Brianna McIvor crossed the finish line at the state championships in 27th place as a sophomore and earned All-Ohio honors. She played a key role in the Bombers’ Division II runner-up finish. She had a strong season as a sophomore, finishing in the top 10 four times in her first five races.
She held onto the final advancement spot at the Boardman Regional last season and returned to the state meet. McIvor was part of a large chasing group of the leaders in the D-II race, but was unable to secure All-Ohio honors again, finishing 44th.
Now in her senior year, McIvor is focused on not only earning All-Ohio honors again, but also working her way to the podium.
“Last year I had a lot going on between school, running and normal life, so I had a lot of stress while running,” McIvor said. “As a result, I didn’t achieve the goals I wanted and expected to achieve. The dissatisfaction with last season made me never want to be in that situation again. So I tried to enjoy the process more and not stress so much, which really helped me with training.”
She’s coming off a track and field season that saw her make it to regionals with an eighth-place finish in the 1,600-meter run at Austintown-Fitch. McIvor didn’t make the state meet there, but believes this is a jumping-off point for the cross country season.
Although the two sports are very different, the momentum can be transferred from one to the other. She has refocused and is ready to tackle the challenging but demanding cross country program that Kenston has to offer.
“All-Ohio, especially top 10 on that podium, has been my goal for a while now,” McIvor said. “There’s no better experience than being on that podium. I was there my sophomore year and those five minutes on that podium were the best five minutes of the whole year. So the thought of the podium and the feeling of accomplishment I’ll feel as an All-Ohio on the podium is the only drive I need right now. Of course, I have to work hard to get there too, but that’s what I’ve been doing all summer, so now it’s time to enjoy the racing and watch it all come together.”
McIvor enters this season as part of a strong senior group at the Bombers, but she is also the team’s undisputed leader.
Around her are a host of young runners who failed to qualify for the national championships last season, but are eager to compete in the national championships again two years after their second place finish.
“We try to instill in our team that anyone can be a leader, no matter how fast you are, you just have to do your best work and lead by example,” McIvor said. “So this year I’m trying to help the other team members take on that role. Because I believe that the leadership aspect of the team builds confidence and I want everyone to feel that way.”
McIvor was able to learn from strong leaders before taking the lead of the program herself. In her second year, she followed in the footsteps of Paige Masson and Cecelia Pagilia. In her third year, she was side-by-side with Emerson Greene at the head of the pack.
She is now passing on these lessons and information to the next generation of Kenston runners to help grow the program and return to the state meet as a team.
“Some of the most important lessons I’ve learned in running have been from Cece and Paige, who graduated my sophomore year,” McIvor said. “They taught me how to be a leader and how to enjoy what you do. I really feel like they, along with my coach and my parents, have shaped me into the runner and person I am today. I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am now without their guidance. So I really just want to be a great leader and teammate like they were, so I hope that trend continues on our team.”
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