Ben Hahn, a senior at Smethport Area High School, who has never
lost a dual meet in cross country in four years of varsity
competition and is the only District 9 boy to win districts in all
four years of varsity competition, has been selected to run in the
Mid-East Championships at Indian Riffle Park in Kettering, Ohio, on
Nov. 18.
One week later, he travels to New York City to run in the Foot
Locker Northeast Regional Race in the Bronx. The top ten finishers
in that race qualify for Foot Locker’s Nationals in San Diego,
Calif., in early December.
The Mid-East Regional Championship, sponsored in Pennsylvania by
the Pennsylvania Track and Field Coaches Association, features
all-star seniors from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana,
Michigan and Kentucky.ð Each state enters a boys and girls’ team
with ten runners on every team. Hahn was the only boy from
northwestern Pennsylvania selected for this honor.
He holds the Smethport course record along with many other area
courses.
Hahn closed out his record-breaking cross country career at SAHS
in late October when he finished fourth in the Pennsylvania
Intersholastic Athletic Association’s state competition in Hershey.
A three-year state medalist, he also recorded finishes in fourth
and 15th place.
Hahn began running seriously when he was seven years old. While
an eighth grader, he set the junior high record at the McQuaid
Invitational in Rochester, N.Y., completing the 1.5-mile course in
7:40. Hahn also is the holder of junior high records at the Rocky
Grove Invitational.
In addition to holding the Ridgway Invitational record, last
year he registered his personal best time of 15:50 in the 16th
Franklinville Invitational, which is also a course record for the
5,000 meters.
In September, Hahn turned in another personal best time of
15:13.6 over the three-mile course at the 42nd McQuaid
Invitational.
He also ran in the MileStat.com Elite Track Gala in Virginia in
June.
In track, Hahn owns the school records in the 1600 and 3200
meters at 4:20.1 and 9:28.3, respectively, along with being a
member of the record-setting 3200-meter relay team with a time of
8:15. He is a three-time champion in the 1600 and 3200 at
districts. A two-time champion in the district 3200 meter relay,
Hahn also won the 800 meters last year.
At the district competition in 2005, Hahn won the 800 meters at
districts and received the James Manners Award presented to the
most outstanding track athlete in District 9.
Bill Stephen has coached Hahn for six years.ð
“Ben is the most outstanding male runner I have seen in my
30-plus years in District 9 track and cross country,” Stephen said.
“Ben has an excellent work ethic and is very coachable.
“He has always encouraged others to do their best, giving them
advice and cheering them on whether teammate or foe. He is a
one-in-a-lifetime runner with whom I have had the pleasure to work
with and coach.”
Hahn plans to continue his running at the collegiate level at
Kent State, Temple, Ion or the Universisty of Montana.
