Russell Brothers Keep Freeman A Step Ahead

Three years ago, Freeman High School senior distance runner Joe Russell shattered the tibia and fibula in his left leg during a snowboard accident.

Ever since, his younger brother John has had a leg up when the two compete in distance races.

Still, the two are among the area’s best Class A runners in their events.

Last fall, John and Joe helped Freeman cross country gain credibility by finishing 10th and 15th, respectively, in the State A/B meet.

This spring, John has run school-record times of 1:59.4 in the 800 meters and 4:25.7 in the 1,600. His brother is five seconds behind in the 800 and has run 4:34.5 in the 1,600, which last year would have placed among the top eight in state.

Both run on the school’s 1,600 relay team that has been under 4:40 already and is also a state threat.

They also are academic achievers. Joe is taking advanced placement biology and upper level classes. John is a computer whiz who has been in the Running Start program at Gonzaga University.

“John’s always been focused,” said Freeman coach John Hays of the distance runners. “Joe loves to run. I don’t know if he realized that until this year.”

His accident was a deterrent. It came during an ill-fated attempt off a hand-made jump he and a friend made at his buddy’s house. He got tangled up in a tree and the resultant injury required insertion of a metal plate and six screws to repair the damage.

“It’s not something I’m proud of. It’s kind of humiliating,” the forthright Joe explained. “I figured I could clear the trees easy but didn’t go as high as I thought.”

The accident cost him one year of running and nearly his career.

That one-year edge coupled with a growth spurt, John said, are the reasons he currently has the edge.

“When we were in junior high and did the same sports, he beat me,” John said. “Now he’s lagging behind and I know the plate is what it was.”

His brother disagrees, saying John is better because until this year Joe hadn’t taken distance running seriously.

Before the injury, however, Joe had qualified for district in the 3,200 as a freshman with a solid 10:53.4 time.

John went it alone the next year, qualifying for district in both 1,600 in 4:52.1 and 3,200 in 11:02.3

Last year they were finally together, although Joe wasn’t at full strength.

“The fact that Joe had the guts to come out after what happened is a tribute to his personality and perseverance,” said Hays. “Because of nerve damage, his leg would go numb during races. He ran with a visible catch in his stride.”

This year both runners emerged as top-level runners, which showed in their high state cross country finishes.

“It was the first state competition we’ve even been to,” said John. “I thought it was kind of fun.”

He is bigger than his older brother, having grown six inches to 6-foot-2 and gained 40 pounds to 150 since his freshman year.

“I think getting tall and having a lot more muscle mass had a lot to do with it,” he said of his success.

Joe has stayed on his heels because of an attitude change.

“Probably this is the first year I’ve taken it seriously,” he said. “I had a different attitude about it then. Now I want to run faster.”

The competition between them, say both runners and their coach, has helped push them to lower times. More to the point they are extremely supportive of each other.

During an earlier meet Joe stood by Hays’s side watching John run a race. “He said to me, ‘You know, I just love to watch John run.”’

That’s why, Hays added, he likes their chances when state qualifying meets begin next Saturday.