Ursuline runner Bentley Thomas has 鈥榠ron-like will to be the best鈥�
CINCINNATI — A photo from one of Ohio鈥檚 biggest high school cross country meets last fall captures a lone runner on the Centerville High School track, determinedly nearing the finish line.
Ursuline Academy senior Bentley Thomas is that runner, and the photo, taken by Mile Split鈥檚 David Nguyen, is a favorite of Ursuline track coach David Terkula, who said it captures Thomas鈥檚 鈥渋ncredible strength, will and grit.鈥�
Thomas finished second in that race, at Centerville鈥檚 Saturday Night Lights meet, behind only Ann Arbor Pioneer鈥檚 Rachel Forsyth, who is now the top-ranked high school runner in the nation. There were 198 runners in the girls championship race at Centerville 鈥� an event that draws; in all, 138 schools were represented in the meet, which included six races.
Five weeks later, Thomas would again place second in a major race 鈥� the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division I state meet at Fortress Obetz, south of Columbus, this time to Lakota West鈥檚 Evelyn Prodoehl. The period between those two races was a struggle for Thomas, who said her confidence was 鈥渟haken by back-to-back bad races.鈥�
鈥淏ad鈥� is relative, certainly. Thomas was third in the regional meet at Troy, behind to Prodoehl and Talawanda鈥檚 Lucia Rodbro, but won the district meet at Voice of America Park in West Chester Township and the Girls Greater Catholic League meet at Mason. Her time of 17 minutes, 51 seconds at state was two seconds behind the 17:49.10 she ran at Centerville.
鈥淭he whole month of October was a struggle for me, I seemed to have 鈥榖ad鈥� workouts and races every day. It was challenging to stay positive and focused on my goals despite the struggles,鈥� Thomas said. 鈥淭hankfully my coaches and my parents still believed in me and talking to them helped keep me grounded. I do think the rough races back-to-back made me a lot more nervous going into the race, and I would鈥檝e been a lot more confident if I had done well in the prior weeks.鈥�
Thomas鈥檚 confidence waivered; her coaches鈥� faith in her never did.
鈥淏entley delivered on all my expectations 鈥� we (all the coaches) knew if she stayed healthy, she would likely break the school record and would place very high at the state meet,鈥� Ursuline cross country coach Chris Cavanaugh said. 鈥淗er first race was the preseason statewide meet held at the course that would host the state championship, and she finished third overall in a field that boasted many of the top runners in Ohio.鈥�
Ursuline cross country runners are assigned individual coaches, based on personality and which coach does most of the individual work with each girl. Terkula was assigned to Thomas, 鈥渁nd deserves all the credit in the world for the amount of time he鈥檚 worked with her,鈥� Cavanaugh said.
Terkula deflected the credit to Thomas.
鈥楾o me, Bentley鈥檚 improvement over her career can be explained by three things: her iron-like will or stubbornness to be the best that she can be every day; her desire to be coached, land her love for running,鈥� Terkula said. 鈥淏entley鈥檚 improvement was sparked by her love of the sport and her innate drive to be the best she can be and a stubbornness to not settle for anything less. This love of the sport and her desire to improve led her to ask countless questions about how to improve.鈥�
Love for the sport was planted two years ago, when Thomas was a sophomore. Her older sister, Olivia, ran for Ursuline, inspiring Bentley, who had played soccer from fifth grade through freshman year. She ran two races as a sophomore, splitting time with soccer, then decided to focus solely on cross country as a junior.
鈥淢y love for the sport just kept growing because I am in control of my effort and performance. If I work hard, eventually things will work out. All I can do is my very best,鈥� Thomas said. 鈥淔inding out what my 鈥榲ery best鈥� is is super fun – and hard. I also love how supportive cross country is. Our team doesn鈥檛 care how fast you are, we鈥檙e going to support everyone anyway.鈥�
At its heart, though, running is mainly an individual sport, which can be practiced any time. Thomas, Terkula said, spent the summer before her senior year working on her own in form drills to improve her efficiency. Thomas or a family member would make videos of her doing the drills, and she and coaches would then analyze them.
