Durable, fast and faithful, Marion’s Jedidiah Osgood has his eye on a state cross country title

MARION — It was a quote attributed to determination, not arrogance.

“I don’t plan to take second.”

Jedidiah Osgood said it following last week’s Class 3A state-qualifying cross country meet at Manchester.

Yes, Osgood is going to Fort Dodge on Saturday with a purpose, to win a state championship. He’s aware of the competition, but he’s also in tune with his body and what it can do.

“It’s going to take a good performance from me,” he said last Friday before a workout on the track at Thomas Park Field. “Those guys are going to put up a challenge. I’m going to fall back on my training and my miles.”

Oh, those miles. Between his junior track season and the first day of practice for his senior cross country campaign, he logged about 900 of them. That’s an average of about 10 per day.

It’s a bit head-shaking, even for his coach.

“I’ve never seen a runner put his body through as much as Jed does,” Matt Thornton said. “For his body to be able to handle that, it’s phenomenal. He showed up for summer runs, but the majority of his work was on his own.

“He’s a student of cross country. He studies plans and he puts together workouts, and I trust him completely to do what’s best for him.”

So in a sense, Osgood — as many cross country runners are — is a self-made star.

He’s the latest of a series of elite runners that Marion has produced in the last few years.

There’s Myles Bach. Jeremy Fopma. Shane Erb.

The best? Thornton didn’t hesitate.

“It’s Jed,” he said.

In build and in demeanor, Osgood is somewhat of a replica of former Linn-Mar star Josh Evans. Self-confident, yes, but outwardly quiet and unassuming. Whatever you call the polar opposite of “brash.”

“He’s a super kind kid,” Thornton said. “He’s so well balanced. There’s nothing negative, nothing arrogant about him. He’s an easy kid to like and enjoy.”

So when he tells you that he intends to win — the gun for the Class 3A boys’ race will be triggered at 11:15 a.m. Saturday at Lakeside Golf Course — you nod your head and take note.

Osgood certainly was a very good runner as a junior. He finished fifth at the state meet last year while Erb — now at Wartburg College — finished third.

“Shane and me, that was a fun combo,” Osgood said. “But it was frustrating that he had more of a kick than I did.”

So, in addition to piling up the miles last summer, he made acquaintances with the weight room.

“That completed him,” Thornton said. “You don’t want a runner to bulk up, but you want him to get those muscles moving around to create more explosiveness.”

Osgood said, “I wanted to get a little stronger, fix any imperfections that I had.

“I feel the strongest I’ve ever felt. I never feel like I’m just trying to survive. Instead, I try to increase the pace.”

One of Osgood’s most memorable races of the season came at Seminole Valley Park on Sept. 23. Running with Cedar Rapids Kennedy’s Miles Wilson for much of the race, Osgood surged late and won it in a school-record 15:02.

“Jed performs his best when there’s somebody with him,” Thornton said. “Miles is proof of that. When it’s usually just you and the (lead vehicle), it can get kind of boring. But when you have somebody like Miles pushing you, it makes a huge difference.”

He’ll have company at the front of the pack Saturday. There’s Chase Lauman and Canaan Dunham of Pella. Isaiah Hammerand of Western Dubuque. Zach Sporaa of North Polk. You never know who might come out of the woodwork.

You’d think major-college coaches would pursue a durable 15-low 5K runner. But it’s been pretty quiet surrounding Osgood. There’s a reason.

Osgood wants to be a youth pastor after college. He intends to attend Ozark Christian College in Joplin, Mo., and will compete in cross country there.

“My dad (Evan) went there,” Jedidiah said. “I have some family from around there. It lines up with what I want to do.

“I’ve been volunteering at my church quite a while. It’s something I am drawn to.”

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com