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XC in the Hills -- Counselor Information

Matt Suttle & Brian Polen, Camp Directors
Posted on Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Your Camp Directors, Matt Suttle and Brian Polen, first started running together in Kindergarten in an effort to get away from their female classmates that most certainly had cooties! From there, they competed together in High School and as adults have traveled all over the country running races of all distances and experiencing everything that the running world has to offer. While Matt currently lives in Westerville, OH and Brian lives in Wooster, OH they always are pulled together by their love and passion for the sport of running. Founding XC in the Hills in tandem helps bring to reality a dream that they had been discussing for years, but were both smart enough to know was a project large enough to wait for. What you'll find about this camp is that it will show the personality of the directors...lots of running, lots of... Read more
Your Camp Directors, Matt Suttle and Brian Polen, first started running together in Kindergarten in an effort to get away from their female classmates that most certainly had cooties! From there, they competed together in High School and as adults have traveled all over the country running races of all distances and experiencing everything that the running world has to offer. While Matt currently lives in Westerville, OH and Brian lives in Wooster, OH they always are pulled together by their love and passion for the sport of running. Founding XC in the Hills in tandem helps bring to reality a dream that they had been discussing for years, but were both smart enough to know was a project large enough to wait for. What you'll find about this camp is that it will show the personality of the directors...lots of running, lots of learning, lots of adventure, and a TON of FUN!

Matt left High School and went on to run both Cross Country and Track at Otterbein College from 1998-2002 where he served as team captain for the Cross Country team his Junior and Senior seasons. The leadership skills learned during his collegiate career helped pave the way to Matt's current passion; coaching the Dublin Scioto Women's Cross Country and Track and Field Teams. During his 13 year tenure, the Lady Irish XC teams have earned 10 conference titles, 2 district titles, 6 district runner-ups, 1 regional runner up, 4 state appearances as a team, and 6 individual state appearances. Matt has learned so much through his coaching career working with hundreds of high school athletes and is excited to share that knowledge with those at XC in the Hills.

Brian on the other hand left High School and didn't run at all for another 10 years! In 2008, overweight and out of shape, he decided to make a huge change in his life and signed up for the Akron Marathon without even having gone on one training run. Throughout that summer of marathon training, what he found out about himself and the sport that he had left behind, would change his life forever. What started out as one race turned into many, and he has now run 100's of races ranging from 5k to Marathon to 100 miles and credits the sport of running for everything he has. Originally an engineer by degree, Brian worked for 11 years in the Automotive industry before leaving that career behind to follow his passion. He is now co-owner of a Specialty Running Store, Vertical Runner, with his wife Tammy, and is the Race Director of The Akron Marathon--the race that started it all for him. In addition to those duties, he has trained 100's of adults to accomplish all sorts of running goals from a first 5k to a Boston Marathon Qualifying Marathon and everything in between. He hopes to use his knowledge of how running can effect your life after High School and College to positively impact those who attend XC in the Hills.

Both Matt and Brian are pictured here cruising together at sub 2:50 Marathon pace at the Columbus Marathon in 2013.

Emma McCarron, Counselor
Posted on Friday, July 1, 2017
Emma McCarron is an elite runner who currently lives and trains in Mansfield, OH. She ran collegiately at Capital University where she was a standout on both Track and Cross Country teams. This past April, Emma broke through at the Marathon distance and won the Toledo Marathon with a time of 2:50:12 which now has her crafting a plan to qualify for the Olympic Marathon Trials in 2020. As an inspiration to many adult runners, Marathon Champion, fierce competitor, and mother to the cutest little lady, she brings a ton of experience and energy to XC in the Hills!

Joe Eby, Counselor
Posted on

Name: Joe Eby
Current Hometown:Read more
Name: Joe Eby
Current Hometown: Cleveland
High School: Walsh Jesuit
College: Mount Union
Running Accomplishments: D3 All-American in 1500, 3:45.30 in 1500,1:51.12 in 800, 14:30.00 in 5k
Favorite Running Moment: Personally, being an All-American. Coaching wise, winning a trophy at the 2007 cross country national meet
What excites you most about being a counselor at XC in the Hills: Getting to spread the love of running to the next generation…and watching campers flyoff the tubes on lake day!
Fun Fact: I have a dog named Goose who runs with me every morning we can.

Haley Leber, Counselor
Posted on Monday, July 17, 2017
Haley first began running for Mentor Public Schools on the Middle School cross country team in 7th grade and has continued running since. Her Dad, an avid runner himself, inspired Haley to continue running and being part of teaching others how amazing the sport is as well which led to her joining the XC coaching staff at Dublin Scioto High School. As a spanish teacher at Dublin Scioto as well, she brings an analytical and educational approach to XC in the Hills!

