The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Prep runners take top spots at Captains 5K
Captains 5K draws 800 participants
Nick Amos of Madison and Nick Kozlowski of Mentor geared up for the upcoming cross country season by finishing in the top two places at the Captains 5K on July 2 at Classic Park.
If Nick Amos and Nick Kozlowski hoped to take the 2017 high school cross country circuit by surprise next month, they probably blew their cover on July 2 at Classic Park.
Amos, a senior-to-be at Madison, barely broke the 17-minute mark as a junior on the Blue Streaks’ cross country team last fall. Yet he bested a field of 800 in the Lake County Captains 5K on July 2 with a sparkling time of 16:54.
Finishing second was Nick Kozlowski of Mentor, running his first career 5K and doing so with a time of 16:59.
If the Captains 5K, which featured a guest appearance by Cleveland Indians legend Carlos Baerga, is any indication, the pair of 16-yearold Nicks are setting themselves up just fine for the upcoming high school cross country season.
“My PR was barely under 17 last year, so that I’m already doing this is good,” said Amos. “My goal (by season’s end) is I want to be sub-16.”
While area cross country has a few gems in Amos and Kozlowski, the soccer loop is going to be losing a few athletes this fall. For the past three years, Amos participated in both Madison track and cross country, while Kozlowski was a soccer-only athlete.
Now both are geared up for a fall season focused only on cross country.
“Bill Dennison. He works wonders,” Kozlowski said of Mentor’s cross country coach, who enticed him to give up his soccer shoes for running shoes this fall. “He sold me on it. I think this is great for my future and I hope I can get a double scholarship (for track and cross country) in the future.”
Amos and Kozlowski separated themselves from the pack just short of two miles into the course. The rest of the group, including thirdplace finisher Michael Ferro — a 17-year-old from Painesville — was a good distance behind them.
Ferro ended up with a 17:33, 34 seconds behind Kozlowski.
“The last time I led was after the first mile,” Kozlowski said. “(Amos) came in and took over.
“He pushed me the whole way. It was awesome.”
When the two leaders entered Classic Park through the doors in the center field wall, Amos had a small lead. But his kick up the first-base line in the final 100 meters stretched his lead out to five seconds.
“We talked about running this one geared toward a win,” said Jeremy Verdi, Madison’s cross country coach who also ran in the race. “Nick Amos is going to be a force to watch this season.
“I think this is his third (sub-17 race) already. 2017 in the fall will hopefully be a Blue Streak party.”
Rounding out the top five after Amos, Kozlowski and Ferro were fourth-place Brian Daniels, a 43-year old from Euclid with a time of 18:00, and fifth-place James Ferro, a 15-year-old from Painesville who ran an 18:04.
The women’s division was led by Justine Dams of Columbus, who ran an 18:45 and was 13th overall. Savannah Dennison, 12, of Mentor was 15th overall with a time of 18:53.
Each runner was greeted near the finish line by Baerga, the former Indians all-star second-baseman who was making an appearance at the Captains 5K for the second straight year.
Baerga presented each individual runner with their medals, taking time for pictures and autographs as well.
“It’s pretty sweet,” Amos said of meeting Baerga. “My mom and everyone knows who he is, but I did not. But my mom told me.”