Huge expectations for Flyer boys

NORWALK — There is little sense being shy about it. "We're really expecting a top five state finish in November," St. Paul boys cross country coach Bob Pabst said. "That's the goal. We're very excited to get going." In 2021, the Flyers were a top-10-ranked team throughout the season. They were at or near the top of nearly every race they competed, then went to the Division III state championships and finished ninth in the team standings. As the 2022 season started on Monday, this is no rebuild or even a reload. Instead, St. Paul brought back five of its top seven runners, needing to replace Nos. 3 and 4 runners Sebastian Gomez and Logan Rogers. "I've seen several kids step up in an effort to replace the two out of the top seven we lost," Pabst said. As Pabst seeks to fill out those two spots, he can write in ink a 1-2 punch at the top. Seniors Ian Deeter and Isaac Thimke return to anchor the Flyers. Deeter was a state qualifier in 2020, and would have qualified on his own a year ago had St. Paul not done so as a team. Deeter was also a state qualifier in the mile run in track and field this past June. "Ian has definitely put in more work than any athlete I've ever coached," Pabst said. "I think Ian is capable of top 10 in the state with the way he's running. The amount of dedication and miles he's put in … it really is something to behold. "This is something he committed himself to doing, and he's done it. The really nice part for us is he's pulled some of the other kids along with him, which is what you need to get that strong seven. But we feel we have eight really solid kids that will be competing for those seven spots." Throughout last season, the trio of current seniors Nick Centa, David Forrest and Gavin Ross traded places as St. Paul's fifth, sixth and seventh-best runners. Senior Jack Dvorak and sophomore Seth Ridge both return and served as state alternate runners for the Flyers in 2021. But despite the wealth of experience returning from a top 10 team in the state, Pabst doesn't necessarily want his runners to train that way. "We can't wait until the postseason to show up," he said. "We need to start doing it at Attica (Seneca East Tiger Classic) this weekend, or the (Tiffin) Carnival, and then try and win the Galion Festival again. We need to do those things to be prepared for the postseason. We have to make sure we have the proper mindset, not one of, 'it should just happen because it was expected.' "We still have to put in the work, and with younger kids, sometimes it's hard to make sure you still get that message across," he added. "We had our camp weekend at Findley State Park (Aug. 5-6 in Wellington), and that was our theme. We're trying to get everyone in the right mental frame of mind to do what we need to do, and what we are capable of doing." Pushing toward the big expectations aside, Pabst also knows his team is an injury away from having it all fall apart. "With a team of our size, injury is always a concern," he said. "We can't afford to lose anyone. We're not a team with ten guys who can fill in. We have our seven or eight and can't really afford to lose anybody. Injuries are the biggest concern that we want to watch out for." After opening the season on Monday, the Flyers are off until the Tiffin Carnival on Sept. 10. St. Paul is at the Galion Festival on Sept. 17 and the Norwalk Invitational on Sept. 24, followed by stops at the Western Reserve and New London Invitationals in October before the Firelands Conference championships. "I like the cadence of the schedule and we've built our program around it," Pabst said. "Sometimes there is a temptation to jump into some of these earlier Invites, but I'd rather do what we've always done and try to start making a name for ourselves at Tiffin and Galion, places like that."