Hebron OH, November 2 - Nearly perfect November weather greeted 541 girls from 168 schools and 550 boys from 182 schools
In the 42nd Girls and 91st Boys Ohio High School athletic Association State Cross Country Championships. Nearly 10,000 fans enjoyed the course which ran in front of the grandstands twice before finishing in front of the grandstands. The six races saw a lot of great racing in perhaps the country’s best High School State Cross Country Championships.
The girl’s Division III started the day of racing with Springfield Central Catholic senior Addie Engle who finished six last year had an eleven second lead as she recorded a 5:16 first mile. She increased her lead by twenty eight seconds with her 11:13 two-mile. Engle went on to hit the finish line tape in a new course record of 17:46.9. Last year’s winner Kinsman Badger’s senior Miranda Stanhope took home runner up honors with her 18:21. West Liberty Salem’s sophomore Megan Adams moved up six spots from 2018 to take the bronze in 18:42. Springfield Central Catholic’s senior Bridget Engel improved thirty spots from last year to finish fourth in 18:44. Liberty Center’s sophomore Hope Oelkrug moved down a spot from 2018 to place fifth in 18:49.
Minster with four runners in the team top nineteen runners earned their fourth consecutive and thirteen State Division III Championships with79 points. West Liberty Salem improved two spots from 2018 to capture the runner up trophy with 89 points. Ft Loramie moved down a spot from last year to finish one point out of second. Liberty Center improved one spot form last year to finish fourth with 160 points. Mount Gilead also had 160 points but lost based on the sixth place finisher.
Gates Mills Hawkins’ junior Ella Gilson and Oakwood’s sophomore Grace Hartman each hit the mile mark in 5:37 in the Division II race. Hartman had a two second lead at the two mile mark with her 11:22. Gilson waited until the final straight away to take the lead again and went on to defend her 2018 title clocking a 17:45.9 to lower the course record. Hartman repeated her 2018 runner up finish with her 17:58. Lexington’s junior Halle Hamilton improved one spot from last year to finish third in 18:10. A pair of Oakwood runners finished next as senior Elizabeth Vaughn moved up six spot from last year to place fourth in 18:20 one second ahead of freshman Bella Butler.
Lexington three peated to win with 83 points. Granville which finished third in Division I last year took home the Division II runner up trophy with 170 points. Tallmadge was third with 175 points. Last year’s runner up Akron St Vincent St Mary was fourth with 184 points while Dayton Oakwood moved up nine spots from last year to finish fifth with 211 points.
Beavercreek’s senior Taylor Ewert ran away from the Division I field at the start and had a twelve second lead at the mile with her 5:18. Ewert widened her lead to nineteen seconds at the two mile 10:58. Ewert easy defended her 2018 title to lower the course record to 17:22. Ewert teammate senior Savannah Roark moved up twenty spots to take home runner up honors with her 17:48. Princeton’s senior Maria Kaylor nipped Toledo Notre Dame Academy’s senior Lauryn Mick by one tenth of a second to finish third in 17:51. Brunswick Emily Bardwell moved down three spots from last year to place fifth in 17:55.
Nationally ranked Beavercreek with four girls in the top seven team places defended their title to win with 51 points. Lakota East moved up three spots from 2018 to capture the runner up trophy with 121 points. Hilliard Davidson moved up five spots from last year to finish third with 132 points. Mason repeated their fourth place finish with 184 points. Medina improved one spot from last year to place fifth with 203 points. Last year’s runner up didn’t run their top runners in the District Championships and failed to make the Regionals.
Grandview Heights’ junior Derek Amicon, East Canton’s Demetri Snellenberger and Ayersville’s senior Noah Fisher all hit the mile mark at 4:53 and the two mile at 10:06 in the Division III race. Amicon and Snellenberger pulled away from Fisher in the final 500 meters before Amicon took the lead in the final 200 meters to win in 15:42. Amicon finished twenty second last year. Snellenberger repeated his 2018 runner up finish with his 15:44. McDonald’s junior Brody Rupe improved nine spots from 2018 to finish third in 15:58. Fisher held on for fourth in 16:06. Belpre’s junior Eli Fullerton moved up one spot from last year to place fifth in 16:09 in a dead heat with Fredericktown’s junior Thomas Fullerton.
Last year’s runner up Cincinnati Summit County Day won the Division III title with 98 points. Mount Gilead improved three spots from last year to take home the runner up trophy with 112 points. East Canton repeated their third place finish from last year scoring 141 points. McDonald repeated their fourth place finish from 2018 scoring 185 points. Cedarville moved up eleven spots form last year to place fifth with 200 points.
Last year Division II winner Shelby’s senior Caleb Brown had a two second lead at the mile mark with his 4:44 and an eleven second lead at a 9:25 two mile to win in 15:05. Defiance’s senior Mhalicki Bronson captured runner up honors in 15:13. Galion’s senior Braxton Tate improved six spots from last year to capture the bronze in 15:45. Heath’s senior Xavier Foehl moved up twelve spots form last year to finish fourth in 15:48. Peninsula Woodridge’s senior Micah Blair repeated his 2018 fifth place finish with his 15:50.
Peninsula Woodridge with five runners in the top 13 team finishers and 37 points defended their Division II team title to win their ninth team Championships. Unioto improved four spots from 2018 to capture the runner up trophy with 115 points. Heath moved up two spots from last year to finish third with 160 points. Bay Village repeated their fourth place finish scoring 166 points. Defiance placed fifth with 187 points.
Pickerington North senior Matt Duvall, University School’s senior Justin Iler and Uniontown Lake’s junior Nathan Moore recorded a 4:53 first mile and a 9:551 two-mile in the Division I race. Duvall who finished seventh last year pulled away in the final 600 meters to win in 15:13. Moore improved seven spots from 2018 to capture the runner up honor in 15:19. Iler moved up six spots from last year to capture the bronze in 15:25. Dublin Jerome’s senior Elliott Cook improved seven spots from last year to finish fourth in 15:34. St Xavier’s junior Nathan Mountain who finished 66th last year finished fifth in 15:35.
St Xavier (92) finished fourth last year edged Mason (97) to captured the Division I team title for the sixth time. Solon finished third with 211 points. Gahanna Lincoln (227) and Pickerington North (230) each improved four spots from last year to finish fourth and fifth respectfully.
Terry Ortman and his staff did an excellent job of staging the Championships while dealing with a number of issues at National Trail Raceway.