The Etrain 11: Everybody Loves a Sappey Ending

by Jarrett Felix

Distance running is a complex sport. Honestly, it borders on the limit of even being a sport. Many of cross country’s best runners don’t start out as runners. They start out on the soccer team, using their endurance to out will tired opponents in the second half. Or maybe they start out as basketball players, sinking clutch free throws despite tired and fatigued legs. And heck, some runners even start out playing baseball (even if there’s so little running in that sport, I’m not sure I have a great analogy to use).

One of those baseball players was Downingtown West’s Henry Sappey. Hammering Hank was a self-described “mediocre-at-best baseball player who was lucky to break six minutes in the mile” when he began his freshman year. However, after participating in a youth running cub, he always had a soft spot for traversing the grass with friends.

“It was unlike anything I had done before and really opened my eyes to the kind of environment and atmosphere running with others has to offer.” Sappey remembers. “I joined the cross country team in middle school, but mainly to get in shape for baseball in the spring. I continued this routine until freshman year when Coach Burns’ program really brought out the best in me.

“I realized running was something I could continue with for a long time.”

Sappey joined the Downingtown West team at the right time. In the fall of 2012, the school made a surprising late season push past Pennsbury and finished 5^th at the District One Championships to qualify for the state championship for the first time in over a decade. The team also placed first in the JV competition with 47 points. Tyler Alansky won the JV race in a time of 16:48 and placing in 7^th overall (tops among freshman) was Henry Sappey.

A year later, with baseball in his distant past, Sappey entered the varsity line up after running a 4:34 for 1600. Although West had lost their two senior leaders, Joey Steadman and Ken Leidal, the team was focused on returning to the state championship picture. At the Manhattan Invitational, West showcased their ability to pack run in the absence of their sub 16 men, posting a spread of about 8 seconds. At the Ches-Mont Championships, the team had a tight spread again, just 32 seconds, and finished in 3^rd place overall. Sappey led the team in 15^th place. It was a one spot improvement over their 2012 finish that had foreshadowed a trip to Hershey.

But this time, there wouldn’t be quite the same magic. West’s top two runners from the Ches-mont championships finished as their 5^th and 7^th runners overall at the District Championships. Although the team had plenty of depth, they would have needed a near perfect day to survive the absolutely loaded District One meet. West finished 26 points away from 5^th place Penncrest and was forced to watch the state meet from home. After the euphoria of state qualifying in 2012, West was now taking a very different bus ride home.

It was a defeat that stuck with West heading into the 2014 season. But, for the team’s 6 varsity returners, it was a point of motivation rather than a crippling memory. “A lot of our success that season came from determination and hunger after not qualifying for states the year prior,” Sappey explained, “Our motto that whole season was ‘the season starts tomorrow’ as a reminder that while early season success is nice, it doesn’t guarantee anything down the line and that we have to put in the same amount of work every day as we did in the beginning of the season.”

Even without their top returner from districts, rising sophomore Drew Alansky (who missed the season due to illness), the team rolled through the early season and asserted itself as one of the state title contenders in the 2014 season. And they did it with just one senior, Charlie Barton, in the line-up. Sappey had also taken a big leap forward. He consistently led the squad as the team’s #1 runner and defeated defending state medal Alex Knapp to win the individual crown at the Ches-mont championships. That win proved critical as West toppled the two-time defending state champions and the class of District One PA, West Chester Henderson by just 2 points.

That set the stage for an epic rematch between the two teams at the District One Championships. But it was more than just a rematch for DT West. It was also a chance to exercise some demons at Lehigh University, the same course that had left them 26 points short of the state championship in 2013. As the race unfolded, West Chester Henderson went to another level, placing 4 runners in the top 20 at the meet and missing the title by just 8 points. Meanwhile, DT West placed just one runner in the top 20, Sappey, and finished with a 60 second spread back to their 5^th runner. With just one runner in the top 40, it seemed like an eerily similar finish to their season as the year prior.

