Danny Cohen is a senior at Solon. He finished 6th as a sophomore in the D1 OHSAA Boy's State Cross Country championships, and 4th last fall as a junior. In 2014, he was 4th in the D1 OHSAA State 1,600 with a 4:14.60. (photo Chris Greene)
Best time in a 5K race and in which meet?
My best time is 15:21.90 at the Strongsville Fleet Feet race.
Tell us how your summer training is going?
My summer training is going well. I was injured for much of the track season and ended up just missing going back to states so I was able to start my summer training a little earlier than usual. We meet for captains practices in the summer in the metroparks so its great to be able to run with the team and get good runs in at the same time.
What are your goals for the upcoming season?
My goals for this upcoming season are basically to do whatever it takes to help our team win states this year.
How long have you been running and how did you get started?
I really started running in 7th grade when I joined the cross country team, but I realized I liked running in 3rd grade when I ran the gym mile. I liked it so much that I went up to the school everyday that summer and ran the mile again to try to get faster.
Will you be competing anywhere out of state this season?
I won't be competing out of state during the regular season this year, but depending on how the season goes, our team is going to go to Nike Cross Regionals and I might go back to Footlocker to try to individually qualify to nationals.
What is your favorite course to run in Ohio?
My favorite course is by far Boardman. Its our regional course and we go there for the Spartan Invitational. Its the hilliest course we go to and it just seems like the most true cross country course with hills and woods. There's always an abnormal amount of kids laying on the ground/kids puking at the finish line. I feel like it tests you the most out of all the courses we go to.
What meet during the regular season do you put extra emphasize on to compete well at?
Our team usually selects a couple meets each year to emphasize, but the one we emphasize the most is definitely the Spartan Invitational at Boardman. Its good for us to race against our competition at regionals beforehand so we know what we are up against. Also, we like to be able to make mistakes the first time we race it and learn from those mistakes so they are all taken care of by regionals. This year will be interesting though with the regional changes.
What is your favorite cross country race so far in your high school career?
My favorite cross country race so far for me was the Kenston Invitational my sophomore year. It was the first race I had ever won and I beat Joe Bistriz for the first time. I feel this race gave me the confidence to try to race with guys I never thought I would be able to and it was nice to beat Joe Bistriz after he had smoked me on long runs so many times!
Favorite cross country memory?
My favorite Cross Country memory was when we realized we qualified for states last year as a team. After finishing 5th as a team the year before it had been all of our goals to make it as a team last year. Seeing Alec Drabish, our lone senior on varsity last year, realize we made it to states is a moment I will never forget.
When you are not running what is your favorite thing to do?
When I'm not running I really enjoy taking naps and if I'm not doing that I'm probably watching The Office.
My favorite quote is: "I never said it was going to be easy. I said it was going to be worth it."
What shoes do you train in?
I train in Asics gts 2000 for my regulars and Saucony Kinvaras for my speed workouts. I get yelled at a lot because I hate getting new shoes so I'll get up to 2500 miles on a pair of shoes, which means they practically always are about to tear apart.
What shoes do you race in?
I race in Saucony Shay XC 4's
What professional athlete would you most like to meet?
I would probably most like to meet Lebron James.
What is something that most people don't know about you?
Most people don't know that I was suspended in kindergarten for running out of school. Unfortunately, they caught me in the parking lot and made me come back.
