From underdog to NCAA top dog
Reese Arnold won the senior boys race Wednesday at the NCAA cross country meet at Firemen’s Park.
After missing a summer of training because of an ankle tendon injury, Reese Arnold was climbing the walls waiting for the high school cross country running season to come around in September.
“That really sucked a lot and it was time to bring the beast out in me,” the Grade 12 student at Blessed Trinity said. “I’m tired of being the underdog and no one knowing my name. People are going to know my name now.”
The 16-year-old’s first step towards increased notoriety came Wednesday when he won the senior boys division at the Niagara Catholic Athletic Association cross country meet at Firemen’s Park in Niagara Falls.
“Once I got healed up in early September, it was time to bring out the inner demon in myself and I started just flying through the workouts, trying to work my butt off day in and day out in the weight room, on the field and on the track, and sticking to the plan.”
He wasn’t too happy with his race Wednesday.
“Unfortunately I didn’t execute the plan today and my time was a little slow,” the Beamsville resident said. “This was the first race of the season and my first race back from injury. I have a lot of potential to keep going and winning more so now I am going to focus on winning SOSSA (Southern Ontario Secondary Schools Association championship).”
Arnold started running competitively on Grade 6 with Runners’ Edge. In Grade 9, he was third at the zone championships, fourth at SOSSA and 53rd at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association championship.
“Grade 9 was a focus year for me to see where I was,” he said. “In Grade 10, I started training a lot harder because I wasn’t too pleased with my times. Coach (Benny Ralston) and I talked and I got better and better.”
He was second at zone, third at SOSSA but didn’t perform well at OFSAA in Grade 10 because of the wrong footwear choice in snowy conditions in Sudbury,
His third-place finish at SOSSA that year was an important moment in his running career.
“It was an eye opener for me because it showed the potential that I did have.”
He is looking to turn potential into performance at the end of this season.
“I am really hoping to finish in the top 40 at OFSAA.”
Senior boys individual: 1.Reese Arnold, BT (22:06.6); 2. Luc DiFlavio, BT; 3. Evan Beach, BT: 4. Zach Joseph, BT; 5. Nathan Joseph, BT.
Senior boys team: 1. Blessed Trinity; 2. Denis Morris (13. Owen Cooper; 15. Owen Timmins; 16. John Bagozzi; 20. Zachary Bradley; 22. Alex Starosta); 3. Notre Dame (7. Isaac Ventresca; 14. Jair Leonor Ayala; 24. Tyler McKee; 25. Santiago Sotelo).
JUNIOR BOYS
When asked about his running background, Anthony Hendriks answered in the negative.
“It’s soccer, seven days a week soccer,” the Grade 10 student at Blessed Trinity said.
That background allowed the 15-year-old Beamsville resident to boot his way past the rest of the field and win the junior boys NCAA cross country title Wednesday at Firemen’s Park.
Hendriks plays soccer with Niagara United Soccer Club in the Ontario Player Development League.
He was confident but not overconfident heading into Wednesday’s race.
“I had a feeling because I do a lot of training.”
He trains five days week with the team and the remaining two days on his own.
“It’s drills, running and endurance,” he said.
Running is crucial to his play at the centre back position.
“It’s super important if you want to play for 90 minutes.”
His ultimate goal is to get a soccer scholarship and he’s not too concerned where the high school running season takes him this fall.
“It’s just running as hard as I can and getting extra training for soccer.”
Junior boys individual: 1. Anthony Hendriks, BT (18:39.4); 2. Alex Marrese, BT; 3. David Hetherton, BT; 4. Austin Reynolds, Denis Morris; 5. James Bradford-Andrew, Holy Cross.
Junior boys team: 1. Blessed Trinity (1. Hendriks; 2. Marrese; 3. Hetherton; 6. Caleb Scholman; 9. Tyson Mease).
NOVICE BOYS
Gavin Paxton expected a tough race Wednesday at the NCAA cross country meet.
“I know it was going to be harder so I decided to push myself more,” the Grade 9 student at Saint Francis said.
The 14-year-old’s strategy worked perfectly as he finished first in the novice boys division.
Paxton doesn’t run at the club level but plays high level soccer with the Empire United Soccer Club.
“I have played soccer my whole life and that helps with my running,” he said.
At the elementary school level, he was the Niagara Catholic District School Board champion at 800 metres and placed second in cross country. He has no goals for the high school season.
“I am just going to keep going, I guess.”
Novice boys individual: 1. Gavin Paxton, Saint Francis; 2. Justin Harding, Denis Morris; 3. Keelin Smith, Saint Francis; 4. Ayden Pidsadny, BT; 5. Joseph Fraelic, Lakshore.
Novice boys teams: 1. Denis Morris (2. Harding; 6. Nathan Di Pietro; 8. Brayden Williams; 11. Mohamad Al Ali; 12. Adriel Dela Paz); 2. Blessed Trinity (4. Ayden Pidsadny; 7. Cole Thompson; 9. Owen Clipsham; 14. Connor Pidsadny; 18. Emerson Pergentile); 3. Saint Francis (1. Paxton; 3. Smith; 23. Kieran Edgar Edgar; 24. Justin MacMillan).
