to any photo albums posted.

The loss of the University of Maryland men's running program could hurt the school's overall graduation success rate for athletes. Perhaps even more impressive than the team’s athletics are their academic accomplishments. UMd.’s track and field and cross country programs have a combined graduation rate of 90 percent — one of the highest for the university’s entire athletic program. (via College Park Patch' property='og:site_name)

WEST LIBERTY — Meghan Vogel dedicated herself to cross country last summer. The West Liberty-Salem High School junior was already one of the top runners in the area, but decided she wanted more out of the 2011 season. (via www.springfieldnewssun.com)

CANAL WINCHESTER -- Running cross country never came easy for Kayla Scott. (via Lancaster Eagle Gazette)

A quick look at the meets from the past week, including top times, links to results and links to any photo albums posted.

              Team Ohio Roster for the 25th Anniversary of the Mid-East Cross Country Championship

A quick look at the meets from the past week, including top times, links to results and links to any photo albums posted.

The scenery at Indian Rifle Park has had many different looks over the years. The 95-acre park, located in Kettering, Ohio, is the site of the town’s ever-changing recreation complex, one that now includes a senior center, an ice arena, three swimming pools and a walking/running track among other things. (Photo by Robert Hollen)

By Justin Palmer MONACO (Reuters) - Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt and Australian hurdler Sally Pearson were named the male and female track and field athletes of the year. Bolt won the award for the third time, while Pearson was honored for the first time by the International Association of Athletics Federations, track and field’s governing body.(via in.reuters.com)

TrackTown USA can add another major coup to its résumé. The 2014 IAAF World Junior Track & Field Championships were awarded to Eugene on Friday after a bid presentation in Monaco by USA Track & Field officials to the International Association of Athletics Federations council. The tentative dates for the 2014 meet are July 22-27 at Hayward Field. This is the first time that the World Junior Championships will be staged in the United States. The event began in Athens, Greece, in 1986. In the end, Eugene was the lone candidate for the meet, after passing muster with the federation and proving that it is capable of handling the meet.  (via www.registerguard.com)

Futsum Zeinasellassie is in at NXN, now to qualify at Foot Locker before beginning the quest to win both titles. (Photo by Paul Everett)

Today there was talk in the running community and among some NCAA coaches that Lukas Verzbicas has left the University of Oregon. We spoke to a representative at the University and no definite answer was given either way. We are currently trying to verify the news and will update when we find out more. Here is video of his last race at the Pac-12 XC Championships. Below are his most recent updates on twitter. *Update (11/9, 11:15pm) - Curtis Anderson of the Registered Guard, a local Eugene news outlet, has released an article stating Lukas was not at practice today (Wednesday) and... (via Flotrack)

USA Track & Field on Tuesday released the organization's 2010 tax return on their website. The return showed that between 2009 and 2010, former CEO Doug Logan saw a spike of $1,073,419 in the retirement and deferred compensation category. In 2009, Logan was compensated $543,418 with an additional $22,508 listed as retirement and other deferred compensation. For January 1-September 13, 2010, Logan received $451,961 with an additional $1,095,927 listed as retirement and other deferred compensation.  (via www.universalsports.com)

To celebrate winning USA Track and Field’s athlete of the year award, sprinter Carmelita Jeter spent the day at a beach in Los Angeles. “I definitely needed to show myself that I could win a championship,” said Jeter, who along with high jumper Jesse Williams was honored Tuesday as a recipient of the Jesse Owens Award. “It was a weight lifted off my shoulders.(via Washington Post)

It's Movember again. Which means that for the past week thousands of men around the world have rediscovered what it means to be a man and started to grow moustaches to raise funds and awareness for men's health issues. The movement started over a decade ago in Australia and has slowly spread throughout the world. Last year it generated 7.5 million dollars in donations in the US alone, and much more worldwide. It tribute of men and moustaches, I've compiled a list of some of the greatest moustaches to ever enter a throwing ring (because this month is meant to raise issues for men's health, I did not include any of the infamous East German female throwers)  Pictured at left is Ashland Head Coach and 4-time Olympian Jud Logan. (via G. Martin Bingisser)

UAA sports officials and police say they are concerned about a star student athlete who was last seen near the campus library Sunday evening and is considered missing. Searchers looked in the woods on the campus Monday and today for Marko Cheseto, a decorated cross-country runner from Kenya. (via www.adn.com)

As a fan that loves the sport of track and field, I am waiting anxiously for the Olympics to begin. After all, it’s the world’s greatest track meet, and the one time every four years when the sport's elite do everything they can to be ready to compete. And with the sport full of young talent, my gut says that London could be one of the greatest track and field spectacles ever. (via Telegraph.co.uk)

State meet recaps, links to photo galleries, videos and more inside.

