Captain of the high school cross country team, Matthew Scipione, finished second at the Ashland Cross Country Invitational and made history by becoming the first Solon boys runner in five years to break 16 minutes in the 5k.
Q: What was it like breaking 16 minutes in the 5k for the first time in five years?
A: It felt really good. I mean I didn’t really know about the five year thing. I was kinda just focusing on myself, but it feels good to be a part of these guys in Solon and the history that has been really good runners.
Q: What have you been doing to prepare for this day?
A: [Running] a lot of miles, a lot of summer miles. Also a lot of hard work with my teammates and coaches.
Q: What were you thinking about during the race?
A: Going into the race, my coach wanted me to get out a little faster than usual, but I wasn’t really thinking about anything specific. My second mile is usually the hardest mile for me, so I was kinda just telling myself that I can do this and that all my training over the summer had prepared me to do this., so that really helped me.
Q: Did you know you were gonna break 16 minutes?
A: I went through my mile at 4:50 and breaking 16 minutes is like 5:08 pace, so I was definitely on pace, and I could feel it. I was in first place, and obviously didn’t end up in first place, but that’s just something I have to work on.
Q: What were your emotions like after the race knowing you broke 16 minutes?
A: I got second place, so I didn’t really have many happy emotions. I mean in the back of my mind I was like “Yeah, I broke 16.” It’s definitely been a goal for awhile, but I got second place so I wasn’t too happy with that.
Q: What’s one piece of advice you would give to runners who are trying to reach their goals?
A: I would say the number one thing is consistency. If you’re not consistent, then you won’t get any better. You need to put in all your effort to get the goals you want to get.
Q: Who has been the biggest impact on your running career?
A: That’s a good question. I would probably have to say my parents. Ever since I started running, they’ve been driving me to and from [practice], they’ve been supporting me through bad races and good races. They’ve been there since day one. They’re probably my biggest supporters and then my teammates. They really help me and pick me up all day. Also my coaches.
Q: What’s your favorite part about running?
A: Well I mean, even for me, running can get a little draining. But, the competitive aspect and being with the team, going out every weekend to go compete with the best runners in Ohio–that makes it really fun and makes me want to keep doing it every weekend.
Q: What is your goal for the rest of the season?
A: Individual goal is to be in the top 30 at the state meet, but the number one goal is definitely to make the state meet as a team. It’s been a goal since the end of the track season.
The next boys cross country meet is Saturday, Sep. 13 at 12:30 p.m at Boardman High School. You can come see Matthew on his journey to attend states.
