Friday, May 11, 2001
No basketball, more training
helps Talawanda runner
By Dave Schutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Jesse Rhodenbaugh
(Brandi Stafford photo)
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Jesse Rhodenbaugh's desire to win a state track championship hasn't changed. His strategy to achieve it has.
A four-sport (cross country, soccer, basketball, track) athlete until this year, Rhodenbaugh decided to skip basketball in order to train for track.
“I've never trained during the (winter) because of basketball,” said Rhodenbaugh, who committed to North Carolina State University to run cross country and track. “I got up to 50 miles a week during the winter and it's really helped.”
The difference is reflected in The Enquirer's track honor roll. Rhodenbaugh recorded the best times in the 800 (1:55.7) and 3,200 (9:16.8) meters and second best in the 1,600 (4:21.2).
Besides the distance running during the winter months, Rhodenbaugh also spent time in the weight room, working with football coach Doug Krause in an effort to improve upper body strength.
“Jesse went through a total-body workout three days a week,” Talawanda track coach Dale Plank said. “He did chin-ups, push-ups, pull-ups and lifted weights. He's probably in the best shape of his life.”
Although Rhodenbaugh has never competed past the second week of the track season in the 1,600 and is 4.2 seconds behind La Salle's Alan Bader, it's likely he'll enter the event at the district meet.
“I've never run against Bader head-to-head and it should be interesting,” Rhodenbaugh said. “He's the one to beat. I've always wanted to run the 1,600 because I think it's my best chance to win.”
The defending Division I state cross country champion, Bader is a front runner, preferring to take the lead and hold it throughout every race, be it the 800, 1,600 or 3,200 meters.
Plank, who has coached track at Talawanda for 22 plus seasons, is confident Rhodenbaugh will become Talawanda's first male state track champion.
Karen Rayle is the school's only female state track champion, winning the 3,200 meter championship in 1986 as a senior.
“Jesse goes into a zone during every race,” Plank said. “He can push his body to places where most of us don't want to go.”
At the two mile mark of the 3.1-mile state cross country meet, Rhodenbaugh was running 75th. He sprinted the remaining 1.1 mile to earn the 12th spot.
“My goal was to get up on the award stand and I needed to finish 12th or better to do it.” Rhodenbaugh said. “I went out too slow and at the two mile mark I was 10:28. I finished in 15:51.”
The top 12 individual runners at the state cross country meet are awarded medals and named first-team all state.
Rhodenbaugh has qualified for state in track once, taking the silver in the 800 (1:54.06) last year in Dayton.
“I had pretty bad luck as a freshman and sophomore,” Rhodenbaugh said. “I fell once place short in cross country (16th) as a sophomore and one place short in the track regional both years.”
Rhodenbaugh is the school's record-holder in two of the three distance events. He holds the record in the 800 (1:54.06) and 3,200 (9:16.0) but is behind Chris Webb (4:19.0) in the 1,600.
Bader and Rhodenbaugh could go head-to-head the next three weeks in the district, regional and state meets. Those confrontations will be interesting to watch.
“It doesn't make a difference if I win at district or regional,” Rhodenbaugh said. “No one remembers who won these races. They only remember who finished first at state.”
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No basketball, more training helps Talawanda runner