Gazette MVP: Medina's Tino Ramos committed himself to being top runner

Medina senior Tino Ramos does not run from the grind. He goes directly toward it. The grind, a meticulous method of preparation and routine to ensure he got the best results in every practice and race, is what took Ramos from track and field newcomer when his high school career started to a two-event All-Ohioan this spring at the Division I state meet. It is also what made Ramos the 2023 Gazette MVP in boys track and field. "For our team, it's a lot about mindset and wanting to be good," Ramos said. "My sophomore year there was a big change. We call it the 'grindset'. We saw other teams and runners doing well. We wanted to see how they did it. We figured out it's not that hard. It's just showing up and getting the most out of yourself every day." After qualifying for the state meet in the 800-meter run as a junior, Ramos upped the ante in the event this year by placing fourth in 1:52.75 behind champion Jaxson Eckert (1:50.98) from Olentangy Liberty. That race followed a 4x800 in which Ramos, Dillon Hach, Jake Sebaugh and Evan Kotick (7:45.80) finished second to Cincinnati St. Xavier (7:45.21). Ramos' careful decision-making, from how much sleep to get each night and what foods to eat to how to mentally and physically prepare for each race, put him in position to break the school record in both events of his final high school meet. Medina coach Tobin Stepsis said those daily intentional behaviors are not only contagious throughout the team but draw the respect of teammates. "It's not just about the workouts and things you imagine a great athlete will go through," Stepsis said. "It's his attention to detail to make sure he's recovered for the next day. He takes care of himself so that he can be the best that day and build upon that for tomorrow." Not only does Ramos look to set himself up to be at his best each day, he wants to be there for his teammates as well. That is why he was most excited about finally qualifying in the 4x8 and getting the chance to compete with Hach, Sebaugh and Kotick at the state meet. Ramos said those teammates pushed him every day, the same as he did with them through friendly competition that made sure everyone brought their best every time they stepped on the track. "I'm most proud of our 4x8 making it to state and almost winning it," Ramos said. "I've been on three (4x8) relays and none of them made it past regionals. It was really nice getting to go down with my buddies for the first time." Along with finishing second in the state, that combination of the 4x8 won Greater Cleveland Conference, Brunswick District and Amherst Regional championships and Ramos, Kotick and Hach teamed with Andrew Piehler to set the Berea Relays record (7:54.30). Ramos also won GCC, district and regional titles in the 800 and helped the Bees win the GCC championship by also winning the 1,600 (4:17.00). In addition, Ramos helped Medina set meet records in the 4x1,600 at the Tom Fasko Relays and the distance medley relay at the Amherst Comet Relays while winning a district title in the 4x4. "It's all up to you," Ramos said. "The amount of work you put in is what you're going to get out. If you're not putting in any work, then you're not going to do well. If you're putting in a bunch of work, then you will do well. The best competitors out there have the best drive." All of this came after Ramos helped the Bees finish 10th at the cross country state meet and finished 24th individually at the regional, 15th at the district and fourth in the GCC to help Medina claim district and GCC titles. That is a distinguished resume for a lifelong runner, which makes it all the more remarkable that until midway through his freshman year, cross country was an afterthought and track and field did not even factor into the equation. That changed after a chance encounter with Medina coaching legend and Medina County Sports Hall of Famer Milt Place, which altered the course of Ramos' athletic career and led to a future at the University of Cincinnati. "I started running cross country in the seventh grade because I thought it'd make me better at lacrosse," Ramos said. "Up until the winter of ninth grade, I was going to do lacrosse, but Coach Place convinced me to go out for the track team and give it a try. That's probably one of the best choices I've ever made." The speed, athleticism and range of events that Ramos can excel in are what immediately catches everyone's attention, according to Stepsis, but the way he handles himself is what truly sets him apart from his peers. "He's got such a tremendous gift, but when you talk to him, it's never about him," Stepsis said. "It's about the team and how he can help. He's genuinely a humble and great person. It's great to see an athlete that can have such great success be so open to help other people and help grow our program. He and the other seniors are a huge part of taking our program to the next level." As driven as Ramos is on the track or cross country course, he is just as motivated to excel in other areas. "He's a superior student-athlete as well," Stepsis said. "He's great in the classroom and has outstanding grades. He always has such high goals and he's such an incredible kid." While it was Ramos' attention to detail that drove him to have the high school career he did, he is appreciative of those that helped show him the way, like Stepsis and cross country coach Gus Dudek. "I'd like to thank the coaching staff for the past four years," Ramos said. "Coach Dudek, Coach Stepsis and the rest of the coaches are going to have a very impressive program in the upcoming years. The freshman class should be very impactful by the time they are seniors, even running faster times than me." Contact John Urchek at jurchek@medina-gazette.com.