Derek Amicon, a senior on the Cornell University track team, is a product of the cross country and track programs at Grandview Heights High School. While a Bobcat, he was the OHSAA state champ in cross country and was named as the MVP of both teams. He left GHHS holding three school records.

As a member of the Big Red squad, he has become a steeplechase specialist. On Sunday, he went from third to first in the last 100 meters of the 3,000m race at the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships at Yale’s Dwyer Track in New Haven, Conn. to capture the meet’s gold medal. His time in the grueling event was 8:59.66.

In October, Amicon was named the Ivy League men’s cross country athlete of the week after finishing first overall in the 8k at the Harry Anderson Invitational with a time of 24:10.4. His 8k personal-best time broke the course record by 27 seconds.

Amicon’s sister, Nina, also a Grandview alum, competes as a distance runner for DePaul University as a grad student. Cornell will host a Last Chance Twilight meet before the NCAA East Preliminaries on May 28-31 in Jacksonville, Fla.