Sophomore Isabella Ferriman will compete at the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division III Cross Country Championships on Saturday, November 6. Ferriman qualified for the state meet at the OHSAA Regional Championships last week in Troy where she ran a 20.42 5K in muddy conditions and passed three other runners in the last 800 meters to finish tenth overall.
She is the first DC varsity cross country girl state individual qualifier in over twenty years.
Ferriman, who wasn’t involved in the sport before eighth grade, is something of a running prodigy. She competed in the OHSAA Track and Field State Championships as a freshman where she placed fifth on the 4 x 400 relay with senior Sophie Poindexter and alumnae Brianna Blake and Aliisa James (21).
New to the school in 2019, Ferriman gravitated to cross country because of the camaraderie she found with other runners and the opportunity it provided to compete against herself.
“I love that you start at a certain place at the beginning of the season and then you work to improve your time,” Ferriman said. “And I love the atmosphere of the team. Everyone cheers the runners on and encourages them. In fact, several guys from the team are training with me this week so I am not training for the state championship alone.”
Although she enjoys the positive atmosphere of the team, Ferriman is no stranger to discipline and hard work. She sets goals. Then she works to meet them.
Her goal this season was to run the three-mile course in under 20 minutes and to qualify for State. Her intent now is to improve her 19:40 personal best time and to place in the top 30 to 40 runners at the meet this Saturday. And when she dons her spikes for track season, she will be working to become a two-time state qualifier for track and field.
When it comes to running, Ferriman is always trying to improve and do her best.
I feel like if God gives you a talent, then you need to use it as best as you can
Ferriman will run at 9 am at Fortress Obetz in Obetz, Ohio.
