Solon Cross Country Primed For State Title Run

Solon cross country coach Stephen Cerne is a big believer in the old adage "It's not where you start, it's where you finish."

That could well be the motto for the 2011 Comets, who just may have one of the best, if not the best, teams in school history. Solon lost just one runner from last year's team that placed 13th in the state in Division I after fourth place finishes at both the district and regional events.

Following Cerne's coaching philosophy of hanging back at the start of each race and finishing with a flourish, this season's Comet team has good reason for high hopes.

"To be honest, I think we have a shot to win the state championship," said Cerne. "We've got 10 or 11 guys in the mix and our top four or five are as good as anybody's."

Solon showed its promise last season when each member ran a personal best at the state meet. "We had guys who ended up passing 60 to 80 runners. When you're passing people instead of getting passed it really helps you mentally," said Cerne, who ran cross country and track at Benedictine, Eastern Michigan University and Notre Dame College.

"This sport is fairly simple," he said. "If you put in the miles you see the results. This is a sport where effort means more than talent."

Solon will have plenty of both this year, welcoming back sophomore standouts Kevin Burns and Kevin Blank, seniors Max Haiss, Dan Urbanek, Scott Simpson and Ethan Wise and juniors Grant Behnke, John Riordan and Eric Hansen.

Blank and Haiss both broke the 16:30 mark at Columbus last year and Burns is coming off a stress fracture suffered last season. Hansen is also back after an injury-plagued season in 2010 but has the potential to join the top four.

In Cerne's first year at Solon, about 45 runners came out for the program. The past two years that number has grown to nearly 70. Last year's team was the fastest (average times) ever and that mark figures to fall this season.

"They key is to be confident in your training," said Cerne. "It's tough when your top runner gets sucked out of the pack at the start of the race but once they see the results they believe in it."

Solon will have to be able to run with such high profile teams as St. Ignatius, Medina, Hudson and Walsh Jesuit this season. "At the end of the day I like being under the radar," said Cerne. "It's more fuel for the fire."

Advancing to the state championships two of the past three years was an accomplishment. The expectations are higher in 2011.

"Getting to state is no longer the goal," said Cerne. "The goal is now to win state and with the guys we have, we can do it."