Perkins' Smelcer pushing for top finish at state meet

PERKINS TWP. — Perkins senior Joel Smelcer is approaching the final races of his high school cross country career. Smelcer is unbeaten this season, much like he was for most of last year as a junior. What eludes him is a state championship. That is the goal for Smelcer and Pirates coach Mike Schultz as they prepare for the OHSAA state cross country meet Saturday at Fortress Obetz near Columbus. "I went to state last year, so it's always kind of been that feeling that if you make it one year you'll make it the next," Smelcer said. "I'm trying to get that state title and I've been chasing Scott Fry's record." Smelcer set a personal best when he won the Division III regional championship at Tiffin's Hedges-Boyer Park last Saturday. He won in a time of 14 minutes, 56.7 seconds, less than three seconds faster than Margaretta junior Cole Zang, who was runner-up in 14:59.3. The two have pushed each other on the few occasions they've raced each other. "I definitely went in a little nervous facing Cole," Smelcer said. "He's a great guy and a great runner. I didn't want to lose the winning streak. As the day went on, the pressure went down, especially after we did our warmups. I didn't feel the butterflies in my stomach. I felt really good during the race, especially compared to the Northern Ohio Conference race." Smelcer won the NOC race Oct. 17 in 15:16.9. He cut just more than 20 seconds off his time in the regional on the same course. "He'll do the state meet and then he's in a position to run even beyond that at the Nike regionals," Schultz said. "I think he has a shot at making it to a national contest. He has a few more chances at it. It's a record that's stood for so long. "You see a lot of kids saying stuff about new school records on social media these days. When you go to a school with the history that Perkins has had, you realize he's running pretty well without taking any records." Smelcer got the best of Zang on Sept. 4 at the Mel Brodt Invitational at Bowling Green State University. Smelcer won in 15:40 while Zang was third at 15:50. They ran it back Sept. 19 at the Battle of Turtle Creek at Genoa High School. There, Smelcer won in a time of 15:08 while Zang was second in 15:16. They didn't face off again until the regional. "They're both very good," said Schultz of Smelcer and Zang. "Cole is very talented. He came to a youth camp Perkins put on when he was in fifth grade and you could see some natural ability. Anytime you're beating a top-notch guy, it has to build confidence. "All year Joel has beaten top-notch guys. There's a guy that he beat at Bowling Green that is top-four in Division I. He's beaten good runners all year." Fry's school record is 14:50, set in 1984. Smelcer is approaching that as his high school career winds down. "He has the senior leadership award coming to him at the banquet," Schultz said. "He's good with all the other guys. He's a good teammate. That was the next step. He was really good as a junior, but seeing him take the team leadership role? That's a little bit of pressure. "He's also gotten better on his own, running a lot of lonely miles. He's out there for 90 minutes running." As a freshman, which Smelcer said feels like forever ago, he ran a 19:40 at Seneca East's Tiger Classic. A few weeks later, he got it down to 18:23 at Seneca East's Stars, Stripes and Lights. Comparatively, Smelcer won the Tiger Classic this season in a course-record time of 15:20. "He definitely had a growth spurt after his freshman year," Schultz said. "He really turned over a leaf in track, running a 10 (minute) flat, which is a milestone for kids. He's put in the work and done it the right way. "He's gone from 40 miles a week to 50 miles a week. He was touching into 60 miles into the summer. He's avoided injury and he's smart." Another runner Smelcer has an eye on is Fairless' Brice Fuller. The junior won last year's state championship in 14:52. Smelcer was third in 15:25. This year, Fuller has the best time in the state, running a 14:49 at his regional win in Pickerington on Saturday. Zang won his district Oct. 24 in 14:52 while Smelcer's best time (14:56) was last Saturday. "I think if I keep trusting my fitness and keep thinking in my mind that I have the ability to beat (Fuller), everyone is beatable," Smelcer said. "It doesn't matter the course or the weather. Everyone is beatable. I have to stick in his pocket the whole time and think about how he's going to race." Smelcer, who is weighing his college options, is a top runner for the Pirates' track team. "There's always vulnerabilities," Schultz said. "Once you're on the course, there's no timeout and there's no halftime. There's nothing. It's just under 15 minutes of hard running and you just let it go. "Whatever Joel does, he's had a lot of success here at Perkins. He has a bright future at the collegiate level." Joel Smelcer's races this year Aug 29: 15:20.8, Seneca East Tiger Classic Sept. 4: 15:40.4, Mel Brodt Invitational Sept. 12: 15:34.7, Seneca East's Stars, Stripes and Lights Sept. 19: 15:08.8, Battle of Turtle Creek Sept. 26: 15:22.8, 10th Annual Norwalk Truckers Cross Country Invitational Oct. 10: 15:11.0, Huron Cross Country Invitational Oct. 17: 15:16.9, Northern Ohio Conference Championships Oct. 24: 15:34.6, Division III District at Amman's Park Oct. 31: 14:56.7, Division III Regional at Hedges-Boyer Park