Edgel Believes The Perfect Ending to Her Career Would Be Having The Entire Team Join Her At the State Meet
A week before the Division III regional cross country meet last year, Worthington Christian High School senior Olive Edgel received advice that seemed to go against everything she had done all season.
Coach Michael Schaefer told Edgel to be patient.
“I was nervous that whole week,” Edgel said. “We had this strategy where I was supposed to hold back the first mile and then pick up speed.
“I didn’t really trust myself at first. I remember thinking, ‘This isn’t really as fast as I usually run the first mile.’ Once I started to pass a whole bunch of runners, I was like, ‘Wait, this might actually work.’”
Schaefer estimated Edgel had 60 runners ahead of her at the mile mark. She began picking them off, finishing 28th in 20:01.45 to advance to the Division III state meet. Worthington Christian’s lone representative went on to finish 102nd at Obetz in 20:28.09.
As the Warriors prepare to open the season at the Baron Blast Aug. 28 at Buckeye Valley, Schaefer hopes his team remembers the importance of being patient but persistent.
“The girls team is dialed in,” the coach said. “They’re motivated, they train together, and they push each other.
“We saw that bump in confidence from Olive last year, and we hope the other girls find their confidence, too.”
Worthington Christian lost runners Elise Meyer and Bekah Webster to graduation, but it returns an experienced group that qualified for the regional meet as a team. Seniors Edgel, Berkley McMahon, Zoe Ryan, and Eliana Zody will lead a team brimming with experience. Zody was injured at the district meet last fall and didn’t compete after that. Junior Beatrice Mollmann and sophomores Reagan Irvin and Malayna McMahon all picked up valuable postseason experience a year ago. Also expected to contribute this season are junior Emily Hixon and sophomores Siloam Bohler and Elin Clinton.
At the Central District meet at Hilliard Darby, the Warriors scored 80 points, finishing fourth and advancing to the regional meet. Northmor (40), Highland (48), and Buckeye Valley (77) took the top three places, while Liberty Union, which took fifth with 92 points, also moved on. Edgel placed sixth in 21:09.20 and was followed by Meyer (17th, 23:10.44), Malayna McMahon (19th, 23:21.44), Mollmann (20th, 23:22.95) and Ryan (24th, 23:49.95). Webster (26th, 23:52.19) and Berkley McMahon (41st, 28:08.43) also competed at the district meet.
At the regional meet, Worthington Christian finished 18th (465), well behind state qualifiers Tuscarawas Valley (114), Minerva (121), Northmor (191), Fairfield Union (199), and West Holmes (246). Joining Edgel at the meet were Mollmann (116th, 22:18.71), Malayna McMahon (117th, 22:19.00), Ryan (129th, 22:31.86), Webster (152nd, 23:01.36) and Irvin (267th, 27:41.84).
The Warriors entered the postseason after placing fourth in the Central Buckeye League meet behind Grandview (32), Bexley (51), and Buckeye Valley (93). The Bobcats placed five runners in the top 10 at the meet.
“Grandview was just stacked last year, and Bexley and Buckeye Valley are schools in a larger division,” Schaefer said. “Placing fourth was a respectable finish for the girls.”
But last year also taught the Warriors to be ready when opportunities arise. In cross country, Berkley McMahon went down with an injury at the district meet, and Irvin filled in for her at the regional meet.
In track season last spring, Malayna McMahon stepped in for graduated senior Ava Holbrook, who was sidelined with an illness, at the regional meet. She ran a personal best to help the 4×800-meter relay qualify for the Division IV state meet. Holbrook then rejoined the relay at the state meet. Four members of the current cross country team were participants or alternates on the 4×800-meter relay, which finished 11th in 9:53.57.
“In cross country, everybody experiences the same kind of pain and faces the same challenges,” Schaefer said. “(Runners) know what everybody’s experiencing, and they try to help each other through it.
“There’s definitely a grit factor you have to experience. After you power through it the first time, it gets easier every time.”
After qualifying for the state meet in both cross country and track last year, Edgel knows expectations will be higher this season. But she also knows nothing is guaranteed.
“(Track coach Mark Mousa) told us, ‘Be glad you’re at the state meet now because there’s no guarantee you’ll be back,’” Edgel said. “That stuck with me. I just feel like there’s a lot of pressure.
“It was great to make it to states in cross country, but I wish the whole team had competed there with me. That would be such a special moment. It’s been my goal to have the team qualify since my freshman year.”