But when the scores were finally counted, it was revealed that DT West had survived their off day. They held off CB East by just 11 points, helped in large part by step up performances from Shaun Bullock and Ben Ryherd at the #3 and #4 positions. And now they entered the state championship meet with an extra hunger and determination. They had that extra fire they needed to redeem their near miss. As a result, DT West ran a fantastic race and finished a clear 4^th place overall just behind an all-time great program in Cardinal O’Hara. West also got some revenge against their rivals from West Chester Henderson, defeating them by 57 points in the state rubber match.

Sappey once again led the way, finishing 10^th in the state. Ryan Barton finished 36^th overall, a higher place than he had been at districts in a less talented field. Jake O’Neil also stepped up, cracking 17 minutes on the difficult lay out as just a sophomore. DT West returned 6 of their top 7 runners, including their top 4 finishers. No other team in the top 5 boasted such a stable of returning talent. After their clutch performance at Hershey, West had moved into a position to be the favorites for the 2015 XC State Championship. But in just a few short weeks, the state title favorites would, somehow, get even better.

Jaxson and Josh Hoey were a pair of very talented runners who had previously attended Malvern Prep but in the winter of 2015-2016, they moved from private school to public school and began attending DT West. Jaxson had suffered an injury in the fall, but Josh was healthy and instantly made an impact on the roster. During indoors, Josh emerged as a talented miler and, as just a freshman, he scratched out of the open mile to help anchor the DT West DMR. He split a reported 4:19 anchor carry and helped DTW dip under 10:30 and into the medals, defeating Malvern Prep among others.

Ryan Barton, one of the heroes from states, ran the 800 leg. But Barton really got rolling in the spring. He showed real promise in the 1600 and ended up becoming a state qualifier in the event, running 4:18. With Jaxson Hoey back and at full health, the team had three milers make it to states and two finish in the medals. Jaxson ended up grabbing a gold medal in a sprint to the finish against Pittsburgh Central Catholic’s Jeff Van Kooten.

With the explosion of talent on the Downingtown West roster, Henry Sappey found himself in some unfamiliar roles. After leading West for the entire cross country season, he ended up on the 1200 leg during indoors, a new challenge. Then, as the team’s 4^th best miler, Sappey was entered in the 3200 during outdoors, an event that he didn’t contest for the first time until the 3200 Warrior XC Invite his junior year. As a result he ended up just outside the state qualifying picture at the District Championships.

The team’s landscape was changing, but Sappey embraced it and adjusted accordingly. Heading into the 2015 XC season he worked just as hard as ever to compete for a second straight top 10 finish at the state championships and, more importantly, a chance to qualify for the national championships in Oregon.

“After states in 2014, we knew right off the bat that our top priorities for the next year would be winning states and sending a squad to Portland for Nationals. Getting the Hoeys and graduating only two varsity seniors made our confidence skyrocket.”

Of course other people’s confidence was skyrocketing too. The Whippets had practically been crowned state champions before the season even started with 4 runners prominently featured in the state’s Top 50 rankings. Some fans were going out of their way to look for ways to take shots at the team, to try and wound the seemingly invincible beast. Background noise like this could rip a team apart. But this was not your typical team.

“There had been lots of talk about our team and our potential and we knew that in order to achieve our goals, we had to focus solely on our team and our season, not what any outside sources were saying. Like the year before, we came out to practice every day with those goals in the back of our heads, knowing that was what we were working toward.”

Although the team was much more talented, the stakes were higher and the pressure was heavier, the attitude of the team and it’s senior leaders did not change. And so the success continued to come. DT West won the Carlisle Invitational to make a statement about their team’s fitness. Then they traveled out of state to Manhattan, winning the championship section of the prestigious regional race. A few days later, without any of their seniors, they turned around and won the Ches-mont Championships. It was a stretch of unprecedented dominance.

The Hoey brothers had taken over the top two spots on the team and raced phenomenally despite the pressure and spotlight that followed them. Sappey transitioned into a new role at the #3 spot, but it was a critical role. West had the chance to be one of the best top 3s in the entire history of the state and they would need to be if they were going to continue their historic charge up the national rankings.

