IVENTICHEV: RUNNING FOR HISTORY

Placed on a four-year plan by Friends head coach Ken Fowler, Russian born Grisha Iventichev will make his run at the MIAA individual cross country crown on Nov. 7 at Oregon Ridge.

by Alejandro Danois

Grisha Iventichev is attempting to become the first runner representing
a MIAA B Conference school to win the individual MIAA cross country
title. The Friends School senior is undefeated in the league and
considered the top contender heading into next month’s championship race
(Nov. 7) at Oregon Ridge.

â??Grisha simply loves running,â? said Friends coach Ken Fowler. â??Itâ??s the
first and last thing he thinks about every day. Heâ??s always asking,
â??how much more can I do to improveâ?? and loves the competitive,
one-on-one nature of it.â?

In late August of 1999, Iventichev moved to the United States from
Ivanov, Russia, a city roughly the size of Baltimore located 300
kilometers northeast of Moscow. Two weeks after his arrival, he was
overwhelmed when he stepped foot into an American school for the first
time.

â??I was ten years old and didnâ??t know any English,â? said Iventichev.
â??The only thing I was able to say is, â??Hi, my name is Grisha and I
canâ??t speak English.â?? School was very difficult because of the language
barrier and I had no idea what was going on.â?

He joined a soccer team that fall, which helped ease the transition.

When the 2007 MIAA Cross Country Championships get underway on Wednesday afternoon at Oregon Ridge, Grisha Iventichev of Friends will be running for history, as he attempts to become the first runner from the MIAA B Conference to capture the overall individual title.

â??I was able to communicate and socialize with people through the sport and I couldnâ??t do that through language.â?

Iventichev applied himself in the confusing world of school, learning new words and studying as best he could every day. He spoke Russian at home with his family, but in less than two years became fluent in English.

On the soccer field, Iventichev found that he could run up and down for hours without getting tired. His father, a former college track athlete who competed in the 800 and 1500 meters, began coaching and instructing him on the nuances of distance running. The two would work out together, mixing short distance bursts, hills and long distance runs.

By the eighth grade, he traded in his soccer cleats and began competing in cross country.

â??As a freshman, even though he was very small at 5-foot-4, he was running very well,â? said Fowler. â??He was our number two runner and the biggest challenge I had was holding him back and not letting him do too much, too soon. He had the mindset that he wanted to do more but I wanted to look at it as a four year project and not burn him out the first year.â?

During his sophomore year, Iventichev became the B Conferenceâ??s top runner. He provided a glimpse of his potential and innate drive at the conference championships.

At the inception of the race, Iventichev felt good, quickly establishing a comfortable rhythm on the challenging course at Oregon Ridge.

â??I didnâ??t expect anything from that race as a sophomore because I was running against the big guys, they were all seniors, and I didnâ??t know what was going to happen,â? said Iventichev.

Before reaching the two-mile mark, he felt strong, started moving up and left the bulk of the competition behind during the uphill run.

â??At that point, I said Iâ??m just going to go for it and went all out,â? he said.

Iventichev hung behind the three leaders and eventually caught one runner near the end of the last mile. He finished the race third in 16:35, placing third overall.

â??The time that he ran on that course, for a sophomore, was amazing,â? said Fowler. â??Weâ??d seen him all through the year doing well in the B Conference races but that was the first time he stepped up against the big boys.â?

Two days before last yearâ??s championships, Iventichev came down with flu like symptoms. He showed up at the start line with a high fever, feeling very sick. The strength that he exhibited the year before was nowhere to be found, but he still managed to be the first B Conference runner to finish, placing 11th overall.

â??I felt weak during the entire race and was happy just to finish,â? said Iventichev.

He competed as a one man team last winter during the indoor season because Friends does not have a track program. A hip injury forced him to sit out the outdoor season, where he looks forward to running the 1600 and 3200 meters, and even possibly the 800 in the spring.

This fall, Iventichevâ??s only cross country defeat came at the elite Bull Run Invitational. He placed second, competing against top runners from schools in Maryland, Delaware and Virginia.
Last week, he injured his Achilles during a practice run. Competing in bulky, heavy training shoes at the meet hosted by Severn High School, held at Anne Arundel Community College, he still managed to place first.

Fowler is nearing the end of the four year project that is Iventichevâ??s development as a runner. The limitations of three years ago, where the coach would not allow his talented freshman past eight mile runs, have given way to twelve mile intervals and back to back hard workouts. On weekends, the coach and athlete can be found running together on McDonoghâ??s track, working to push Iventichev towards the next goal.

â??As good as he is now, Grishaâ??s going to improve more in college when he gets around like minded athletes that are as serious, and enjoy running as much as he does,â? said Fowler.

â??I canâ??t wait to get to college and run with people who are excited and enjoy running in a similar way,â? said Iventichev, whoâ??s eyeing Dickinson and LaSalle, among other schools.

Before that, thereâ??s the simple matter of making history at this weekâ??s MIAA Cross Country Championships.

â??I want to do my best and try to stay healthy,â? said Iventichev. â??I want to win and become the first B conference runner to win the league championship, thatâ??s my goal.â?