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Northwood sophomore cross country runner Olivia Carbe is the first Ranger in perhaps four decades to qualify for the girls’ regional meet.
Athletic Director Reese Snyder says in over 25 years at the school, he does not recall another female cross country reaching the regional meet, although male runners have. The search is still on, but Coach Kelley Wills believes a runner may have reached the regional meet in the 1970s.
Carbe finished in 21:20.66, good enough for 12th during the district meet at Bettsville’s H.P. Eells Park.
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Olivie Carbe
(Woodward Photographic) |
“This is big news for Northwood girls cross country,” Wills, who ran track at Lake, said. “I think it’s outstanding.
“We knew that she had a chance time-wise to be in the top runners and planned all along and encouraged her to really push herself,” Wills continued. “We researched and told her who she needed to be in front of and who she needed to be behind.
“It was really exciting. It was a great race. Her dad and I followed her from mile to mile. The first split was the fastest I think I’ve ever seen her run. I was worried that she wouldn’t be able to make it, but she did. She kept the same pace and she stayed right with all the girls we wanted her to. She did an excellent job.”
Carbe, who said running “releases anger,” said, “I knew I had a chance because my times were really good and I just kept saying that I can do this, and I did it.”
Her next goal was to qualify for state.
“Of course, that’s (state) is always the goal, but we’ve set a time goal for her,” Will said. “Her fastest right now was set at districts and we’d like her to get a 21-flat. Those are big goals — lofty goals because that’s shaving 20 seconds off that time, but we’ve got a goal to shoot for.”
Wills said Carbe, who also runs track, has run 135 miles during training this season.
“Olivia is a natural runner. This year, we really have been working on developing that natural drive to do better and win,” Wills said. “She was motivated to do better in every race and she really pushed herself. It’s all heart. It’s from the inside, that’s for sure.”
Carbe said it helps when Wills and assistant coach Andrew Dickey run alongside her.
“They run with me and they encourage me. That keeps me motivated,” Carbe said.
Carbe finished in the top 10 in every meet she competed in, plus she finished 16th at the Tiffin Carnival out of 246 runners.
“My favorite moment, I think the turning point for our season, was the Stritch Invitational at Maumee Bay and Olivia won the open race,” Will said. “I think she blew everybody out of the water. I couldn’t see anybody coming out of the woods because all of the people were crowded around. All of a sudden I look up, and she should be coming soon, it’s getting close, and it’s her blue jersey finishing alone. That was a good feeling for both of us and it gave you that feeling of, ‘OK, I can do this.’”
Her next two years, Carbe has set her goals high.
“My junior and senior year I’d like to get down into the teens, like maybe 19 (minutes) or even 18, and make it to state,” Carbe said.
In the Toledo Area Athletic Conference, Gibsonburg finished second in both the boys race and the girls race. The Golden Bears scored 50 points to trail champion Toledo Christian (26) in the girls’ race and 70 points to trail TC (32) in the boys’ race. Cardinal Stritch finished fifth with 108 points in the boys race.
Wills said about the TC team, “They’ve got a great team. They won our Division III (district) race as well.”
Stritch sophomore Rosa Mondragon (22:00.7) and Carbe (22:26.17) are first team. Gibsonburg has five runners on the second team — junior Cassidy Kasischke (22:42.22), sophomore Alyssa Escobedo (22:48.88), sophomore Molly Burkett (22:56.76), junior Courtney Kasenich (22:54.85) and senior Lauren Kirwen (23:06.93).
On the boys side, Gibsonburg senior Jacob Kissell (17:35.38) and junior Jacob Merryfield are first team. Local second team selections include Stritch freshman Tim Lynn (18:30.23) and junior Jake Lynn (18:48.32).
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