Elyria Catholic junior Marty Coolidge understands he’s got a pretty big fight on his hands, but he’s definitely one of the top contenders for the Division II state cross country meet on Saturday at Scioto Downs.
If Coolidge comes through, he’ll be among a very select group of runners from this area.
Lorain County has had three individuals take home the top prize at the state cross country championships.
Amherst’s Pete Kummant was the last Lorain County runner to turn the trick, winning the Class AAA team race in 1973 and ’74. Amherst’s Glen “Sonny” Wilburn captured the Class AAA team race in 1971. Egyptian foreign exchange student Tekie Ghebreme’din of Avon took home the Class A individual race in 1966.
“I just need to run my race. Hopefully, I’ll be feeling pretty good,” Coolidge said. “It helps to know the course from last year. I know my strengths and what I’m able to do.”
Last year, Coolidge was 10th in Division II with a time of 16:08.80. He’s currently ranked 29th nationally (15:17) by
milesplit.us. Coolidge is the second of only three Ohio boys ranked in the nation’s top 30 and is the only one nationally ranked from Division II.
“There are a half dozen or more people that think they have a chance,” said Elyria Catholic boys coach Chuck Lynch, whose squad, along with Bay, qualified to the state meet as a team. “We like to think we’re one of those people.”
Alliance Marlington senior Jarrod Eick is the state meet favorite.
Eick was second at the 2007 state meet in 15:47.96. Eick won Saturday’s Boardman regional in 15:58.78 and is undefeated this season. The Boardman course is considered the slowest of the state’s four regional courses.
Other top contenders are Bay sophomore Mike Brajdic, Woodridge senior Joe White, CVCA senior Kyle Sullinger, Tipp City senior Jason Salyer and Dayton Carroll senior Andrew Trick.
Coolidge won last Saturday’s Tiffin regional (15:42.95) with Brajdic in second (15:51.94). White (16:01.94) and Sullinger (16:05.17) finished 2-3 behind Eick at Boardman. Salyer (16:11.80) and Trick (16:14.01) finished 1-2 at the Troy regional.
Coolidge is undefeated against Division II competition, losing only to a Division I runner at the All-Catholic meet.
Aside from Brajdic (districts and regionals), Trick (at the All-Catholic meet) and Wiles (regionals), Coolidge hasn’t faced any of the other top state meet contenders this season. But it’s certainly within his capabilities to win it all.
Coolidge defeated the majority of Saturday’s top contenders in June when he finished second at the Division II state track meet in the 3,200. That day, Coolidge clocked 9:24.62, defeating Sullinger (third, 9:30.25), Eick (fifth, 9:34.95), Salyer (sixth, 9:35.09) and Brajdic (ninth, 9:45.57).
“A lot of people that have run against Marty key off Marty,” said Lynch. “It’s the people that haven’t run against him because all they’ve seen is his times. You don’t know exactly how they’re going to react. Marty’s going to be at the front or with the front people.
“It’s going to be like a war of attrition at the front, to see who can hang with the pace the longest. The excitement of that race makes runners go out hard. The people that go out too hard pay the price for it after the mile mark.”
Lynch films all of Elyria Catholic’s cross country races. Coolidge and his teammates have watched last year’s state meet on film over and over, plus other races from the last two years. It gives the team a better feel as to what to anticipate in certain spots of the race course.
Elyria Catholic did a team time-trial at Scioto Downs the day before the state meet in 2007, in anticipation of making it down this season. So the rest of Coolidge’s teammates also have a pretty good feel for the course, too. It’s the first time EC qualified to the state boys meet since 2001.
“The excitement and drama of the race is going to happen when the runners leave the track (for the south, then the north loops),” said Lynch.
Teamwise, Elyria Catholic hopes to finish in the top six or eight at state, if all things go well.
“It’s added motivation to do well having your team down at state with you,” said Coolidge. “It’s important to get the best spot I can get. It means a lot than just qualifying by yourself. This is what we’ve worked for all year. We’re happy to be here, but we still need to focus for this race.”
Contact Paul Heyse at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.

State capsule

WHAT: 80th annual boys and 31st annual girls state cross country meet
WHERE: Scioto Downs, Columbus
WHEN: Saturday
BOYS
Division I
AREA INDIVIDUALS: Kyle Lowry, sr. (Amherst); Miles Pittak, so. (Amherst).
START: 12:35 p.m.
Division II
AREA TEAMS: Elyria Catholic (Marty Coolidge, jr.; Evan Foreman, jr.; Patrick Foreman, so.; Dan Kuhman, so.; William Sellers, sr.; Bryce Steindl, jr.; Matt Wiehe, so. Bay (Nick Banks, so.; Mike Brajdic, so.; Jeremy Farver, jr.; Jordan Hawkins, sr.; Alex Meyers, jr.; Matt Windahl, jr.; Brian Zeuch, jr.).
INDIVIDUALS: Nate Rodriguez, sr. (Vermilion); Andy Ventura, sr. (Avon).
START: 11:50 a.m.
Division III
No local teams or individuals.
START: 11:05 a.m.
GIRLS
Division I
AREA INDIVIDUAL: Madeline Chambers, jr. (Magnificat/Westlake resident).
START: 2:50 p.m.
Division II
AREA INDIVIDUALS: Michelle Clark, sr. (Elyria Catholic); Erin Schneider, jr. (Avon) 
START: 2:05 p.m.
Division III
No local teams or individuals.
START: 1:20 p.m.
— Paul Heyse

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