  The last few weeks, as the Cross Country season was winding down, I was thinking of what I could write about.  Today, as I was watching and photographing the State Cross Country meet, I realized that the meet itself was what I should write about.  Not about what the results were and who were the individual winners, the times and the team champions, but just about what I saw, and what I saw is the reason that those of us that are involved with the sport have come to love it. While most of the State was getting ready for the Ohio State football game against Indiana and for the State High School football playoffs, some 850 State qualifying runners prepared to run six divisional 5K races to determine individual State champions and team State champions.  The race was being run for the first time on a new course at the National Trails Raceway in Kirkersville.

Five teams and one individual will look to defend their State Championships from last year.  Versailles senior, Tammy Berger, will be looking for her third straight individual Cross Country title in the Division III Girls race.  One thing that is for sure is that there will be new course records established in all three divisions for both the males and the females.  This year will mark the first year in which the State Cross Country Meet will be held at National Trail Raceway in Hebron, Ohio.

The Final weekly OATCCC XC Coaches Poll

The major conferences in NCAA Division I aren’t the only ones looking to expand. The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, which includes Grand Valley State University and Ferris State University among 14 NCAA Division II schools in the Midwest, and many in Ohio, announced Monday it has accepted Malone University and Walsh University as league members, beginning next summer.. (via The Grand Rapids Press - MLive.com)

IINDIANAPOLIS - USA Track & Field announced Tuesday the selection of all-time track and field greats Gail Devers, Maurice Greene, Vince Matthews, and Clarence Demar, along with standout coach Bob Timmons, into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame. The five will be inducted into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame, along with 2010 Hall selection Craig Virgin, on Saturday evening, December 3, at the Jesse Owens Hall of Fame Banquet, which will be held in conjunction with 2011 USATF Annual Meeting in St. Louis, Mo. (via www.usatf.org)

PICKERINGTON —Controversy marred the small-school race. Centerburg’s top runner, Torrie Purdy — who finished in 12th place — was disqualified for removing a hair tie during the race and placing it on her wrist. An official said the tie, roughly the size of a rubber band, was considered “jewelry,” and watches are the only jewelry allowed. Purdy’s disqualification resulted in Centerburg’s dropping from third to 12th place and not qualifying for the state meet. (via The Columbus Dispatch)  

A quick look of the meets from the past week, including top times, links to results and links to any photo albums posted.

Kibwe Johnson won the first gold medal for USA at the Track Stadium on Wednesday after finishing in first place in the hammer throw competition and Michael Mai, also for team USA, finished in second place for the silver medal at the XVI Pan-American Games Guadalajara 2011. Johnson established a new Pan-American record with a distance of 79.63 meters beating the old record of 79.61 set by American Lance Deal in Winnipeg 1999. (via deportesus.terra.com)  

The eighth weekly OATCCC XC Coaches Poll

LEXINGTON -- Sami Stoner has yet to cross the finish line in first place, but she has won over fans while trying. In the process, she's become a champion for teens with challenges. Stoner, who is legally blind and a runner on the Lexington girls cross country team, is believed to be the first high school athlete in Ohio to compete with a guide dog. "How could anyone in cross country complain when you look at what she is doing? It's powerful stuff," Lexington head coach Denise Benson said. Yet, that powerful example almost wasn't allowed to happen. (via Mansfield News Journal)  

Board members say they have no choice but to make the cuts because of a decrease in state aid and because of rehiring nearly 300 teachers the district had laid off in the spring. The third phase would occur Jan. 20 at the start of second semester. The district would save $727,000 by reducing the number of principals and assistant principals and $2,447,000 from eliminating summer school. Another $741,000 would be cut from eliminating preschool and $568,000 from eliminating spring sports, other than baseball and softball which are paid for by the Cleveland Indians. (via The Plain Dealer - cleveland.com)

A quick look of the meets from the past week, including top times, links to results and links to any photo albums posted.

