Bowling Green hurdler Kadin Shank on his way to a first place finish. (Photo by Scott Grau/Sentinel-Tribune)
Bowling Green did not win the boys meet at its own eight-team Duff Madaras Bobcat Invitational, but BG hurdler Kadin Shank and distance runner Aidan Novinsky claimed territorial rights in their events.
On the Steve Beattie Track inside Bobcat Stadium Thursday, Shank won both hurdle events, first taking the 110 hurdles by finishing in 16.07 seconds to defeat second place Findlay hurdler Jimmy Steffen (16.65) in the finals.
Shank only just began running the 110 hurdles this year and he had the second fastest seed time going into the event. Shank says the hard work is finally paying off.
“It feels good. A lot of work in the offseason with (BG hurdles coach),” Shank said. “It’s just a lot of practice, a lot of form, and a lot of technique every day.”
Shank said there was only one fear, losing time by connecting with a hurdle, which did not happen, helping his time.
“I’m trying to improve on my trail leg and a couple things. I didn’t hit a hurdle this time,” Shank said.
The 300 hurdles Shank won by finishing in 42.03 seconds, also defeating Steffen (42.98). Again, he had the second-best seed time, and even beat his own seed time (42.3), but thought he could have fared better despite winning.
“Actually, it went pretty bad,” Shank said. “It was not the race I wanted it to be, but I finished strong, so it was OK.”
Shank said he’s had to learn the difference between running the 110 and 300 hurdles, and it is not just 190 meters. There’s more to it than that.
“The 300 is to keep your endurance up and fight through every hurdle and just push as hard as you can. The 110 you just attack a little different,” Shank said.
BG coach Scott Wongrowski says Shank is putting in the necessary work to make him a consistent winner in both events.
“This is the first year that he’s run the 110 hurdles,” Wongrowski said. “He’s been a 300 hurdler for us and we asked him to jump into that race this year.
“So, he’s put in a lot of work in the offseason just making sure he’s healthy, fresh and strong enough to run the race.
“It’s nice that his times have been falling as he’s been going, and he’s been learning the race. He’s got a long way to go to make it really pretty, but so far so good.”
Wongrowski said it was a full night for Shank, who also ran with the 4×100 and 4×200 relay teams. With Jay Shannon, Peyton Harris, and Ashton Studer, the 4×100 placed fourth (45.76) and with Shannon, Studer, and Jake Amspoker, the 4×200 finished fifth (1:37.88).
In the 3200, Novinsky came in with the best seed time and Landon Fry was third best, but they easily finished one-two.
Novinsky finished in 10:14.97 and Fry in 10:15.15, and they ran side by side the entire race until the closing sprint, where you could see they were trying to beat each other to the finish line.
“I try, it’s hard, but somehow, he always wins through sure will,” Fry said. “I’m just trying to keep up with Aidan. It’s hard, but it always results in a good time to try to stick up with him.”
The third-place finisher was over 24 seconds back — Liberty-Benton’s Gabe St. Amour crossed the finish line in 10:39.45. Yet, Novinsky had to deal with adversity to make it happen.
“He’s been working his way back from a little injury he had about a month ago, so he’s been getting back into form,” Wongrowski said.
Novinsky says if you want to be a successful distance runner, you better be as well prepared mentally as you are physically.
“It takes a lot of work,” Novinsky said. “You have to run every single day, sometimes twice a day, in the mornings, and you always need to have the mindset to go for more.”
Wongrowski added, “That kid is a workhorse. The mileage he puts in, the work he puts in, he’s just super impressive. Anytime you are driving around BG, you might see him running around.”
Yet, Novinsky was just as impressed by Fry finishing on his heels as he was by his own race.
“It’s amazing,” Novinsky said. “He’s younger than I am, so he’s probably going to be much better than I am by the time he’s a junior.”
The boys meet was won by Oak Harbor (140 points), followed by Fremont Ross (129), Findlay (95), L-B (68½), BG (66), Napoleon (59), Wauseon (58½) and Defiance (46).
The BG girls did not have an event winner but scored 58½ points to finish in sixth place behind L-B (126½), OH (96½), Findlay (90½), Napoleon (88), and Wauseon (84).
Ross (58) and Defiance (57) rounded out the field. It is L-B’s third straight Madaras Invite championship and fifth in the last six years the event was held.
The event is named for coach Duff Madaras, who stepped away after 47 years of service, including 12 at Liberty Center, one at Woodmore, three at Eastwood, and 31 years at BG. At LC, he coached the boys track team to a third-place finish at the state meet in 1972 and 1974.
Madaras coached over 40 individual league champions, 24 state qualifiers, including 14 who made the podium, and six individual state champions.
“He’s been a BG coach for a long time,” Wongrowski said. “He’s known across the state for all the stuff that he has done. He was actually my coach in high school.
“He hopped over to Eastwood and coached me when his daughter was there. He helped out here, he helped teach our middle school coaches, and he’s always been a great friend and a great supporter of the program, even after he retired from coaching.”
