PORTSMOUTH, Ohio — Shawnee State sophomore Jonah Phillips wasn’t even the best runner on his own high school cross country team.

Phillips ran at Unioto High School in Chillicothe, Ohio where his talent was evident, but his results were lacking, explains high school distance coach Matt Paxton.

Inconsistent training and lapses in motivation led to mediocre finishes for Phillips throughout his high school running career.

However, he demonstrated enough potential that Shawnee State University signed him to the cross country and track team his senior year at Unioto.

Flashing glimpses his first years on campus, Phillips was unable to live up to his potential.

Going into his redshirt sophomore season of 2020, he finally began performing at the level his coaches had expected.

Shawnee State cross country teams opened the season at the Rio Grande Invitational in late September. Phillips won the men’s 8k cross country meet with a time of 26:44. His first-ever collegiate or high school cross country win. This victory also netted him the Mid-South Conference Runner of the Week.

Finally understanding what he was capable of, Phillips came to the next meet with a different perspective.

“With my training and preparation, I had no reason to be nervous. I knew that if I went out and ran hard my body wouldn’t let me down.”

Phillips was correct. With a new level of confidence in his abilities, Phillips entered the Rio Grande Home Meet with lofty expectations. He did not disappoint with another win in 25:59, and another Mid-South Runner of the Week award.

Phillips finished off his cross country season at the Drakes Creek Scramble in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Again, he led the pack with a time of 26:44. He also won his third Mid-South Runner of the Week award.

Having never won a cross country meet in his career, high school or college, Phillips won all three meets his team entered this season.

Following cross country regular season Phillips set his sights on indoor track where he ran at the Kentucky Christian University Ice Breaker Meet in late November.

He placed 2nd in the men’s 5000-meter event with a time of 15:07. This qualified Phillips for the NAIA National Indoor Track and Field Championships.

The NAIA Indoor Track and Field Championships will be held March 4-6 in Brookings, South Dakota.

Success and victories have not always come so easily for Phillips, but this season his work and preparation caught his talent.

Moving forward Phillips hopes to qualify for nationals in cross country and to place well at the indoor nationals.

He stays humble in his pursuits. “I really haven’t won anything yet,” says Phillips.

It has been a long journey for Jonah Phillips to get to the level he is at, but he is certainly not done.

For a young man who has never stood on a victory podium or won a cross country meet, Phillips is certainly off to the start of a good season and hopes to make it commonplace to see him out front.

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