Tusky Valley standout runner Abe McElwee eyes state podium again

McElwee is a three-year letter-winner in cross country and was a member of two Trojan squads that qualified for state in 2022 and 2023. He will also earn his fourth letter in track this spring. He finished sixth (49.61) in the Division III state 400 meters as a sophomore and was seventh (48.87) in the same race last season when Tusky Valley bumped up to the Division II ranks.

With the Ohio High School Athletic Association rolling out an expanded five-division state track tourney format for the first time this spring, Tusky Valley will be competing in Division IV and McElwee is among the top runners in Ohio in the 400.

“I hope there’s a lot of opportunity for me to do even better, but I really don’t know for now,” he said.

The Tusky Valley standout was also on the Trojans’ 4x400 relay team, which finished as a state runner-up during the indoor track season this winter in a time of 3:27.02. He also finished fourth at the indoor state meet in the 400 in a clocking of 49.04.

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Tuscarawas Valley's 4x400 team of Abe McElwee, Eli Miller, Cade Conrad and Jake Kapper pose with their All-Ohio medals on Friday at Welcome Stadium in Dayton in 2024.

“The indoor 4x4 team was state runner-up and ran a time almost as fast as we did outdoor last year, and that was very exciting,” Finney said.

The Trojan standout has grown up around track. His mother, Mandy McElwee is the head girls track coach at Tusky Valley and an assistant coach on the boys’ track team. Finney said it's a 'cool dynamic' to have the mother and son together.

Abe McElwee said many people have played a large role in his success on the oval.

“Definitely my friends, my family, and coaches, for sure, that’s a big one,” said the Trojans’ star. “They’ve always been there for me, even when I’m doubting myself — giving me workouts and just being a great support system.”

McElwee was asked what makes a great 400-meter runner?

“It’s a lot of mental and kind of pushing through the last 100 (meters),” he explained. “Your goal is to get out hard for 60 or 70 meters and kind of stride it out and maintain that pace and then the last 200 you’re fighting for your life, basically.”

McElwee said learning from past experiences in the 400 has helped him along the way.

“I remember when I first started, I used to start out real slow, I would jog,” he said. “And then I would just sort of sprint the last 300 and my coach would get on me and say, 'No you can’t do that', and I’m like, 'Well, it’s working for now.' But as I’ve started to pick up more on it, my times have dropped.”

Finney said he has many memories of McElwee’s running accomplishments but reflected on one in particular.

“His sophomore year was kind of a special year, it was the first year we really had sprint relays that started to make an impact,” he said. “He didn’t say it but his 4x200 (relay) placed at state, they were fourth that year (in 1:30.66), as well as the 4x4 (which placed sixth in 3:27.77) and his open 400 (where he was sixth in 49.61).

"He was a little light-headed after his 400 — he definitely wasn’t looking normal, but he took some time to himself and he recovered. It was a hot day down in Dayton, there was not a lot of shade there, and it was kind of special to watch him go from one event to the next and the next, even when he was not feeling his best. He was not going to (be denied) doing that 4x4 (the last event)."

McElwee is not only a standout on the track but in the classroom as well. He’s an honor student with a 3.9 GPA. He has received a scholarship to continue his track and academic career at prestigious Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. The Bison are members of the Patriot League.

“I’ve got a pretty decent athletic scholarship,” McElwee said. "I’ll (compete) in track and (major) in mechanical engineering.”

Speaking of mechanical engineering, McElwee has gotten an early jump on that career in a most unique way.

“He academically qualified for a national bridge building competition recently,” Finney said. “So, he’s in the middle of actually getting a bridge built to be sent to Chicago — that’s on top of everything else he’s doing.”

But before he heads off to college, McElwee and his talented Tusky Valley teammates will look to build a bridge to continued success in the upcoming postseason.

McElwee has been nursing an injury and wants to be patient so he’s ready for the postseason.

“I’ve been battling an injury recently, so it’s always the mindset of do your best, even when you’re dealt a bad card,” McElwee said. “It’s been a lot of hard work, lifting and training in the offseason and just keeping a positive mindset (is key).”

“We just want to take it one day at a time, one week at a time and get him recovered,” said Finney. “We’re being very patient right now. I just want him to be happy with his high school career when it’s all said and done."

This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Tusky Valley track athlete Abe McElwee holds 5 school records