T-L Photo/SETH STASKEY PICTURED IS the Ohio Valley’s running fearsome foursome. These area cross country runners will compete on Saturday the OHSAA State Cross Country Championship at Fortress Obetz near Columbus. From left are Tyler Jenkins (Barnesville), Josie Hancock (Martins Ferry), Mara Beard (River) and Francis Toohey (Martins Ferry).

Then there were four!

That is the number of area cross country runners who have extended their seasons to the final weekend.

Set to carry the banner for the Ohio Valley to Fortress Obetz to compete in the OHSAA’s State Cross Country Championship are Barnesville’s Tyler Jenkins, Martins Ferry’s Francis Toohey and Josie Hancock as well as River’s Mara Beard.

The state cross country meet will begin on Saturday at 9 a.m. with Hancock and Beard at the line for the Division III girls race. The Division III boys race begins an hour later with Jenkins at the line.

Toohey will be the last area competitor to set out on his 3.1 mile jaunt because the Division II boys race doesn’t go off until 1 p.m.

BEARD has had some ups and downs to her season. She started out quite impressively, but because of battling some sickness, by her own admission, Beard hasn’t ran as well in the last few weeks.

It was actually getting to the point where Beard “didn’t expect to make it” to the state meet. However, she just went into the regional with a clear mind and turned in a 13th place finish to advance to her first state meet.

“I had a bunch of really bad races, so I wasn’t very confident (entering the postseason),” Beard said. “My mindset actually wasn’t good and negative. I started to get better (health wise) during the week of the regional, so I started to become more positive.”

That along with a large delegation of her friends who made the trip to Pickerington helped push Beard inside the qualification line and help her achieve a season-long goal.

“I was just happy when I realized I made it because it was something I’d been working toward for a long time,” Beard explained.

As she prepared for her final race of the season, Beard admitted to being both “nervous and excited.”

“I know I am not going to place, so it’s not super nerve-wracking,” Beard said. “I am just going to run it for the experience and hopefully run it to place the next two years.”

HANCOCK, too, has had her share of ups and downs, but it was in reverse of Beard. She’s come on like gangbusters in the last month of the season.

Her quest to the state meet has been a long process, too. But, her effort at the OVAC, which saw her place 10th overall and win the 3A class started a springboard, which saw her win the OVCCL and district titles in back-to-back weekends.

“I really don’t know what clicked, but I am in really good shape physically,” Hancock said. “I am so happy to have made it to the state (meet). It’s really been my dream since I was a freshman and I missed it by four places (as a sophomore), so I am really excited to be going.”

Hancock didn’t compete much last track season due to injury and admitted she was behind on her training. Because of that, she’s still having a tough time wrapping her head around the type of season she’s put forth.

“I started out the season with like a 25 (minute) race … it was bad,” Hancock admitted.

Hancock wants to stay within herself and run her race at the state, which she believes gives her the best opportunity to place as high as possible.

“I would love to run a personal record time,” Hancock said. “I know I am not going to be the best (runner) out there, so I just want to run my race and not get too caught up in the crowd or the size of the field.”

JENKINS has been one of the most consistent runners all fall. After a solid track season, the Shamrocks senior pounded miles all summer long and it paid dividends.

Jenkins was running very fast times throughout the first month plus of the season. But, he suffered a minor injury late in the season, which led to him missing the OVCCL totally and backing off his training.

However, he is progressing toward 100% again as he plows toward the starting line this weekend.

“I am definitely getting back to where I was (physically),” Jenkins said. “I’m still seeing the physical therapist. I took five days off, which feels like a month of training. It definitely felt like that because it was rough.”

Jenkins didn’t pull any punches. His goal is to place inside the Top 30 overall, which would earn him All-Ohio acclaim.

“That’s the goal and then podium is the next goal and top 10 would be great,” Jenkins said. “I feel like I stack up pretty well. I have beaten the kid (this season) who won the regional and I’ve competed well against some of the other guys, too.”

Jenkins is also a first-time state participant and believes staying within himself and not getting caught up in the moment will be huge if he is to achieve his aforementioned goals.

“I would like to go out with the kid who won our regional and see where it gets me,” Jenkins said.

TOOHEY has had some ups and downs to his season, too. He actually had some of those during the regional last week when he had to run down multiple competitors to even earn his bid to this weekend.

“With about a quarter mile to go (in the regional race), I wasn’t going (to state),” Toohey recalled. “I had to dig deep and push myself past limits I didn’t even know were possible to reach. When I crossed the finish line, I knew the last four years of hard work was worth it.”

A multiple-year regional qualifier, Toohey admits to being nervous because of the sheer size and magnitude of the event, but he also plans to soak up the fact that his dream became a reality.

“I am excited and can’t wait to see what it’s like,” Toohey said. “I hope the course is a lot better (condition) than regional, so I am able to have a better strategic approach to this race. I want to go out hard, but controlled. I would love to get into a pack that has a nice pace and start picking off people as the race goes on.”

Though he’s never competed at the state, Toohey seems to have a good handle on the approach.

“This is where your training and speed workouts come into play, so you need to run controlled, (hit) your splits correctly, run your race and most importantly have fun,” Toohey said.