Rise and grind: South River gets redemption
After falling in Class 3A state duals final, Seahawks show strength
South River wrestling had already captured the team title before a single finalist lifted a finger.
Chesapeake trailed considerably heading into finals. Save for 126-pound Michael Greenstreet and, much later, Xander Dodds at 215, the Cougars’ finals didn’t pan out as they hoped.
But that’s not how South River wanted to win anyway. After falling just short in the Class 3A duals state finals seven days ago, the Seahawks craved redemption and wanted it to be earned. And earn it they did.
To help boost South River to its 207-point triumph, every Seahawk who competed in the finals emerged as a county champion: Jackson Peeples (106), Trent Shipley (113) and Aidan Healey (190). Heavyweight Busayo Balogun also claimed third in the consolation match earlier, as did Ethan McWaters at 150.
“They’ve grown so much. We didn’t have necessarily the best night for us yesterday [in the first rounds], and they came together to grind today,” South River coach
John Klessinger said.
Accepting their wins came at a cost to the younger Seahawks: a reminder that this would really be their last accomplishment together as a team.
“It’s exciting, but,” Shipley said, “we’re going to miss our seniors.”
The Seahawks advance at least eight wrestlers to the 4A/3A region tournament next weekend, including fourth-place Ethan Burger (126), Pete Laye (132) and Brent Phillips (157). There could be more depending on how points with other region teams shake out.
“We got kids who placed top four who, on paper, shouldn’t place. We had kids in the top six that came in with losing records,” Klessinger said. “They used their preparation to their advantage because they worked hard.”
It was imperative for the Seahawks to keep preparing as if nothing had happened last week. Peeples bore the brunt of last week’s finish, having been the wrestler who needed a pin to secure a team win.
He didn’t leave the option on the table this time. Peeples
and starting the new racing year right at Kinder Farm Park.
Paying tribute
Two stalwarts of the local running community passed away recently — Karen Hosler on Feb. 1 and Evan Thomas on Feb. 2.
Hosler and Thomas were both avid runners, running together on many occasions and volunteering many hours in the running community, including with their club the Annapolis Striders.
Runners are a close-knit group, which is somewhat paradoxical as running itself is a solitary sport. After a while, most runners gravitate to like-minded souls, mostly to share in the sense of community and understanding that only another runner who has been through the ups and downs of the sport can truly understand.
And once there, the runners stay in the same group for decades forging bonds through the miles So when the running community loses one of its own, it reverberates.
Hosler’s running resume was as impressive as was her career as a well-respected journalist, including at The Capital, with a tenacity to getting to the heart of the issues. She completed 12 marathons including Boston, New York and Marine Corps. While covering the political beat, she would often run with former President Clinton.
Thomas was a true legend in the running community. If you ran any local races or joined any training group, it could be assured that Thomas was involved and audible through the use of his trademark “encouragement” whistle.
Thomas held just about every role in the Annapolis Striders over the decades, from president to race director to board member to volunteer. He was also the Maryland representative to the Road Runner’s Club of America.
Thomas was a true runner’s runner and was deservedly proud of qualifying for the Boston Marathon, although he never made a big deal about his running accomplishments or leadership positions.
One of Thomas’s greatest legacies to the local running scene was training beginning runners, leading by example with an infectiously positive attitude.
Thomas served as the running columnist for Capital Gazette for nine years. In his last column that ran in January 2018, he wrote that although “regular exercise has saved my life, it has brought a joy I have tried to share with others. For a longtime smoker to qualify for the Boston Marathon was the pinnacle of my efforts.”
Thomas signed off by saying he had “a lot of great memories to keep me going.”
Calendar
This month: Annapolis Striders Champ Series Registration, Information: runsignup.com/Race/MD/ Annapolis/AnnapolisStridersChampionshipSeriesRaces
Saturday: Hashawha Trails 50K, Westminster, MD. Information: new. vhtrc.org/races
Sunday (8 a.m.): RRCA 10-Mile Club Challenge, Howard Community College. Information: striders.net/rrca-club-challenge/
March 9: Annapolis Running Festival, Navy-Marine Corps Stadium, Information: runsignup.com/ Race/MD/Annapolis/ AnnapolisRunningFestival
March 9: Celtic Canter 5K and Irish Festival in Westminster. Information: files.constantcontact.com
March 23: Hat Run 50K, Susquehanna State Park, Havre De Grace, Information:
hatrun.com
March 23: Barlow Bolt 5K Run/1 Mile Walk, Millersville, Information: www.active.com/ millersville-md/running/ distance-running-races/ barlowe-bolt-2024
March 24 (9 a.m.): Friends of the National Arboretum 5K, Washington D.C. Information: runsignup.com/Race/DC/ Washington/FriendsoftheNationalArboretumFlowering5K
April 7 (8 a.m.): Cherry Pit 10-Miler, South River High School, Information: runsignup.com/Race/MD/ Edgewater/CherryPit10miler
April 13 (7 a.m.): Emily Schindler Memorial Scholarship Triathlon, Woods Community Center, Information: active.com/severna-park-md/triathlon/ races/emily-schindler-memorial-scholarship-triathlon-2024