Marysville senior Tristan Karnes (left) and freshman Bryn Hothem are shown preparing for the Division I state cross-country meets. Both Monarchs will run Saturday at National Trail Raceway near Hebron. (Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
A pair of relatively inexperienced prep cross-country runners will represent Marysville High School during the Division I state meet on Saturday.
Tristan Karnes is a senior, however, the 2019 campaign marked only his second season of competing on the cross-country course.
Freshman Bryn Hothem has made the big jump from the middle school to the high school level and will challenge the best D-I girls in the state.
Hothem will compete at 12:30 p.m. at National Trail Raceway near Hebron. Karnes will follow at 3 p.m.
Both qualified for the state meet by finishing in the top 20 during last Saturday’s regional at Pickerington North High School.
Karnes predicted he would finish 15th during the regional and that’s exactly where he placed with a time of 16:21.
Hothem earned her state spot with a 20th place time of 19:21.
Karnes said he’s improved quite a bit as a runner over the past couple of seasons.
“I saw it even over the summer,” he said. “I became a lot better as far as my strength and endurance as a distance runner.”
Karnes, whose best time this season has been 15:58, began his running career in track and field as a sprinter, 300 hurdler and high jumper.
It wasn’t long, however, until he began gravitating toward distance running.
“I guess I just developed that mentality,” he said.
“Tristan has cranked it up the past two years,” said Monarch head coach Luke Sundermeier. “To run a sub-16:00 with only that much time in cross-country is just incredible.
“He has become a very disciplined runner and getting to the state meet in only his second year is remarkable.”
A year ago, Hothem had just completed her final year of middle school cross-country and had not even started her second year of track and field at that level.
She’s been more of a 1600, 800 and 4 x 400 relay runner throughout her brief career.
“I had never run an official 5K before this season,” said Hothem, whose best time has been 19:15.
“It has been a little tough to adjust to the longer distance, but I’ve been able to develop my own pace.
“My mental state is pretty good,” she said. “I just don’t tell myself that I’m tired.”
“Bryn has made a very smooth transition to high school cross-country,” said Sundermeier.
Karnes knows the state meet field of runners will be challenging.
“Our own regional was one of the best in the state,” he said. “I think half of the top 30 runners that will compete at the state are from our region.”
Karnes said he’d like to place in the top 20 on Saturday.
That finish would earn him a place on the awards podium, as well as All-Ohio accolades.
He said he’s not sure what type of time he’ll need to place that high among the 170 runners who will compete in the race.
“That’s hard to tell,” he said. “It could depend on the weather, as to whether it’s raining and if it’s a sloppy course.”
“If it’s not raining, National Trail could be a fast course on Saturday,” said Sundermeier.
Hothem said her goal is to run in the low 19’s, which could also place her on the awards stand out of 170 runners.
“This is pretty new to me and I really don’t have any expectations,” she said. “I want to go out, have fun and test myself against the field.
“It’s pretty cool and exciting to be competing in the state,” said Hothem. “It’s also very humbling that I’ve made it this far as a freshman.”
She said this year’s experience should help her over the next three cross-country campaigns.
“It will be cool to see how much all of the competition changes over the next few years.”