CLARENCE, N.Y. — If you know Tom and Donna Frantz of Clarence, it may be a good idea not to call the house on Thursday night. They will be watching their grandson attempting to make the U.S. Olympic Track and Field team.
The grandson is 18-year-old Hobbs Kessler. He just graduated from Skyline High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Kessler is also arguably the best prep middle distance runner in the nation, specializing in the 800 and 1500 meter races.
“Both of his parents are coaches at the high school coaching track. So, they have some experience,” explained Tom Frantz.
And Kessler’s mother, Serena, was enshrined in the Clarence High School Wall of Fame because of her running abilities that landed her in the marathon qualifier for the 2012 Olympics games, but did not earn a spot on the U.S. team.
What makes Kessler’s ascension as an Olympic contender so remarkable is not just his young age, but also that for years running was not the sport he was focusing on. It was climbing.
“He went to the international climbing championships in Italy representing the United States, one of the top three climbers in 2019,” said Tom Frantz.
But the COVID pandemic pushed Kessler in another direction.
“When everything shut down last spring and their climbing gym shut down, running was something that he could do," said Donna Frantz.
And Kessler got really good at running, very quickly.
In February, he broke the national high school record for the indoor mile. Then, just three weeks ago, Kessler was invited to compete in the 1500 meter at the Portland Track Festival. Up against some of the best runners in the country, Kessler finished fifth, but broke the national high school record and in doing so, qualified for the Olympic trials.
Just last week, Kessler graduated from high school and has accepted an offer to run at Northern Arizona University next fall.
While Kessler may be a bit of a longshot to land a spot on the U.S. team for the Tokyo games, his grandparents think the young man is in a no-lose situation.
“He’s so young that no matter what he does now, if he has a bad day, it doesn’t matter because he’s so young he’ll have many good days down the road,” said Tom Frantz.
And the 2024 Paris Games are right around the corner.