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Sports

Haiss Siblings Spark Solon Cross Country Teams

Therese, Max and Julia Haiss keep Comets in the running for state bids

It doesn't bother their parents when Therese, Max and Julia Haiss are always running around after school.

The three siblings are key contributors for Solon's cross country teams this season. Therese is an All-Ohio performer, Max is rounding into form as one of the top competitors for a strong Comet team and Julia is making a name for herself after switching from soccer to cross country.

"It's a pleasure to have both of them on the team," said Solon girls' cross country coach Marci Ridenbaugh. "Obviously, we expect Therese to do well, but it surprised me when Julia came out for the team even though she worked hard every day during the summer."

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Father Max Haiss ran cross country in high school and his children are continuing that tradition. Therese started running in fifth grade while Max took up the sport in seventh grade and Julia in eighth grade.

While aware of how each one is performing on a weekly basis, the talented trio have no sibling rivalry.

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"We all do our own thing," said Therese.

"We see enough of each other around the house," said Max.

Therese, already one of the state's top runners, has come out with a bang this season. She has four straight first-place finishes in meets at Mentor, Walsh, GlenOak and Cleveland Heights with a top time of 19:15.

"She is a stronger runner with a new racing mentality," said Ridenbaugh. "She put in a ton of miles this summer and after she won that first race (GlenOak) she saw that she could beat the girls who beat her last year. She sees that all that work is paying off."

Haiss placed 23rd at the state meet as a sophomore last year. This year, she hopes to bring her teammates, including her sister, down to Columbus with her.

"Her main goal is to get the team down there with her," said Ridenbaugh. "I can see Therese finishing in the top 10 if not the top five. She's a hard-nosed, straight-faced kid and nothing bothers her. She steps up to any course."

Julia, a sophomore, had originally planned to play for the Lady Comet soccer team but made the switch to cross country just in time for the start of the season. The sophomore is already running at the 22-minute mark and will only improve as the season goes on. She placed 25th at Cleveland Heights with a 21:45 clocking last week.

Max, a senior captain, had Solon's top effort at the recent Walsh Jesuit Tomahawk Run, finishing ninth overall with a time of 17:12.

"Max has only run twice this season, taking the first two weeks off to rest his legs," said Comet boys head coach Stephen Cerne. "He will definitely be one of our top runners, so it is not a surprise to see what he did at Walsh."

"We want to make it to state and do well there," said Max. "Thirteenth place was kind of disappointing last year."

Cerne is impressed with the way the Haiss siblings are peforming in all areas this fall. "They are very supportive of each other's aspirations in the classroom and in athletics," he said.

Therese, who also started out playing soccer, is looking for a big season after a summer when she ran a minimum of 50 miles per week.

"I definitely trained a lot harder over the summer than past years," she said. "Now I break away from the pack in each race. After that first race, I expect to keep running this well but the competition is going to get better in the next few weeks."

Haiss is also a key member of the Solon girls' track and field team. "In track I run more than one race," she said. "In cross country it's just the one race and you put everything into that."

"I know that Therese can run with the best of them in Ohio," added Ridenbaugh.

With continued improvement and mutual encouragement, Therese, Julia and Max hope to run all the way to Columbus in November.

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