‘I have to hold myself accountable’: How gymnastics shaped Gahanna cross country’s Abigail Young
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
By Michael Rich
mrichnotwealthy@gmail.com
Gahanna senior Abigail Young won the Dan Reid Invitational at Whitehall Community Park Saturday. Photo: Kevin Rouch
Cross country is like a marriage of individual pursuit to achieve and a greater good for the team. Abigail Young is the personification of that alliance.
It’s a combination that the Gahanna senior picked up from another athletic endeavor … gymnastics.
Young helped the Lions win their first state championship last fall, finishing 11th of 179 runners at 18 minutes, 21.49 seconds in the Division I meet.
“Gymnastics taught me everything about discipline in sports,” Young said. “It taught me that if I want something bad enough, I have to work for it. I know cross country is a team sport. But in the end, it really matters how you run individually and gymnastics is kind of like that too.
“So, I think being in that environment, where it’s you against yourself, kind of shaped me from a really young age to say, ‘Hey, I have to hold myself accountable.’”
Young is the top returning runner for Gahanna along with classmates Dylan Yost (50th, 19:27.14) and Rebecca Shope (151st, 20:52.06), and junior Jillian Gomez (23rd, 18:43.95).
Head coach of the Gahanna girls cross country team, Ryan Callihan talks to his runners prior to the Dan Reid Invitational Saturday in Whitehall. Photo: Kevin Rouch
The Lions scored 81 points to beat out 19 other teams, including central Ohio programs Hilliard Davidson (second, 136), Olentangy Liberty (fourth, 211), Upper Arlington (sixth, 230), Teays Valley (eighth, 243), Dublin Jerome (10th, 270), Lancaster (11th, 277) and Dublin Coffman (19th, 352).
Gahanna was led by 2026 graduates Ruby Lewis (sixth, 18:06.65), who now competes at Ohio State, and Olivia Smeck (24th, 18:44.90), who is a freshmen runner at Dayton.
While gymnastics gave Young some tools, it also held her back as a runner. She had been doing gymnastics since she was 5 years old, so giving it up in the summer of 2025 was a difficult decision.
“I was going straight from school to a 3:30 (cross country) practice, which ended at 6 and then gymnastics was from 6 to 9. So, I wouldn’t have time to do homework or hang out with my friends,” Young said. “I just felt like I had a future in running, and I really enjoyed the team environment of cross country. That’s really what made me choose between (them).”
The Gahanna trio of (from left) freshman Lillian Dahlman (3rd), senior Abigail Young (1st), and sophomore Claire LaCross (2nd) were the top three finishers at the Dan Reid Invitational Saturday. Photo: Kevin Rouch
Lions coach Ryan Callihan has noticed the difference.
“Her freshman and sophomore years … she was just tired,” said the sixth-year coach. “She ran well all things considered. She retired (from gymnastics) last summer and immediately started dropping time for cross country and just felt fresh. She’s a motivated young lady and she’s one of the smoothest runners we’ve ever had.”
Without the physical toll that gymnastics took on Young’s body, Young set a personal best at 18:04.6 at the Celtic Clash early last season. She finished third (18:37.6) at the OCC-Ohio meet and eighth (18:13.4) at regional.
Young also ran in the NXR Midwest Regional Championships after the state meet last fall where she was 43rd (18:14.5).
“A big thing our team talks about is making sure we utilize running in all aspects of our life,” Young said. “Making sure to have time to rest and recover. I feel like I was able to do that and over the course of last season, the times just kept getting faster and faster. In the middle of the season, I was just like, ‘Oh my gosh, I feel so much better.’ My legs just felt so fresh and it’s been great ever since.”
The Gahanna girls’ cross country team saw two of its 2026 graduates go on to college competition: Ruby Lewis (left) is at Ohio State and Olivia Smeck is at Dayton. Photo: John Hulkenberg
Aside from the four returners from state, the Lions got off to a strong start by winning the Dan Reid Invitational in Whitehall on Aug. 29. Young was first (19:40.4), along with sophomore Claire LaCross (second, 20:18.0) and freshman Lillian Dahlman (third, 21:06.9).
Callihan said the physical part of the season won’t change too much after winning a state title. But the message may be a little different.
“It’s not the same every year because the team changes,” Callihan said. “The way I approach workouts is going to be the same and most of my calendar is the same. But it’s always different with the dynamics of your kids each year. That’s the biggest thing with us is how (I can) present it to the girls so they feel successful when we get to these races.”
Young, meanwhile, is also trying to figure out her next step in life. She wants to run in college, and she wants to pursue a medical degree. Figuring out where is the most difficult part.
“I really do like a lot of schools, so it’s up in the air right now,” Young said. “(It’s) kind of driving me crazy. I’m definitely the type of person that just needs to get this figured out. It’s definitely been a bit of a back and forth. But we’re making it through.”
Gahanna fans cheered their girls team on to victory at the Dan Reid Invitational at Whitehall Community Park Saturday. Photo: Kevin Rouch