The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Hawks’ Gilson, Cards’ Dennison break records
Area runners stand out in field featuring state-level runners in Mentor
Ella Gilson established herself as one of Ohio’s best runners, and the area’s top competitor, by virtue of her Division II state championship in 2018.
Savannah Dennison, a freshman at Mentor, proved she’s ready to join the Hawken junior’s stratosphere at the Mentor Cardinal Classic on Aug. 31.
Gilson set the course record at Garfield Park in 17 minutes, 52.8 seconds to win the girls race. Gilson set her second course record in as many races to start the 2019 season, after she set Hawken’s course record in 18 minutes, 44.8 seconds Aug. 24.
Dennison followed Gilson in 18 minutes, 12.9 seconds as she set Mentor’s girls program record in her second high school race.
Gilson broke 18 as she defeated a field packed with state-caliber runners, mainly from Ohio’s top division. Gilson credited her performance to the race’s competition and atmosphere.
“The course is awesome,” Gilson said. “I really like it. It’s like a legit cross country course because they have the uphills, the downhills and then the woods. I just really like the energy here. I think having the big crowds of people cheering for you is awesome, which really helps and motivates me throughout the race.”
Gilson’s time edged the previous course record of 17 minutes, 53.5 seconds, recorded by Brunswick’s Felicia Pasadyn in 2017. Hudson and Medina each finished with 58 points. The Explorers won the tie-breaker by three points, 81-84, determined by the placement of each team’s sixth finisher. Mentor finished third with 104 points. Dennison dropped 54 seconds off her seasonopening time of 19 minutes, six seconds as she finished second at the Canton GlenOak Golden Eagle Invitational on Aug. 24. After her first high school race, Dennison had a better grasp of what to expect and felt less nervous entering competition a week later. The freshman shattered the Cardinals’ previous program record of 18 minutes, 41 seconds, set by Kinsey Robinson in 2015. Dennison picked up a place in the final mile, when she passed Brunswick’s Emily Bardwell, and finished 20 seconds behind Gilson. Bardwell, third at the 2018 D-I state meet, placed third and Medina’s Juliette Keller, fifth at last year’s state race, was fourth.
“I feel pretty accomplished with my season already and I’m really happy,” Dennison said. “I just want to keep working harder because I know I can do better.”
Mayfield freshman Mai Ly Marella placed 10th in 19 minutes, 54 seconds as the Wildcats placed fifth in the team standings.
Medina’s Harry Custer won the boys race in 16 minutes, 13 seconds. Hudson also won the boys team title with 59 points, ahead of runner-up Mentor’s 75.
Senior Nick Kozlowski led area runners with a fifth-place result in 16 minutes, 16.72 seconds. Kozlowski finished amid four runners that crossed the line within a .77-second span.
Junior Dom Ricco followed Kozlowski in 11th place, as five of the Cardinals’ scoring runners placed among the first 21 runners. Ricco’s time of 16 minutes, 39 seconds followed his 16:55 at GlenOak a week ago.
Although he extols the merit of cooking grilled cheese sandwiches with mayonnaise on the outside instead of butter, Ricco’s emerged as Mentor’s number-two runner early in the season.
“The pasta parties have been working really well,”
Ricco said. “I just like to start my race off a little slower and work my way up throughout the next two (miles). I like keeping Koz in my sight, it’s motivation, I guess.”
Kozlowski was disappointed in his kick during the final stretch, but improved on his result at GlenOak by two seconds.
The senior was disappointed by Mentor’s inability to qualify for the state meet as a team last season. Through two weeks, he’s encouraged by the Cardinals’ top seven that consists entirely of underclassmen, save himself.
“I would say, as a team, we’re figuring a lot of things out,” Kozlowski said. “I know, so far, we’ve gotten our five guys under 17 today and that’s very impressive. But we’ve still got a lot of work to do. It’s only preseason, I guess, so moving forward we have a lot to work on and we know we can drop those times even more together.”