鈥淐hanging running mechanics is one of the hardest things to do as a runner, and it takes incredible focus and commitment to break the muscle memory that holds onto bad habits,鈥� Terkula said. 鈥淚n just the span of a couple of weeks this past summer, Bentley made the adjustments needed to run more efficiently, and that has been a huge driver of her success this season.鈥�
Thomas also committed to proper sleeping an 鈥渇ueling鈥� habits, and building strength through activities such as weightlifting, plyometrics, shin and ankle strengthening, yoga, balance and core strength, and flexibility and mobility exercises.
Her career did not end at state. Thomas set the school record at the Nike Midwest Regional meet Nov. 11 in Terre Haute, Indiana. She placed 13th in 17:42.5.
鈥淢y mindset going into the race was different than for state because the place didn鈥檛 really matter, it was about time this week. I had one more chance to get the school record, and it was the perfect competition to run against,鈥� Thomas said.
鈥淲ith 400 (meters) to go, there鈥檚 a clock. I saw the time and knew I was going to get the school record, but by how much depended on how fast I closed 鈥� My mechanics were not good by the end, but I think it does prove that I was digging deep. Immediately after the race, my coach was there and he told me, 鈥楾hat鈥檚 what it means to finish on empty,鈥� and that was really exciting to realize I pushed myself to that point.鈥�
Ursuline qualified for regional as a team. 鈥淭hat was a super special moment for us because the year before, the team had barely missed qualifying for regionals. We also had four seniors on the team, so it meant their season got extended another week,鈥� Thomas said.
Sophomore Lucy Krebs is the No. 2 runner, in her first season.
鈥淚 look forward to seeing how she progresses next year with more consistent running and improved strength and endurance鈥� Cavanaugh said. 鈥淲e have another sophomore (Jules Castilla) who was a consistent varsity runner this year and is discovering just how good of a runner she is. With growing strength and confidence, I think she will have a great junior year, too, and she is showing other younger runners how far you can advance if you put the work in.鈥�
Others who contributed to team success were seniors Shanthi Napier, Megan Crosby (who set a personal record in her final race) and Sarah Tholen. Several first-year runners also impressed Cavanaugh 鈥� junior Sophia Bross, sophomore Claire Farwig and freshman Eva Casto. Soccer players Addy Wolff (sophomore) and Claire Messerle (junior) 鈥渨ere great adds,鈥� and former gymnast Stella Sobrano (junior) 鈥渉as really turned inti a strong runner,鈥� Cavanaugh said.
鈥淐aitlin Linz (sophomore), one of the team鈥檚 less-shy and goofy girls, did a great job of focusing when it was time to work, and it paid off with a great season. She鈥檚 a strong runner and was an alternate for our district varsity team this year,鈥� Cavanaugh said.
Those younger runners will try to fill the shoes of Thomas and her classmates. Thomas, a Glendale resident, will run cross country and track at Northwestern University while majoring in economics and minoring in psychology. her involvement at Ursuline includes National Honor Society, multiple community service projects, co-leader of the Christmas Hope fundraiser as a junior, and leading morning prayer over the public address system.
Her coaches expect nothing but success at the next level.
鈥業鈥檝e often told Bentley that the only thing stopping her from achieving her goals was herself,鈥� Terkula said. 鈥淭he sky is the limit for Bentley as she continues to use her will and stubbornness to run towards her goals, rather than away from the fear of not meeting her own expectations; this, perhaps above all else, is what makes Bentley a great runner.鈥�
Ursuline Varsity Cross Country Roster
- Seniors 鈥� Megan Crosby, Andie Hansen, Renee Mansour, Shanthi Napier, Lilian Orosz, Maria Sagel, Maya Szczykutowicz, Sarah Tholen, Bentley Thomas.
- Juniors – Sarah Bey, Natalie Bonomo, Sophia Bross, Caroline Dorr, Daniella Endaya, Elizabeth Ganeff, Sydney Groskopf, Ava Herrmann, Megan McConnell, Claire Messerle, Paige Skufca, Stella Soberano.
- Sophomores – Marya Ahmad, Paige Brown, Emelie Burek, Juliana Castilla, Maggie Crouch, Allison Ebken, Claire Farwig, Lucy Krebs, Emma Kroger, Caitlin Linz, Genevieve Loehrer, Maria Rumely, Anna Whitmer, Kelly Wiesman, Addy Wolff, Allison Zieg.
- Freshmen 鈥� Eva Casto, Emma Rudisell, Maddy Zyble.
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