Duo ready for Troy trek (10/26/07)

TROY, Ohio - Get to state, whatever it takes.

In short, that's the mindset for Tina Roessner and Mindy Vogel.

The pair of Fort Recovery runners will compete Saturday in the Division III girls cross country regional meet at Troy, from which the top four teams and top 16 individuals will advance to the state finals.

Both girls are seeded in the 30s, but are also well within range of making up the ground needed to earn a trip to Columbus.

"I think both of these girls are capable of more than what they've done this year," said FRHS coach Jason Grieshop after they ran the Troy course Thursday afternoon. "They've both done well, but I think there's more left. I think they're ready for that to come out Saturday. ... I think it's going to be a good day for them."

Roessner led Fort Recovery at the district meet at Spencerville - the Indians finished fifth, one position short of a third straight regional team berth - as she placed 10th in 20-minutes, 29 seconds, holding off a trio of runners who finished within three seconds behind her.

One of those was Vogel, who has some struggles, but gutted out a 13th-place finish in 20:31.7.

Those results pushed them both to the Troy regional for the third straight season, but it will be the first time they will run without their full team. The Indians finished sixth at Troy as a team in 2005, and were 11th at the 16-team meet last season.

"It's different because you don't have a bunch of other people relying on you, so it kind of takes off the pressure," said Roessner. "But at the same time, you're putting pressure on yourself because you still want to do well and make it on. It'll be a different kind of pressure than it has been in the past."

Roessner and Vogel have both seen their share of success this season.

They each finished in the top 11 in leading the Indians to a fourth-place finish in the Midwest Athletic Conference Championships, where Vogel was fourth in 19:53.6.

Vogel added titles at the Brookville Invitational, where Roessner was the runner-up, and the Spencerville Invitational. They were each in the top 10 at Treaty City (Greenville) and Celina as well.

Even with all that success Vogel hasn't been thrilled with her senior season, "but I'm still hopeful to do well in this race," she said. "I have been preparing for it all summer, so hopefully it turns out well."

Vogel has the advantage of knowing what it takes to advance to the next level.

While the team ended its 2006 season at the regional meet at Troy, Vogel advanced on to the state meet. Her sixth-place finish at Troy in 20:06.17 made her the first Indian to reach the state finals since 1999.

Then, at the meet at Scioto Downs in Columbus, she finished 30th among 139 competitors in 19:47.

"That experience is no doubt a plus for her," said Grieshop. "She ran the best race I've ever seen here run in her life here last year. She just came out and did a great job. I think that gives her a lot of confidence going into (Saturday)."

Roessner's confidence has grown during a breakout season, which comes on the heels of an outstanding close to her 2006 track effort. The junior ran what she deemed the best race of her life in the 3,200-meter run at the Piqua track regional in May, and has continued to build off that success.

After opening the season with a fourth-place finish in 21:45 at Celina, she has steadily improved, running 20:30 or better at three of the last four meets heading into the regional. Her district time this season was nearly a minute faster than a year ago.

"In the second half of the season this year in cross country just like in track her times started coming down and that confidence started coming back to her," said Grieshop. "She started to believe in herself more and what she was capable of doing.

"Now she's not thinking so much about what she's doing, she's just going out there and competing ... It's been really neat to see."

Based on district times, both Roessner and Vogel are on the outside looking in at the top 16 and the state finals. Roessner is seeded 30th, and Vogel is a 36th, while the No. 16 seed - freshman Brecka Szabo of Attica Seneca East - sits at 20:02.86.

In three of the last four years it has taken at least a time of 20:20 to advance, including 20:19.01 in 2006.

"Both of these girls are capable of doing that," said Grieshop. "There's no doubt in my mind with the things that they've done in practice over the course of the year ...

"I'm just proud of these to girls for getting this far. As much work as they put into through the summer, it's great to see somebody be able to take that next step when it's so deserved."

Now they're looking for just one more step, and looking forward to the chance to take it together.

"It would be awesome, because basically we've ran together for three years," said Roessner. "It's a lot of pushing each other in practice and a lot of pushing each other during the offseason."

"We've always been close competition," added Vogel. "We've been through a lot."[[In-content Ad]]