Running for redemption

Trevor Heitkamp was 89th at regional as a freshman.

Only individuals placing in the top 28 advanced to state.

Watching his female counterparts celebrate a state berth that season, Heitkamp wanted the same excitement.

“That was mainly my motivation because last year at regional I did not run really well,” said Heitkamp, a sophomore. “Seeing them qualify and seeing them have that joy was really what was my motivation.

“I actually kept my bib from regional and hung it up on my wall so I could see it every day.”

Heitkamp saw his prophecy fulfilled, as he joins the Fort Recovery High School girls cross country team in preparing for the OHSAA Division III State Finals on Saturday morning at Fortress Obetz and Memorial Park in Obetz.

“That was amazing Saturday,” FRHS coach Christy Diller said of Heitkamp’s regional race, during which he placed 22nd in 17 minutes, 23.3 seconds. “He had a tough regional last year and I think every day since last year he’s put something on his wall saying, ‘I’m going to make it to state.’

“For him to go as a sophomore, it’s ridiculous. That’s amazing.”

Out of the 44 individuals to make Saturday’s state championships — the girls run at 9 a.m. with the boys’ race at 10 a.m. — Heitkamp is one of 13 sophomores. (There are 32 sophomores attached to the 25 qualifying teams.)

At his regional race, Heitkamp was with a group of eight runners who all finished within a second of each other. Not entirely too sure of his placing at the time, as he approached the finish line he spotted Diller along the side of the course celebrating.

It was then, he said, he knew he had qualified for state.

“Kind of surreal,” he said. “I kind of thought I was going to make it. It was about 50/50, so very happy that I did.”

Diller said his main focus this week has been trying to keep practices even keel so he doesn’t get intimidated by the venue and fanfare of the state championships. Heitkamp said he was unable to watch the girls as they competed last year, so he won’t be familiar with the course until his practice run.

“It’s a lot of reminding him he belongs there,” Diller said. Both she and Heitkamp are hoping he finishes in the top 50. “It’s really just going out and running (confidently).”

In 2020, four underclassmen led the FRHS girls team to its third trip to the state finals and the first since going back-to-back in 1998 and ’99.

A year later, the same troupe — with two freshmen — will compete in the final race on the schedule once again.

“It’s amazing,” Diller said. “I think they probably would say that they’re having a little bit of a down year, but for them to show up and pull it out (at regional) was amazing.”

Sophomores Ellie Will and Jenna Hart, who were the team’s top two runners Saturday, were 40th and 91st, respectively, at state last year. Junior Megan Diller, coach’s daughter, placed 108th, and Alexis Wendel placed 144th.

Hart said being familiar with the course already works to their advantage and helps relieve some of the nerves heading into such a big meet.

“Maybe a little bit because I now how to plan it out a little better and can play it through my mind what I’m going to tell myself when I get in the hard spots,” she said, also noting the feeling of qualifying in consecutive years boosts the energy amongst the team.

One of the strengths to the girls’ squad — freshmen Joelle Kaup and Anna Roessner will be making their state-meet debuts — is the fact they haven’t had to rely on one single runner to lead the team each week.

Although Will has led the team more often than not, any one of the girls is capable of posting the fastest time at a meet.

“I think it helps them because if they have a little bit of a down race, somebody is going to step up and pick up, and that’s been happening,” Christy Diller said, noting there was a three- or four-week stretch during which one or more members of the team wasn’t 100% physically. “They just have a really good dynamic amongst them. They fight and they work hard and it’s awesome.”

Fort Recovery, which finished 19th in the final coaches’ poll, was 13th a year ago at the state finals, one spot behind the 1999 team and one ahead of the 1998 Indians.

Saturday’s field includes defending state champion West Liberty-Salem, and the Minster Wildcats, who won four straight state titles before ending as the runners-up in 2020. In fact, eight teams that placed in the top 10 are back.

Hart said she doesn’t have any specific expectations for the team as a whole, just that they all feel pleased with their performances.

“That we all worked together good as a team,” she said. “That we put our best effort out there and we’re just happy.”

Diller had similar sentiments.

“This year I hope they come in a little more relaxed because they’ve been there,” she said “Some of them were a little intimidated last year.

“We’re just talking about, we’re going to show up and do the best we can that day. Whatever it is, it is, and we’re going to be happy with it.”