Kuzma can’t overcome Achilles’ injury
Chuppa, Chojnacki eye state berths
Alex Kuzma runs the mile at the Brunswick District meet. The North Royalton junior couldn’t overcome time lost to injury and didn’t advance to regionals. Photo by BRUCE BILLOW
Less than six months ago things were going about as well as could be hoped for Alex Kuzma. The North Royalton junior was the top runner on the Bears cross country team, flirting with a berth in the state meet.
Six months later she’s trying to get her legs and lungs back. Sidelined by a strained Achilles’ tendon that kept Kuzma out for more than half the track season, she couldn’t get back in shape in time.
Unable to run her preferred event, the 3200-meter run, Kuzma entered the 1600 in the Brunswick Division I District with no hope of advancing to regionals. That was in part because of her still building back into shape and part because the field was so loaded that even on her best day she would have needed a perfect race.
Running, in this case, would have to be enough. And in some ways, it was.
“I was actually having problems getting back into the season,” Kuzma said. “I was afraid to get back into the season because I was worried that I wouldn’t make varsity. It was really hard for me to get back. I’ve been very fortunate to be able to run here.”
Distance runners have tougher times recovering from injuries in terms of recapturing past performance. Not only to muscles have to be restored, but endurance must be rebuilt. A few weeks is not going to do that.
Kuzma finished the 1600 in 5:54.18, 42 seconds behind the fourth-place finisher. Freshman teammate Ashley Chippy finished ninth in the race.
As a consolation prize, Kuzma has a year left to get herself back to peak form. She plans on making the most of it,
“I’m really ready to train in the summer for cross country and all winter for track,” she said.
One who did escape a region with more distance talent than any other was Bears junior Elise Chojnacki, runner-up in the 800. She was the fifth-fastest qualifier, then lowered her time by 11 seconds in the final.
The other three regional qualifiers in the race were freshmen, including district champ Juliette Keller of Medina, who beat Chojnacki by about 1.4 seconds.
“You come in and there’s all these good freshmen, “Chojnacki said. “There’s good competition and you’ve just got to stay with them. You’ve just got to keep training and putting in the hours.”
Chojnacki has headed to the Amherst Regional each of the last two years and come just shy of qualifying for state. Among the 16 regional qualifiers, only Keller had a faster district time.
“Honestly I think I’m going to have to mentally stay in the race, not lose my confidence and just push past the pain,” Chojnacki said. “I’ve been so close to states and I’ve got to hopefully make it this year.”
Also looking for a state berth will be senior Lexi Chuppa, runner-up in the long jump at Brunswick. Chuppa was seeded sixth at Amherst.
Junior Jonah Eisaman placed third in the 110-meter hurdles, just 0.02 seconds out of second place. Based on time, he should be a regional finalist with a good chance of making it to Columbus.
Junior Zach Antonio moved on in the 400 with a fourth-place finish. He should be a finalist as well, and also has a chance at state.
Seniors Sam Ferguson and Hunter Petit earned regional berths on the meet’s first day, placing third and fourth, respectively, in the discus. Both will need to come up big to move on.
Six months later she’s trying to get her legs and lungs back. Sidelined by a strained Achilles’ tendon that kept Kuzma out for more than half the track season, she couldn’t get back in shape in time.
Unable to run her preferred event, the 3200-meter run, Kuzma entered the 1600 in the Brunswick Division I District with no hope of advancing to regionals. That was in part because of her still building back into shape and part because the field was so loaded that even on her best day she would have needed a perfect race.
Running, in this case, would have to be enough. And in some ways, it was.
“I was actually having problems getting back into the season,” Kuzma said. “I was afraid to get back into the season because I was worried that I wouldn’t make varsity. It was really hard for me to get back. I’ve been very fortunate to be able to run here.”
Distance runners have tougher times recovering from injuries in terms of recapturing past performance. Not only to muscles have to be restored, but endurance must be rebuilt. A few weeks is not going to do that.
Kuzma finished the 1600 in 5:54.18, 42 seconds behind the fourth-place finisher. Freshman teammate Ashley Chippy finished ninth in the race.
As a consolation prize, Kuzma has a year left to get herself back to peak form. She plans on making the most of it,
“I’m really ready to train in the summer for cross country and all winter for track,” she said.
One who did escape a region with more distance talent than any other was Bears junior Elise Chojnacki, runner-up in the 800. She was the fifth-fastest qualifier, then lowered her time by 11 seconds in the final.
The other three regional qualifiers in the race were freshmen, including district champ Juliette Keller of Medina, who beat Chojnacki by about 1.4 seconds.
“You come in and there’s all these good freshmen, “Chojnacki said. “There’s good competition and you’ve just got to stay with them. You’ve just got to keep training and putting in the hours.”
Chojnacki has headed to the Amherst Regional each of the last two years and come just shy of qualifying for state. Among the 16 regional qualifiers, only Keller had a faster district time.
“Honestly I think I’m going to have to mentally stay in the race, not lose my confidence and just push past the pain,” Chojnacki said. “I’ve been so close to states and I’ve got to hopefully make it this year.”
Also looking for a state berth will be senior Lexi Chuppa, runner-up in the long jump at Brunswick. Chuppa was seeded sixth at Amherst.
Junior Jonah Eisaman placed third in the 110-meter hurdles, just 0.02 seconds out of second place. Based on time, he should be a regional finalist with a good chance of making it to Columbus.
Junior Zach Antonio moved on in the 400 with a fourth-place finish. He should be a finalist as well, and also has a chance at state.
Seniors Sam Ferguson and Hunter Petit earned regional berths on the meet’s first day, placing third and fourth, respectively, in the discus. Both will need to come up big to move on.