Things were going pretty well for Ocean City High School senior Ryan Birchmeier this year.

He finished second behind teammate Brett Johnson in the South Jersey Group 3 Cross Country championship during the fall, then repeated that effort with a second place in the state meet.

In the winter, during the indoor track season, he won the first-ever South Jersey Group 3 championship in the 1600 meters and then went on to win the state Group 3 title. He finished second in the Meet of Champions at the Bennett Center in Toms River.

And he decided to do his college running at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.

Then came the pop.

“I was running in practice and I heard a pop,” said Birchmeier. “I said ouch and I started pounding the ground. As soon as it happened I kind of saw the whole season fade away, like I was going to be sitting out. It made me mad so I was pounding the ground and yelling.”

The “pop” was his hamstring. Originally thought to be pulled, further tests have shown it to be torn. And that meant his original fears were correct – his outdoor track season was over.

“Ryan is a great athlete,” said Ocean City High School’s first-year boys track coach Matt Purdue. “He is one of the best distance runners in the state and it really was a blow to lose him for the season. Sure, we still have Brett Johnson, who is as good as anybody in New Jersey, but they both made each other better.”

Currently Birchmeier is in the first stages of physical therapy. “We’re doing it three times a week,” he said, “and I’m hoping to get back by late June or early July. We’ll try to get into the pool to train before the summer and do some light running. Then I’ll be working hard to get in shape as quickly as possible for the cross country season at St. Joes. If this lasts deep into July, I’ll have to start talking to them about possibly red shirting.”

Despite being unable to compete, Birchmeier is the Ocean City team captain and he takes that job seriously. “He is a positive influence on the team,” said Purdue, “especially the younger athletes. He pays attention to what is happening, both at meets and at practice, and he knows just what to say.” Last week, at the Cape May County meet, he was talking to Ocean City athletes between races, congratulating those who won and making sure those who didn’t finish first knew they still contributed points to what would become another Raider county championship.

“I’m trying to help out the team any way I can,” said Birchmeier. “It’s great that Brett is having a breakout year. That is both fun to watch and somewhat frustrating not to be out there, too. As far as the injury goes, I’m just taking it – there is nothing you can do but take it and make the best of things.

“It hasn’t been the ideal spring for me, personally. But the team has been doing well and I’m very happy for them, very happy to be part of this team. We’ve got a lot of young athletes so it looks like we’ll be doing well for years to come.”

The Raiders compete in the Cape-Atlantic League Meet on Thursday and, on Memorial Day weekend, will be part of the NJSIAA South Jersey Group 3 Meet in Buena. Ryan Birchmeier won’t be running in those meets, battling with Brett Johnson and pushing him along while scoring points for Ocean City.

But he will be on the scene, cheering and encouraging his teammates to their best efforts. That, after all, is what a good captain does.