Norwin boys mile relay team aims to defend title

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, March 28, 2018 | 6:21 PM

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Norwin junior Gianni Rizzo said he still gets chills watching the video of the 1,600-meter relay final at Shippensburg last May.

Rizzo ran the anchor leg for the Knights that day at the PIAA Class AAA championships, and when he received the baton the team was in fifth place.

“So I quickly passed two teams and got in behind the top two teams (Milton Hershey and Central Bucks West),” Rizzo said. “I let them do the work, and I don't think they realized I was there. When we hit the 300-meter mark, I sprinted past them for the win.

“It was an amazing feeling. I've watched the video more than 20 times. It was a group effort. I wasn't going to be denied because I didn't want to finish second, and it showed.”

The team of Kyle Turcovsky and twins Josh and Nick Coleman, all seniors, and Rizzo, then a sophomore, finished in a school-record 3 minutes, 18.26 seconds. Turcovsky has moved to playing football at Case Western Reserve and the Colemans are running track at Penn State Behrend.

“All year we were winning races, and we kept saying we could do better,” Rizzo said. “When we won the WPIAL title, we felt we still had more in us, and we could do this. We kept training hard and were pushing each other.”

Norwin was the first WPIAL Class AAA team to win the race since the conversion from yards to meters in 1979.

Now Rizzo is working with five new runners, and he feels this group is capable of defending the title, or at least competing for it.

Rizzo played basketball during the indoor season, but the team of sophomores Matt Federovich, Brady Schmitt and Logan Huss and junior Zeke Houser ran 3:35.57 during the Tri-State Coaches Association meet at Edinboro to finish third behind Butler and Latrobe.

Rizzo said that time is a good starting point. He said Huss is better than ever.

“We ran a 400 the other day, and Logan beat me,” Rizzo said. “I don't have my track legs yet and didn't have my kick.

“But he's really improved, and that's going to make us better and me better. We'll be pushing each other. With the team we have, I believe we can do it again.”

Freshman Ian Brown also is trying to earn a spot on the relay team.

Huss said he's carrying a chip on his shoulder this season. He was a member of the 1,600 relay team for half of the season before a senior bumped him off in a run-off.

“Sure I was disappointed,” Huss said. “It ticked me off. That disappointment is driving me this year. I was happy the team won and the seniors got their record. Now, I want to break their record and have one of my own.”

Norwin is scheduled to open the season Thursday at Indiana. Rizzo is anxious to see how the relay team does in the first meet.

Houser, who is supposed to be one of the top runners on the team, will miss the meet because of a family vacation in South Carolina. He'll be back for Tuesday's meet at Hempfield.

Rizzo not only is trying to get into track shape, he also is battling a back issue.

“After I work out, the back tightens up,” Rizzo said. “I don't think it's too serious, maybe just an adjustment.

“I figure if Logan and I can get sub 50s in the 400, we'll have a chance at defending our title. The neat thing about the group is we're all underclassmen.”

Rizzo said the three seniors last year were hard workers and were able to push each other.

He doesn't see any reason why this group can be even better with that same hard work.

Paul Schofield is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at pschofield@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Schofield_Trib.

Tags: Norwin