Marlington sophomore distance runner Colin Cernansky continues making strides

LEXINGTON TWP. — Based on his middle school athletic preference, Marlington sophomore Colin Cernansky didn't prioritize distance running.

"Basketball was my first sport, but I wanted a second sport, so I decided to go out for track," Cernansky recalled. "I ran sprints that first year, but I wasn't very good."

Instead of quitting track, Cernansky switched to distance running and also gave cross country a try. After he made that decision, everything clicked for him in both sports.

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In cross country, he was part of two teams that placed sixth in the Division II state meet in 2020 and first last fall. In track, Cernansky made the Division II state meet in two events as a freshman. He ran a leg on the fourth-place 4x800-meter relay and finished 15th in the 1600, making rapid strides in his growth as a distance runner.

Since he began running cross country and track, Cernansky has bonded with his older teammates, a group headed by senior Noah Graham and which also includes senior Liam Blake and juniors Nash Minor and Cohen Boyce.

"Noah is our leader," Cernansky said. "He does a great job supporting us and encouraging us. He pushes us and we push each other. We're all competitive and we're close. We run together every day."

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Cernansky is anxious to compete in the Division II Austintown regional meet, which will cover two days and is set to begin Thursday with the 4x800 relay. Boyce, Blake, Graham and Cernansky qualified after winning the Salem district with a time of 7 minutes, 58.04 seconds, which was solid on a hot afternoon in Sebo Stadium.

Colin Cernansky wants Marlington school record for 4x800-meter relay

The quartet's best clocking of the season was a 7:56.75 at the Stark County Championships in Perry Stadium. It also was the second-fastest time in school history. The 2011 4x800 relay of Ryan Kaplan, Kyle Masterson, Colin Eggleston and Brian Baum were clocked at 7:54.29 at the Division I state meet in Columbus, finishing sixth in a field headed by state champion Cincinnati LaSalle.

That mark has set the bar for ensuing Marlington boys 4x800 relays, including this one.

"One of my goals is to help our 4x800 relay team break that record," Cernansky said. "Those guys were great runners, but we think we're getting better and want to set a new school record."

Cernansky returns in the 1600 after placing second to teammate Blake at the district meet. Blake was clocked at 4:22.98 and Cernansky hit the finish line at 4:23.27. Cernansky, however, has proven he could better his district mark, running a 4:18 at the GlenOak Elite Meet this season.

"I think the 1600 is my best event," Cernansky added. "I like running longer distances like the 5K (3.1 mile) in cross country. Personally, I'm able to settle into the pace better running longer distances and it's also great to have a good teammate like Liam. We keep pushing each other and it can only help both of us."

Colin Cernansky of Marlington also qualifies in 800 meters

While he favors longer distance events in track, Cernansky has also done well in middle distance races. He earned a regional-qualifying berth in the 800 following a fourth-place finish in the district, running a 1:57.42.

"I finished fourth, but I ran a good time and I'm happy I made it to regionals, because I've only run that event for a short period of time," Cernansky said. "I ran it the first time at the Optimist and got a 1:58, so I was able to run faster [in the heat] and get a personal record."

The Optimist Meet was held at Austintown Fitch, the site of the Division II regional meet.

"I like running at Fitch," Cernansky said. "I like their track."

While Cernansky has enjoyed developing friendships and absorbing knowledge from older teammates like Graham, Blake, Minor and Boyce, he also relishes the practices with younger teammates, including two members of his own class. Sophomores Michael NIcholls and Logan Citino, and freshmen Lucas Ryan, Devin Lauter and Logan King are promising distance runners.

"The seniors are our leaders, but all of us are dedicated and want to get better," Cernansky said. "We've had a great [distance running] team the last two years, and we have the new guys who've made huge jumps this year and that could make us better in the future."

This article originally appeared on The Alliance Review: Marlington sophomore distance runner Colin Cernansky has lofty goals