Sports
WILLIAM RIETER
The boys cross country team at Holy Name should be a good competitor this season.
Holy Name boys cross country should be strong this year
Wally Mieskoski
Parma Heights
The Holy Name boys cross‑country team should make a strong run at the North Coast League title once again in 2010.
Larry Ream, the long‑time coach of the Holy Name cross‑country program for 33 years, is excited about the prospects for the upcoming season.
He is decidedly old‑school.
Ream has been a member of the faculty and staff for 44 years at Holy Name when the school was still located in the Broadway‑Harvard Ave. neighborhood in Cleveland before moving here in the late 1970’s. He also serves as the boys track coach at the school.
“We’ve had our largest turnout of runners in many years this season,” he said. “I’m very excited about the season.”
“We have 20 boys and 30 girls on the team,” said Ream, who also is the girls cross‑country coach.
The Green Wave runners have won the NCL title 12 times but have not won the title in several years.
“That should provide some extra motivation for the team,” said Ream. “We’ll have a real battle for the top seven spots.”
Among those returning is a solid group of seniors who are anxious to bring back the NCL title trophy to Holy Name.
Leading the Green Wave will be senior co‑captains Stephen Clapacs, in his second year on the team, and Dan DiMarino, in his fourth year on the team. Another senior, Dan Skrodzki is being counted on to be among the team’s top runners.
Hounded by injuries over his career, senior Tim Dollard will make a strong contribution to the team if he stays healthy.
In his second year on the team, senior Freddy Keppler will also be fighting for one the top five spots. Another senior Tim Miller also will be in the mix.
Two younger runners will bolster the team’s depth.
Sophomore Kevin Masella was one the Ream’s top five runners last year. A junior, Jim Klosz, whose main sport is wrestling, could consistently break into the top seven.
Ream says that his team members are the best recruiters in the school. “They are excited about the sport and sometimes that brings out other students who want to be a part of cross‑country program,” he said.
His coaching philosophy is to try to get his runners to improve their skills, no matter their level of competiveness.
“One of the great thrills for me is when I see a former runner who is still competing in road races many years after graduation. That I was able to show that person a competitive activity that they can do for life is extremely rewarding to me,” said Ream.
Ream also believes strongly in team building and points to a 30‑year cross‑country tradition.
Each summer before the start of school, the team has its time trials at school in the morning and then travels to Loudonville (near Mansfield) for a one‑day canoe trip outing. Both boys and girls participate.
“It’s a fun trip that helps bring team unity,” said Ream.
He is also very proud that his cross‑country student‑athletes do very well in the classroom. His team cumulative grade point average is 3.68 on a 4.0 scale.
“I am very proud of the accomplishments of the cross‑country team in the classroom,” said Ream.
Mieskoski is a freelance writer.