Father McGivneys Tyler Guthrie earned all-state status with a 15th-place finish at the Class 1A state meet in Peoria as a junior and is the 2019 Telegraph Small-Schools Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year.<\/p>\n
Father McGivneys Tyler Guthrie earned all-state status with a 15th-place finish at the Class 1A state meet in Peoria as a junior and is the 2019 Telegraph Small-Schools Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year.<\/p>\n
Photo: Billy Hurst, Front Row Photo | For The Telegraph <\/p>\n
Father McGivneys Tyler Guthrie earned all-state status with a 15th-place finish at the Class 1A state meet in Peoria as a junior and is the 2019 Telegraph Small-Schools Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year.<\/p>\n
Father McGivneys Tyler Guthrie earned all-state status with a 15th-place finish at the Class 1A state meet in Peoria as a junior and is the 2019 Telegraph Small-Schools Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year.<\/p>\n
PREP YEAR IN REVIEW: Small-School Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year Tyler Guthrie of Father McGivney<\/p>\n
GLEN CARBON The final race of Tyler Guthries freshman season with the Father McGivney Griffins saw him hit the chute in 109th place at the Carlinville Class 1A Sectional.<\/p>\n
That finish, in a time more than 2 minutes behind the winner, pretty much mirrored Guthries enthusiasm for the sport early in his running career.<\/p>\n
I didnt think it was fun at first, because of the distance, Guthrie said. Having to run three miles in a race and having to run at least two to three times the amount for practice, that was overwhelming for me. I was, oh dang, I dont want to do that every day.<\/p>\n
Guthrie managed to outgrow his disdain for distance and he is currently logging 45-52 miles a week in preparation for his senior season with the Griffins.<\/p>\n
Ive had a great start this summer, he said. After track season with the whole pandemic, Ive been kind of doing my own thing with personal training. Ive been staying fit and healthy.<\/p>\n
After becoming Father McGivneys first all-state performer while garnering 2019 Telegraph Small-Schools Cross Country Runner of the Year as a junior, Guthrie is taking aim at continuing the ascension as a senior.<\/p>\n
Guthrie opened the season by beating a mega-field of 366 boys to win the First to the Finish Kickoff 5K at SIUE. He then reeled off a string of top-10 performances, including a regional victory at New Athens, before closing with a 15th-place run at the Class 1A state meet at Detweiller Park in Peoria.<\/p>\n
That earned Guthrie all-state status the top 25 placers in each class are all-state while covering the three-mile state layout at Detweiller in 15 minutes, 20.82 seconds.<\/p>\n
It was really an achievement for me, Guthrie said of the all-state medal. I had never been all-state before and I was proud to get there. Im just trying to hold that in the past, but it will be in my collection that say I made it to that point. And since Ill be running for McGivney this year, too, Ill be proud to have that title.<\/p>\n
Now, Guthrie is setting his sights on joining the states most elite runners by breaking the 15-minute mark at Detweiller. McGivney coach Jim Helton believes his No. 1 runner is on that plane.<\/p>\n
Right now, hes looking really lean and really tough, Helton said. I think he has a sub-15 in him.<\/p>\n
With the springs track season cancelled for COVID-19 concerns, Guthrie tried to simulate a season and ran a personal-best 4:29 mile in a time trial.<\/p>\n
That shows me that he has the mental toughness to dip under 15, Helton said. Im sure that will be his ultimate goal, as well.<\/p>\n
Sub-15 at state he ran 15:43 to finish 10th in the Class 1A division at a September invitational at Detweiller is indeed the target at which Guthrie aims to close his prep career in November.<\/p>\n
I believe thats within my reach, Guthrie said. I was at 15:20 last year and I did go all-out in that race. I didnt really feel like I was at full strength, but I did do my best. This year, since I understand more about how my body works and have a better understanding of how to run faster with the map of that course, I feel like I can get under 15. Ive trained for the last three, four years and Im not going to back down at this point.<\/p>\n
Backing down has not been in Guthries makeup since he won his first race as a sophomore at the Benton Fun Run. Guthrie ran in the top 10 in seven of the Griffins 10 major meets as a sophomore and fell five slots shy of all-state with 30th-place at state in 15:38.<\/p>\n
Guthrie was far removed from the occasional struggles of his freshman season as a junior. But he was, at times, victimized by his own aggression.<\/p>\n
Sometimes, we had to rein him back, Helton said. He wanted to run everything a little bit too hard. Thats a tough problem to have. You can only go to the well so many times. With him, he trains out in front of everybody else and because of that fact, I felt last year he maybe ran some things a little bit harder than he needed to. This year, hes listening a little bit better. I think he learned from last year.<\/p>\n
With the start of his senior season still scheduled more than a month away, Guthrie is convinced a big season is ahead if the pandemic allows.<\/p>\n
I believe so, he said. I feel a lot faster than I did last year. Physically, athletically, Ive been trying to improve myself every day. So far, Im staying disciplined with my training and Im starting to see it pay off.<\/p>\n
Guthrie lives in Edwardsville, but bypassed a Class 3A powerhouse program with the Tigers to attend McGivney. He did not have a vote in that election.<\/p>\n
My parents wanted for me to be prepared for college and they felt Father McGivney was a good college-prep school, Guthrie said.<\/p>\n
Has it been a good fit? So far, definitely, he said.<\/p>\n
Guthrie plans to continue his running career at a Division I or II university in the south, preferably Florida. I like the heat down there, he said.<\/p>\n
College cross country and track seemed like a longshot for Guthrie as a prep freshman. He is thankful to have stayed the course.<\/p>\n
I knew the potential was there, but it was just the feeling of whether or not I even really wanted to take the path, Guthrie said. During the beginning of my junior year is when I started to really see that there was something going for me and I could see a successful way to go in cross country and track. As I started to see my times and the rate that I was improving, I saw that I could definitely get where I wanted. I didnt see it at first, but now I see it.<\/p>\n
His parents saw it long before. When Guthrie played youth football, he flashed speed and stamina, though it was clear football wasnt his path. His parents encouraged the running path.<\/p>\n
That gave me a push, Guthrie said. It was really for myself a little bit and I did it for my parents approval a little bit. But you have to find it in yourself. Thats where Im at now and thats why Im more comfortable running the distances I do now. I see where I want to be and nobodys going to change that because they think they want me to be a certain way. Thats why Im confident with the way I run. Its a good place.<\/p>\n
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PREP YEAR IN REVIEW: Small-School Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year Tyler Guthrie of Father McGivney - Alton Telegraph<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Father McGivneys Tyler Guthrie earned all-state status with a 15th-place finish at the Class 1A state meet in Peoria as a junior and is the 2019 Telegraph Small-Schools Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year. Continue reading