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Newark’s Stare raised standards, never accepted less than best

kurt snyder, newark advocate
·4 min read

NEWARK — Gwen Stare’s decision to run cross country for the first time her senior year paid off in many ways. One day in October, however, stood out above the rest.

Stare led Newark to its first Ohio Capital Conference-Buckeye Division championship, joining teammates Nadia Liesen, Allison Dietz, Kennedy Firth, Makenzie Adams, Amelia Bone and Ava Woodburn. She also was the individual champion.

“It was a challenge, and I definitely learned a lot from it. I grew a lot from it, too,” Stare said. “It was a great feeling, and I was really happy just for the team because I know how hard they work at it and how much it means to them. I was really excited to just add to that and experience that with them.”

Newark's Gwen Stare and Allison Dietz talk following the Ohio Capital Conference-Buckeye Division race, which was won by the Wildcats in October. Stare is The Advocate Female Athlete of the Year.
Newark's Gwen Stare and Allison Dietz talk following the Ohio Capital Conference-Buckeye Division race, which was won by the Wildcats in October. Stare is The Advocate Female Athlete of the Year.

Stare later reached the state meet, becoming the first Newark female athlete to compete in a state competition in three sports. She finished off an outstanding basketball career in the winter and placed third in the 800 during the Division I state track championships, earning her second All-Ohio honor.

Stare is the The Advocate Female Athlete of the Year.

“Gwen has higher expectations for herself than anyone,” Newark track coach Marc Montella said. “Gwen has grown as a runner the past four years due to hard work, and her desire to be great will help her continue to grow as she moves on to running at the next level.”

Stare, who is headed to the University of Cincinnati to run track and potentially cross country, also led Newark in the fall to its first regional meet since 1999. Her 12th-place finish through thick mud in the regional meet made her the first state qualifier in program history.

Stare set the Newark school record several times, setting it last at 18:44.0 during the district meet. She finished 79th in the state meet.

“Gwen has incredible determination each day, and she never failed to be a great example for the team,” Dietz said. “She has set the bar high in both running ability and what it means to be a kind, supportive and reliable teammate.”

Newark's Gwen Stare, who was a standout basketball player for the Wildcats, is The Advocate Female Athlete of the Year.
Newark's Gwen Stare, who was a standout basketball player for the Wildcats, is The Advocate Female Athlete of the Year.

The basketball season was one of transition for Newark with coach Jack Eifert moving up a seat on the bench to replace J.R. Shumate after the Wildcats finished as Division I state runner-up in 2021.

Stare helped the Wildcats to a 18-7 record against a schedule that included eventual state champion Reynoldsburg twice and perennial national power IMG Academy. Stare stuffed the stat sheet and was named to the Division I Central District third team.

“I have always tried to lead by example and tried to do that the best that I could,” Stare said. “I feel like it was a work in progress for us throughout the season to try to get on the same page. I tried my best to really just work hard for the team like I always had, but I realized I needed to step up just a little bit more into that role. I feel like I could have done a little bit better with it, too.”

It is rare Stare ran an event on the track in which she did not set a Newark record. She leaves the program with the top marks in the 800 (2:13.14), 1,600 (5:16.36) and 3,200 (11:35.88) and was a part of the record-setting 3,200 relay (9:46.87) last season.

Gwen Stare, who became the first Newark female to compete in state events in three sports, will run collegiately at the University of Cincinnati. She is The Advocate Female Athlete of the Year.
Gwen Stare, who became the first Newark female to compete in state events in three sports, will run collegiately at the University of Cincinnati. She is The Advocate Female Athlete of the Year.

Stare helped the 3,200 relay reach the regional meet for the first time since 2013. At the state meet, she moved up the podium from 2021, bettering her finish from fifth to third, and her time of 2:13.71 was not far off the aforementioned personal-best 2:13.14 she ran the year before.

”I was excited to be with my team senior year, and having my brother (Ethan) run was a ton of fun,” Stare said. “I was really glad to be able to work with them and try to improve myself. I am always striving to get better than where I am at.”

That fire burning within Stare will benefit her as she takes her next step. Cincinnati is making the jump into the unforgiving Big 12 beginning with the 2023-24 school year just 12 months from now.

“I am always trying to do better than what I am, so obviously running a faster time would have been nice or even trying to get to that first place to take home that championship for the 800,” Stare said. “It would have been ideal, but it’s definitely going to motivate me a lot going into college.”

ksnyder@newarkadvocate.com

740-973-4541

Twitter: @newarkurt

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2021 Jenna Lucas, Watkins Memorial

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2019 Samantha Basham, Newark Catholic

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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Newark’s Gwen Stare raised standards, never accepted less than best