The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Bombers’ third straight state berth decided by narrow margin
Garrett McConnell spent his first season on Kenston’s varsity cross country team as a sophomore in 2018.
At the Boardman Regional meet Oct. 27, McConnell’s finish in the Division I boys race ensured the Bombers would run one final time.
McConnell neared the finish line when he saw teammate David Rosinski, usually Kenston’s No. 3 runner, struggling with exhaustion to complete his race. McConnell kicked down the home stretch, passing a runner from Solon, and finishing as Kenston’s No. 5 in 18 minutes, 9 seconds.
McConnell’s placement was nearly as important to the Bombers’ state qualification as the fifth-place overall finish produced by his older brother, Jakob, in 16 minutes, 42 seconds.
“I just tried to pass as many people as I could and help get the team to state,” Garrett McConnell said.
Kenston placed seventh to secure the final team state qualification out of the D-I Boardman boys race. The Bombers advance to the state cross country meet at National Trail Raceway in Hebron on Nov. 10 for the third straight season.
Kenston finished two points ahead of Solon, 223225. Had McConnell been beaten by the Solon runner he passed, Solon and the Bombers would’ve tied for seventh.
Via a tiebreaker decided by the placement of each team’s No. 6 runner, the Comets would have advanced to Hebron and begun Kenston’s offseason. McConnell’s ability to respond to an adverse situation spoke to the philosophy fostered within coach Chris Ickes’ program.
“We’ve said from day one this is not an individual sport,” Ickes said. “This is a team sport. I think we coach it differently than a lot of programs, we are more concerned with our fifth man, sixth man, seventh man than sometimes our No. 1 man.”
Pleune placed 63rd in 17 minutes, 41 seconds. Ickes credited him for passing a handful of runners in the final 400 meters.
He didn’t immediately recognize he pulled away from Rosinski, but was aware before the race a teammate could be slowed by a cold, muddy course.
“I knew going in there was a possibility something could happen so I just wanted to catch as many guys as possible,” Pleune said, “do the most for the team. Then I found out that David went down, I knew I did the most to help the team out. I was obviously worried about him, too.”
Jack Turk assumed the No. 4 position for Kenston. He was 79th in 17 minutes, 55 seconds.
Rosinski ultimately crossed as the Bombers’ sixth finisher. He spent 45 minutes in the medical tent after the race when he was taken to the hospital for an EKG exam and intravenous treatment. He was released after five hours and will run for the first time in Hebron after the junior was an alternate last year.
“I came around the final turn and my body ended up just giving out,” Rosinski said. “My brain couldn’t tell my body what to do and my legs just kept stumbling.”
Headed to National Trail Raceway for the third straight season, Kenston’s boys team left Boardman as the region’s seventh-ranked team.
As such, from Ickes’ perspective, the Bombers can only go up Nov. 3.
“We’re going to set our goals really high, race relaxed,” Ickes said. “We’re there, we made it, we’ll run as hard as we possibly can knowing our program history says we’re very good at peaking, very good at being ready for the right race.”