Gazette MVP: Cloverleaf's Caleb Neville was relentless in rehab to return to cross country course

As cross country season approached, Cloverleaf senior Caleb Neville was unsure if he would be able to compete after having surgery to repair a torn labrum in his hip. Thanks to relentless work throughout the rehabilitation process, Neville returned to running nearly two months earlier than the original prognosis and excelled all the way to taking 18th in a Medina County-best time of 16:05.91 to earn All-Ohio honors at the Division II state meet. In a triumphant finish to his journey, Neville earned his second consecutive Gazette MVP award. "Caleb loves running with his teammates," Cloverleaf coach Garth Gucker said. "What I admired about him was his determination once that was taken away from him. He came to practice every day he wasn't running just to be with his teammates. That showed a lot of leadership. "Then he'd go and do his own workout and rehab. That showed a lot of perseverance. I'm super proud of him for that." Doctors discovered the injury in December after Neville experienced pain in his hip during a run. He had surgery in May, and doctors told him it could be early November before he would run again. Unsatisfied with that answer, Neville pushed under the guidance of his doctor and physical therapist to get his hip ready. Once he was cleared, Neville woke up around 5 a.m. to get a run in before school. He then attended school and physical therapy, along with whatever else he had going on. Instead of returning in November, Neville made his season debut at the Wooster Invitational on Sept. 6, taking 24th in 16:34.86. He missed the Colts' first three races. "I knew (the surgery) was going to be pretty extensive," Neville said. "I'll be honest, the time frame they gave me wasn't looking very promising for the season. I was trying to work really hard just to get a season." As hard as the physical part of the rehabilitation was, the mental part was even more taxing. "It was mentally trying," Neville said. "You don't know what the future is going to hold, so you just try to stay optimistic. Everything's a challenge when you're getting used to walking, to running all over again. You try to keep your hopes up that you can come back and finish a good season." Neville's season wasn't good. It was great. Following his debut at Wooster, Neville helped the Colts win the Belpre Invitational, taking 14th in 17:26. That was the last time he took worse than 11th, which he took at the Todd Clark Invitational and Boardman Regional, until state. Neville was fifth at Medina's Milt Place Festival (16:08.49), third at the Metro Athletic Conference Championships (16:22), where Cloverleaf was runner-up to Division III state champion Woodridge, and fifth at the Lorain County Community College District (17:04.94). "He loves high-level competition meets," Gucker said. "He always performs his best. He loves being in competitive environments and just seeing how good he can be. "He's the easiest kid I've ever had to coach on race day. He just wants to go race." Ask Neville and he'll be the first to say it isn't all about him. His teammates drove him to be better, and they were the reason he pushed so hard to get back on the course. In fact, he was far more proud of what his teammates were able to accomplish and the personal records they set than his own times. "The team is the whole reason I was able to do it," he said. "They are the anchor for me to cross country. They're the reason I go out there and try my best. Those are my brothers out there. "Being able to perform for them was my highest priority. Because they gave so much energy to me, I only thought it right to give it back to them with the best that I could." It was his love of his teammates that got the easygoing Neville to make a bet with his teammates that he later paid off by letting them shave his trademark long-flowing locks after he again qualified for the state meet. Sporting his new look, Neville became Cloverleaf's first three-time All-Ohioan after taking 27th the past two seasons. "Caleb has been an unbelievable performer at the state meet," Gucker said. "He has been rock solid. He always puts himself at the state meet in position to be successful. "He put himself out there with the leaders and stayed super relaxed those first two miles. The last mile, he fought like mad to just hang on. He was hurting the last mile. He was running out of his fitness level, but showed so much determination to fight for that All-Ohio position." Much like the rest of this season and his cross country career, Neville was able to run so fast because of the support of the people behind him that helped push him. "I want people to know I didn't do this alone," he said. "I have so many people to thank, my family, my parents haven't missed a meet ever. My team has been so important to me. I've got some of the best coaches in the state. I've had supportive teachers and friends. My surgeon, my therapist, so many people have come around me to support me." Contact John Urchek at jurchek@medina-gazette.com.