Brent Martin, Counselor
Posted on Monday, July 17, 2017
Brent has been lighting up the local running scene since High School as a standout at Northwestern High School in Wayne County. After High School, he had a strong career at Ohio Northern University helping both the Track and Cross Country teams to great success before continuing his running career as an Elite Athlete specializing in the Half and Full Marathon. With personal best of 14:41 in the 5k, 1:06 in the Half Marathon, and 2:23 in the Marathon, Brent can turn his wheels over and keep those campers at the front of the pack company. As a teacher by degree, key part of his family farm, and Track and Cross Country coach at his Alma Mater, Northwestern High School, he brings a plethora of knowledge and experience to the camp!

Vanessa Robinson, Counselor
Posted on Friday, July 1, 2017
Vanessa Robinson is a graduate of Dublin Scioto High School where she qualified for the State XC meet numerous times before moving on to compete for the University of Cincinnati. A Cross Country and Track Athlete at Scioto, she found the Steeplechase event to fit her skill set the best in College and qualified for Jr Nationals as a freshman. After setting the U of C Freshman record in the Steeplechase and anchoring a school record 4x1500m team, she recently transferred to The Ohio State University for her Junior Season. Having successfully and recently made the transition from High School to College, Vanessa is sure to be an asset for the attendees of XC in the Hills!

Caleb Freeman, Counselor
Posted on Friday, July 1, 2017

Caleb currently lives in Cuyahoga Falls, OH where he went to High School and was an integral part of the XC and Track Programs. He recently completed his Freshman year of College at Walsh University where he currently competes in both Cross Country and Track. While he enjoys the events that he competes at in College, there's no doubt Caleb has an eye to the future as a Half and Full Marathon runner and he certainly enjoys high mileage and long runs. His youth, high energy, and experience with the transition from High School to College will be an asset at XC in the Hills!

Lindsey Beachy
Posted on Friday, July 1, 2016
Lindsey Beachy currently lives in Glenmont, OH where she teaches in the West Holmes School District. A graduate of Ashland University, running was not always her passion as she was a very competitive soccer athlete, but she has found that running, especially Marathon and Ultra-Marathon running, is an amazing way to find balance in your life as an adult. As a soccer coach, teacher, and extreme distance runner (having recently qualified for the Boston Marathon which she will run in 2018), she brings a different but needed perspective to the counseling staff.

Joe Ortiz, Counselor
Posted on Friday, July 1, 2016
Joe Ortiz resides in Wooster, OH currently and after a great High School career at Ashland High School and collegiate career at Ashland University, Joe found his home as an educator and coach in Ashland County at Mapleton High School. Joe finds working with High School athletes to be extremely rewarding and gladly accepts the challenge of having to build a program from the ground up. After numerous trips to the OHSAA State meet with numerous athletes, he is always striving for excellence and will be an asset to the campers at XC in the Hills!

Ariel Young, Counselor
Posted on Friday, July 1, 2017
Ariel Young resides in Dublin, OH and is a graduate of Dublin Scioto High School where she competed in both Track and Cross Country. Now competing at Ohio Christian University in Circleville, OH specializing in the 5k and 10k, and most recently competing in the Marathon where she debuted with a 3:13 finish, she now has numerous conference and All American titles to add to her name. Ariel brings youth, energy, experience, and a relatable personality to the campers at XC in the Hills.

**She also looks A WHOLE LOT like counselor Raven!**

Kevin Beachy, Counselor
Posted on Friday, July 1, 2016
Kevin Beachy lives in Glenmont, OH not too far from Garaway High School where he competed in Cross Country as a High School Athlete. After a great career in both track and cross country at Easter Mennonite University in Virginia, he returned home and is now an educator and Cross Country coach at West Holmes High School where he has made numerous appearances at the OHSAA State meet with his athletes. An accomplished runner himself having won numerous Half and Full Marathons, Kevin brings a lot of experience along with him to XC in the Hills!

Raven Arellano, Counselor
Posted on Saturday, July 1, 2017
Raven Arellano has been running XC and Track since her days at Dublin Scioto High School and hasn't stopped. She had an amazing career at Grace College qualifying for the NAIA Nationals in Cross Country and both Indoor and Outdoor Track. Raven is the current Grace College record holder in the indoor and outdoor 3k, 5k, and 10k and won the Indiana Small School State title in the 10k! She certainly brings youth and exuberance to XC in the hills, but don't think she's a small town girl because she ran at a small college...she is the proud owner of a pet alligator and is also the great grand daughter of Elvis Presley! We're lucky to have her as a counselor!

**Raven also seems to resemble counselor Ariel Young quite a bit!**

Beau Polen, THE BOSS!
Posted on Saturday, July 1, 2017
Beau knows running! He may only be 11, but he's light years ahead of his peers when it comes to attending running events, racing events himself, and spending the day crewing and/or running with his dad at trail races. As an alumni of the 2016 XC in the Hills coaching staff, he brings a ton of experience with him that he plans to share with campers, likely during the camp dance or the day at the beach...someone has to show the campers how to cannonball off of the pontoon boat! The kid has a permanent smile on his face and LOVES to run, so he'll be a definite asset to XC in the Hills!