Ursuline Academy’s appeal to the Ohio High School Athletic Association to have its cross country team reinstated for this weekend’s Division I regional meet has been denied. “The appeals process was a good process and they listened well to us,” said Ursuline athletic director Diane Redmond. “We told our runners today and they all handled it well.” (via High School Sports Blog)  

The seventh weekly OATCCC XC Coaches Poll

USA Track and Field and German automotive giant BMW are working together to increase the efficiency of training analysis for athletes as they prepare for next summer’s Olympic Games in London.   The company has developed a dual-vision camera for movement analysis which records critical data in real-time and transfers it to an on-site laptop. That way, an athlete can immediately refine his or her technique during a training session rather than wait hours – sometimes days – to have the training video studied at a lab. (via WIRED)

Olentangy Orange Junior, Hannah Hartzell, is one of Ohio's Leading D1 Runners!  In her Freshman and Sophomore years she struggled through injuries and health problems.  Now, as a Junior, she is healthy, undefeated in her D1 races and has become one of the State's leading lady harriers. OHRunners had the opportunity to talk to Hannah about her Freshman and Sophomore seasons and her success this season.   She is a very talented, focused and determined runner who says that she "absolutely loves to run and compete"  and finds herself smiling most of the time when she is racing because she has so much fun with XC. In a couple of weeks, she may just find herslef smiling atop the D1 Girls podium.

FAIRBORN — As Centerville junior Josh Steible hit the mile-and-a-half mark, an Elks supporter yelled for him to “put the hammer down. (via www.daytondailynews.com)

A quick look of the meets from the past week, including top times, links to results and links to any photo albums posted.

SOUTH ZANESVILLE -- Sheridan sophomore Sully Gwinn was spiked at the beginning of the boys race but ran the entire course with blood running out of the gash on his leg. (via Zanesville Times Recorder)

The Sixth regular season OATCCC XC Coaches Poll

“Hammer time” is coming to Portland. When the competition schedule for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials was unveiled on Wednesday, the most intriguing aspect involved the men’s and women’s hammer throw. Those two events will be contested back-to-back on June 21 on the soccer fields at the Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton. The remainder of the Trials, which includes eight days of competition over a 10-day period, will be held June 22 to July 1 at Hayward Field. The idea to put an early spotlight on the U.S. hammer throwers came from Vin Lananna and Greg Irwin, co-chairs for the TrackTown12 local organizing committee. “We’re calling this ‘hammer time,’ ” Lananna said. (via www.registerguard.com)

To avoid cutting boys' and girls' cross country and boys' soccer (fall), wrestling (winter), boys' golf and boys' and girls' track and field (spring) as varsity sports, Bellevue High School and Middle School coaches agreed to work this school year on a volunteer basis. (via The Enquirer)

Almost every high school cross country runner can recall without hesitation the brutal course that they compete on. It was not uncommon to hear about a race that included agonizingly long and steep hills, loose and unsure footing, tight bottlenecks that caused dangerous jockeying for position and hairpin turns which made a slip and slide on concrete look relatively pleasing. Despite the trials that were combated at these courses they remained a ritual of initiation into distance running and became local or national legends. Examples of these courses include Mt. SAC in Southern California, Cuyahoga Valley in Ohio, Sioux Passage in Missouri and New Jersey’s Holmdel. From these came memories and a mental toughness that could not be taken away... (via Spiked Up, Pysched Up)

A quick look of the meets from the past week, including top times, links to results and links to any photo albums posted.

Napoleon's Steve Weaver is the D2 defending state 1,600m champion and the highest returning finisher from last years State CC Championship.  He's gained in experience and confidence, more mature and now comfortable running out front.  He has a high respect for his comeptitiors in a very competitive D2 boys division.  His expectations are high, not only for himself, but for what all of the D2 boys will do at this year's State meet. He see's the race as a challenge with the D2 boys "getting after it" at State and setting high standards on the new National Trails Raceway course. 

The weather looks to be near perfect as the 2011 Centerville Stampede nears.   This year's races feature over 2200 athletes competing in 13 races ranging from Elementary to High School.   Past results from this meet have been very competitive and this year looks to be the same way.   Over 800 custom medals are awarded throughout the 13 races and 44 team trophies are also given.   In addition, TEAM CHAMPION shirts are awarded to the high school varsity division winners.    Let's see who some of the favorites to take home that hardware… 

The fifth regular season OATCCC XC Coaches Poll

DOHA, Qatar -- Qatar is promising an air-conditioned stadium, night marathons and a September starting date while trying to convince track and field's ruling body that the country is not too hot to host the 2017 world championships. (via www.forbes.com)

Olympic champion LaShawn Merritt was cleared to defend his 400-meter title in London next year after the American won his appeal Thursday against an IOC rule banning doping offenders from the games. (via ESPN.com)

See the new OHSAA Championship Cross Country course at National Trail Raceways.