Although Sappey had run solid marks throughout the season, we didn’t see just what he was capable of until the season’s stretch run. At Districts, DT West took 2-3-4 in the district behind only defending state champion Jake Brophy, setting the table for a run at a similar result at the state meet. In 2006, Coatesville’s top 3 runners had placed 3^rd-6^th-8^th at states, the greatest trio in recent history. Later that fall, that team went on to win the National Championship. That was the target for the Hoeys and Sappey heading into states.

It was a perfect day at Hershey for a cross country meet. The course was in great condition and the athletes were primed and ready to attack fast marks. With 3 sub 16s already clocked in the AA field and the course record holder on deck, expectations were high. When the race began, West positioned themselves well at the front, but the race played out differently than many were expecting when the leaders relaxed through the early stages of the course.

“It was really interesting to have basically the entire field all together for a good portion of the race; it wasn’t anything like the year before when the front with Brophy, Abert and all them separated right away and strung things out from the get-go.” Eventually, things began to crank up in intensity and the West trio was ready.

 “Being in 4^th behind Jaxson, Josh and Brophy for a little while was a pretty cool feeling,” Sappey explains, remembering the final mile, “I just wanted to hold on to that until the end. Kicking from the bottom of Poop-Out proved to be a pretty bold move however, and just inches from the finish line, it ultimately caught up to me when Nick Wolk and Nate Henderson blew by on both sides of me. While disappointed at first, knowing I gave it my all for the team and came out with my highest finish at states yet was rewarding in itself.”

Knowing West had placed 3 in the top 6 overall and taken 2-3-4 in the team scoring set the tone for a runaway victory. However, North Allegheny, the defending champions, placed their top 3 not too far behind with two top 10 finishers and another runner at 26^th overall. As usual, it would take a strong performance from all 5 scorers to clinch the title. And although West’s top 3 grabbed the headlines, their 4-5 were what helped cement the title.

Jake O’Neil and Ben Ryherd both finished in the top 60 overall and clinched the big victory for the Whippets. When they crossed the line shortly behind Sappey, he knew they had accomplished goal #1: winning a state championship.

But as far as this team was concerned, states was just step one. Regionals, which was still almost a month away, remained in their hearts and minds. While the majority of the runners in the state were resting or transitioning to track, West continued to bang out the miles, practice the hills and do everything they could to win a regional championship.

Christian Brother’s Academy is one of the best known programs in the nation. Every year they are contenders for the national championship and they have dominated the Northeast Region. They also had one of the favorites for the individual title in Blaise Ferro leading the charge. So if West was going to win, they would need to execute at a higher level than they had all season. Then they could make some good memories for themselves.

“One of my better memories from the race was being in the lead pack at the beginning with Jaxson and Josh along with some top-tier guys from the Northeast who I had never thought of being even remotely close to. After that I knew I had to be serious and race smart, so I just stayed patient and ran my own race, made my move at the right time, and it worked out in the end.”

Josh Hoey led the Whippets by placing 7^th overall in the region as just a sophomore. Closely behind was Henry Sappey in 10^th.  Jaxson Hoey was a bit farther back, fading some in the second half of the race, but he still held on for a top 30 finish. Then it was time for that back half of the varsity squad to do their thing.

“And again, like at states, I knew we had a shot at glory after seeing Ryan, Ben, Jake and Drew kick it in not long after me and the Hoeys. It was great.”

Sappey’s suspicions were true. Ryan Barton finished 36^th and Ben Ryherd finished 39^th to help cement the victory. In fact, they won by an impressive 43 points over CBA and had the best #4 and #5 runners in the field. It was a complete performance for the Whippets and a well-earned Regional victory. With two golds now in their pockets, which win was sweeter?

“I think I speak for all my teammates when I say the regional victory was far sweeter.” Henry explains, “While states was certainly a high and a big stepping stone for us, regionals is of course a much bigger stage and was basically our main target for the season (along with nationals), so finding out we came out on top was particularly special.”

Downingtown West became the first Northeast Regional Champion from Pennsylvania, potentially moving them ahead of the great West Chester Henderson teams many of their runners had witnessed first hand in their first years competing. Now, they could turn their attention to one final XC race. For the seniors, it was their last high school cross country race ever.

