PARKERSBURG —The secret is out.
Want to know why Warren High graduate and Ohio University runner Tyler Cantley won the News and Sentinel 2-Mile run championship for the third straight year on Saturday?
OK, listen up.
“I owe it to my grandparents’ cooking,’’ Cantley said after breaking the tape in 9 minutes and 54 seconds, his best time here. “They fed me lasagna on Friday night and made me a pancake breakfast this morning.’’
So while Tyler Cantley gets credit for the win, score major assists for Dick and Sue Cantley.
Cantley’s victory was one-sided. By the time the more than 800 two-mile competitors made the loop around Towne Square, Cantley was well ahead. By the time he reached the News and Sentinel building on Juliana Street, Cantley was 70 yards in front of his nearest competitor and there was no way anybody was going to catch him.
Runner-up Aaron Estep of Sistersville finished exactly one minute behind Cantley, in 10:54. Joshua Harmon of Parkersburg was third, just four seconds behind Estep. Both are 17 years old, two years younger than Cantley.
Cantley’s victory not only was his third straight in the race, but extended Warren High’s domination to nine years. Prior to Cantley’s streak, Warren graduate Jason Linton won six straight times.
Cantley wasn’t sure how he was going to fare on Saturday. The Cantley family is in the process of moving from one home to another and it naturally has been a hectic time.
“My training hasn’t been what it needed to be,’’ said Cantley, who competed in the junior nationals in Oregon earlier this summer.
So Cantley —knowing that last year’s runner-up, Marietta runner Mark Wieferich wasn’t in the 2-mile field —decided to go out hard.
When he did, no one went with him. The lead was his and it kept getting longer and longer.
Cantley was competing with himself and he somehow managed to find enough energy to break the 10-minute barrier.
Cantley had been training with one of his teammates, Craig Leon, who participated in the half marathon on Saturday.
On their way to Parkersburg Saturday, Cantley told Leon how nervous he was about the race.
To which Leon responded, “you ran in Oregon against the best in the country and you’re worried about a local race.
Cantley need not have worried.
Between his ability and his grandparents’ cooking, the 2-mile championship will stay in the Cantley and Warren families for another year.
No one knows his capabilities more than Cantley, who can pretty much gauge how he is going to run.
But he surprised himself on Saturday with his best performance at the two-mile.
“Going under 10 minutes here was a big surprise,’’ he said.
Cantley loves competing in the race and promises to be back next year to defend his three titles and attempt to run Warren’s domination to a full decade.
“As long as I am in this area, I’m going to run this race,’’ he said.
And if Cantley is in this area for the next three years, he might just tie Linton’s incredible streak of six straight 2-mile wins.
Richard Shea, 43, of Marietta, claimed the two-mile walk title, finishing in 19:58.
