As a whole, recent Shawnee State graduate
Mason Blizzard has been a part of the Shawnee State cross country and track and field family for the last five years overall -- and has essentially been helping both programs as a student assistant throughout the 2024-25 campaign.
Now, Blizzard's loyalty, work ethic and appreciation to the county and place that is his home is being rewarded.
The 24-year old, a South Webster alum, has been promoted to the lead assistant position inside the Shawnee State cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field programs, as announced by Shawnee State Director of Cross Country and Track and Field Conner Flynn and Shawnee State Athletic Director Gerald Cadogan Thursday.
"Being part of the coaching staff that helped shape me into the runner I was means the world to me," Blizzard said. "This staff has always made it clear that they care deeply about their athletes, prioritizing both their well-being and performance. I couldn't be more excited to contribute to such a supportive and driven environment."
In high school, Blizzard was an important scoring piece for South Webster's cross country and track programs right away. In 2016, Blizzard helped South Webster win the SOC Cross Country Championship with his performance as a scorer on the unit, then scored four top-five finishes during the spring season on the track, and teamed with Ethan Lore, Michael Andrews and Paul Hagen to collect a third-place finish in the SOC Meet in the 4-by-800 Meter Relay (9:04.5) and a first-place 4-by-800 Meter Relay finish at the OHSAA Division III Southeast District Championships by running an 8:41.85 at the district level. South Webster's boys track unit also won a conference championship for their efforts.
As a sophomore, Blizzard continued progressing as a runner, finishing sixth overall in the 2017 SOC Meet by running a time of 18:09 to collect First-Team All-SOC honors as a result and bettering his district championship cross country time by nearly two full minutes in a year's time en route to a 18:53 and a 32nd place finish overall as a sophomore.
That same spring, Blizzard proved himself as a strong performer in the 800 and 1600 meter runs. Following five top-seven finishes during regular season and conference championship competition between the two distance running events, Blizzard turned up the heat in both events at the 2018 OHSAA Division III Southeast District Championships, winning the Division III Southeast District Championship in the 1600 meters (4:41.14) and notching a seventh-place showing in the 800 meters (2:09.12) to qualify for regional competition in both events, where he scored top-15 finishes in both competitions.
As a junior in 2018, Blizzard bumped up his performance even further, finishing 28th after posting a time of 19:33 at the OHSAA Division III Southeast District Meet. He followed that performance with four runner-up finishes and two regional qualifications between the 800 and 1600 meters by placing eighth (2:08.96) and fourth (4:42.26), respectively, in those events, and at the Division III, Region 11 Meet, Blizzard ran a 4:41.38 in the 1600 to finish eighth and a 2:07.37 in the 800 to finish 12th. Blizzard closed out his career with a 13th place finish at the SOC Championship last fall and a 35th place finish (18:39) in the Division III Southeast District Championship, earning Second-Team All-SOC honors for his performance in the former.
"Growing up and competing in the South Webster system shaped me in countless ways," Blizzard said. "It taught me the importance of showing respect to others, helped me develop mental toughness, and instilled in me a strong sense of drive. I also learned how to collaborate and work effectively with a variety of people. South Webster played a major role in my growth, both as an athlete and as a person, and I'm grateful for the foundation it provided."
At Shawnee State, Blizzard proved to be a contributor from the early portion of his career -- in the distance medley relay and the 4-by-800 meter relay, in particular.
In his first outdoor championship appearance in 2021, Blizzard was a part of a 4-by-800 relay rotation -- alongside Aiden Kammler,
Aidan Judd, and TJ Hoggard -- that earned Third-Team All-Mid-South Conference honors, and in the 2022 Mid-South Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships, Blizzard was a part of the distance medley relay team -- alongside Kammler, Landen Smith and Thryceton Deckard -- that won the conference title, picking up First-Team All-MSC honors as a result.
Later on in the Spring of 2022, Blizzard teamed with Kammler, Smith and Deckard again to lay down a time of 7:48.82 to finish as the Mid-South Conference Runner-Up and nab Second-Team All-MSC honors as a result in the 4-by-800 meter relay, qualifying for the 2022 NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championship Meet in the process.
While injuries ultimately closed Blizzard's door on competing as a student-athlete, they opened the door for another path.
Blizzard, who just obtained his bachelor's degree in marketing and finished in good academic standing with a GPA above 3.0, has spent the last academic year as a student assistant on staff while helping the Shawnee State Athletic Department by making gameday graphics and shooting video highlights of track and field athletes competing in various events. Blizzard also contributed to the end-of-the-year video for the Shawnee State Athletic Awards Ceremony, a first-of-its-kind production at SSU.
Coaching-wise, Blizzard helped the Shawnee State defend its River States Conference Championship crown by helping the Bears prepare to win the event, which took place at Angel Mounds State Park in Evansville, Ind. in 2024.
Isaiah Lanoy finished 68th at the 2024 NAIA National Championship Meet while
Trevor Lanoy (88th) and
Dylan French (93rd) also finished inside the top-100 overall.
Between the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons, Blizzard has worked with 10 NAIA National Championship qualifiers already this season -- including Olivia Cisco, Natalie Brammer,
Alan Austin,
Eli Adkins,
Cody Hesler,
Dylan French,
Luke Rader,
Isaiah Lanoy,
Kaiden Lanoy and
Trevor Lanoy -- with one meet remaining until the 2025 NAIA National Outdoor Track and Field National Championships commence. Hesler,
Isaiah Lanoy,
Kaiden Lanoy and
Trevor Lanoy each were national qualifiers in the distance medley relay -- the very event Blizzard excelled in early on in his own Shawnee State running career.
"Working with Coach Flynn has been an incredibly rewarding experience," Blizzard said. "I believe we collaborate extremely well and share a strong commitment to the growth of the Cross Country and Track & Field program. We're consistently aligned in our goals, always striving to create a positive and high-performance environment for our athletes. We take pride in the progress we've made and do everything we can to support our athletes," Blizzard said. "Beyond the physical aspect, I place a strong emphasis on mental toughness because at this level, it's essential. The body will only go where the mind is willing to push it. I always remind our athletes that they are tougher than they think because they truly are."
With Blizzard holding a role of greater fixture on the staff for the 2025-26 campaign on forward, the hope for the Southern Ohio product is to continue building on the diversity of event qualifications that Shawnee State has found in recent times, while also continuing to follow and build upon the #run4ssu mantra that has become a staple within the program.
"My main hope for the program moving forward, alongside the rest of the coaching staff, is to build a Cross Country and Track & Field team that finds success in multiple forms," Blizzard said. "I want to see our athletes united in their commitment to hard work and consistent progress. So far, it's been encouraging to see that our athletes are fully bought in, and that shared determination hasn't been an issue. Another key hope I have is to ensure this program provides a meaningful and enjoyable experience for the athletes," Blizzard said. "I want every athlete to look back on their time here and be able to say, 'That was fun.' More than just focusing on performance, I want our athletes to know that their coaching staff genuinely cares about who they are as people. Creating a positive and supportive environment is just as important as the results we chase."