I’m sure they won’t forget it quickly.

“From the moment we stepped into our Nike-decorated hotel, I knew it was one of the coolest things ever. Walking around the Nike World Headquarters with my teammates and meeting Matt Centrowitz and Hassan Mead was something I’ll never forget, and having such a strong PA contingent with us was a lot of fun too.”

Although the race didn’t go perfectly for West, that will happen when you are matched up with the best, most experienced programs in the nation, especially as a group of championship rookies.

“While it wasn’t the performance we hoped for, stepping on that course in our purple uniforms as one of the country’s best was a real honor.”

It was a monumental season for the Whippets and a magical 4 year roller coaster ride for senior Henry Sappey. He experienced all the highs, the lows; the news, the olds. Seemingly in a blink, his high school XC career was at an end. It’s hard to say what memory was probably best. Competing at states, overcoming previous season’s disappointments, flying to Portland, winning state gold …

“And of course, me , Jaxson, Josh, Ryan and Drew karaokeing to “Hello” by Adele at the post-race party was pretty sick too.

“I’d do anything to go back.”

Much like the fall, the track season for Downingtown West was a rollercoaster of fast times, high drama and historic results. During the indoor season, West absolutely rolled to the state title. Jaxson and Josh Hoey took 1-2 in the Mile and the super star Josh McLemore was born, winning the 400, 200, 4x2 and nearly the 4x4. They finished with the top DMR in the state as well, running under 10:20 and mixing it up with top programs like Loudon Valley (AKA Drew Hunter’s team).

Outdoors, they continued their dominance with medalists in the 200, 400, 800, 1600 as well as the field. Josh Hoey won gold in the prestigious Penn Relays mile as just a sophomore. Jaxson Hoey, after suffering sickness and looking like he would struggle to finish the season, won the district title in the 800m and placed 3^rd at states with a 1:51. Runners like Ben Ryherd, Chase Seymank and the team’s 4x8 qualified for the district championship and became medal contenders. Sappey competed in the 3,000m indoors and the 1600m outdoors, earning state medals in both events and contributing to the team score.

At Shippensburg, the outdoor team title came down to one final race: the 4x400m. Downingtown West was down 3 points to State College so a win and some help would give them a third title on the season and a clean sweep. It would be the first time in recent memory the feat was accomplished.

“The outdoor state 4x4 this year was one of the most intense things I can remember. We were down by three points to State College in the team standing and that race was for all the marbles. Ben Ryherd and I watched from the side screaming our heads off as the two teams along with Abington stormed around the track to see who would finish where. Obviously, we were thrilled to see our relay come out on top, but it wouldn’t be quite enough to outdo State College’s other events, who did a phenomenal job that day all across the board.”

Ultimately, a 1-2 finish by West and State College in the 4x4 decided perhaps the most exciting outdoor state meet in its long history. But as Sappey explains, “We walked out of the stadium that day with a ton of medals and a lot to be proud of.”

That might be a bit of an understatement.

After 4 years of struggle and hard work, Henry Sappey has graduated from Downingtown West, attending Monmouth University in the fall. Even though Henry is graduating, his impact might last longer than just his 4 year window.

“I like to think that I’ve shown my teammates how years of hard work and determination can go a long way. Going into freshman year, I was a mediocre-at-best baeball player who was lucky to break 6 minutes in the mile. Now I walk out of high school with six state medals including a team gold and DMR medal, an NXN berth, and the third fastest mile in my school’s history.

“All these years, I’ve looked up to our great leaders of the past like Joey Steadman, Kenny Leidal, Tyler Alansky, Matt Farrell and so many others, and now I hope that I can be remembered in the same context as those guys.”

As one chapter ends, another is always beginning. Whether that is for DT West’s stable of bright young stars or for their talented seniors who are moving on to their next challenge.

“As far as running, I hope to contribute to the varsity cross country squad right away as well as possibly compete at Junior Nationals in track while I’m still eligible, but above all, just keep enjoying what I do and see where my adventures take me next. I’m excited for this next chapter in my life.”

This time around, I suspect he won’t be too concerned about staying in shape for baseball.