Cross country: Area girls excel at state meet

Sports High School Sports Top Stories Facebook X Pinterest WhatsApp OBETZ – The Minster girls’ cross-country program plans its annual trip to the state meet every year. Counting this season, the Minster girls’ cross-country program has now competed at the Ohio High School Athletic Association Cross Country State Championships for 28 consecutive years. At Saturday’s OHSAA Cross Country State Championships at Fortress Obetz and Memorial Park, Minster finished as the state runner-up in Division IV. Liberty Center won the Division IV team title with 112 points, while Minster scored 145 points. Grandview Heights (149), Rittman (185) and Fort Loramie (215) rounded out the top five teams in a field of 24. Leading the way for Minster on Saturday was Joanna Topp with an eighth-place finish in a time of 18 minutes, 37.1 seconds on the 5,000-meter course around Fortress Obetz and Memorial Park. Freshman Elizabeth Niekamp was right behind Topp, placing ninth in 18:40.5. Rounding out the seven runners for Minster included Claire Bohman (12th, 18:48.1), Olivia Blindauer (76th 20:05.7), Ava Colter (128th, 21:03.9), Catelyn Cedarleaf (132nd, 21:09.3) and Cara Bornhorst (156th, 21:38). For Minster senior Claire Bohman, Saturday was her final high school cross-country race. Bohman will compete in track this spring. “It’s crazy. I have basically worked six years for this. And it feels so good to be here together with my team for one last time,” Bohman said. “Before today’s race I was talking to the girls, and I said, ‘No matter what happens today, I’m so proud of you girls. And you girls have worked so hard.’ I’m just so proud of them.” Longtime Minster girls’ coach Jessie Magoto added, “They are a great group. Claire (Bohman) has just been a beast for us. She’s been so consistent. With being our only senior competing in the postseason, she just had to really carry the group. With Joanna (Topp), a junior, she has really stepped it up. She (Topp) is such a fierce competitor. Today, she was on fire. Ellie (Elizabeth Niekamp), a freshman, is such a competitor. I was just really happy. I felt like they were not afraid.” Bohman has committed to compete in cross country and track at the University of St. Francis next school year. In Divisions II, III and IV, runners that placed 1-24 were named First Team All-Ohio. Placers 25-48 were named Second Team All-Ohio. Celina’s Miesse places second in Division II Celina sophomore Elle Miesse gave it a run on Saturday, as she stayed in the hunt for the entire Division II race, and finished second in a time of 17:44.5. Sylvania Southview’s Julia Bocik won in 17:37.7. “I’m really happy,”” Miesse said. “God has been so good to me. I cannot even believe that I’m here. I’m just so blessed. At the beginning of the year, I had no clue that I would be this close. Coming in, I was expecting to get either first or second, but it was whatever God was going to allow me to do. So, I’m really grateful for it.” Teammate Sophie Gudorf finished 105th overall in 19:59.8. “It wasn’t what I was hoping for, but I’m glad I did a lot better than I did last year,” Gudorf said. “We were working really hard for this. We had a specific plan with everything. Elle (Miesse) has been great. It has been a really good environment.” Evans leads the Lincolnview girls Lincolnview freshman Maeleigh Evans led the Lancers on Saturday with a 17th-place finish and a personal best time of 18:58 in Division IV. As a team, the Lincolnview girls placed 18th out of 24 squads. “It’s like so surreal. It’s so amazing and exciting,” Evans said. “I felt a lot stronger than I normally do. And this race, the crowd was so energetic. I could feel it and it helped so much. “I could not ask for a better freshman year. I’m so grateful. I’m so blessed to have this team and coach.” The rest of Lincolnview’s team included Kassidy Hammons (122nd, 20:54), Josie Miller (141st, 21:17), Moriah Bertsch (165th, 21:55), Addie Breese (170th, 22:02.7), Deanna Dearing (203rd, 24:02.8) and Destiny Breese (208th, 24:12.9). O-G girls, Van Wert girls place well in Division III In Division III, the Ottawa-Glandorf girls’ team placed 10th out of 24 teams. Freshman Lily Nienberg placed 31st overall (19:27.6) to lead O-G. “It definitely was not my best race, but I don’t think that I’ve ever kicked that hard,” Nienberg said. “My time was not my best, but the weather was a little different, and the course is a little bit harder than what I’m used to. My legs felt a little tired after that second mile, and I was trying to push through the last mile. My goal was to get first team all-Ohio (she got second team). It didn’t happen, but that’s OK. I have three more years to get it. So, I’m content with it. I’ll just get it next year.” The rest of O-G’s team included Kayt Croy (79th, 20:08.3), Maci Maag (90th, 20:15.8), Brea Recker (96th, 20:19.3), Liana Fortman (120th, 20:37.7), Alivia Schroeder (126th, 20:42.4) and Morgan Ellerbrock (163rd, 21:09.4). The Van Wert girls’ team placed 12th in Division III. Noelle Byrum, a senior, finished 40th overall (19:39) to lead Van Wert. “I’m happy with that, but It wasn’t exactly what I hoped it would be,” Byrum said. “I think I did a pretty good job recovering from that (fast first mile). It was a great way to end the cross-country season.” The rest of Van Wert’s team included Symphony Schuerman (48th, 19:49), Jasleen Sharma (106th, 20:25.8), Ruby Dicke (118th, 20:36.9), Ava Keuneke (134th, 20:49.7), Faith Stoller (169th, 21:17.1) and Whitney Holliday (177th, 21:34.7). For Bath, Penny Francis placed 30th (19:25.5), while teammate Morgan Schrock came in 75th (20:06.2). “I’m so happy with it,” Francis said. “My big goal for today was to walk away from the race, feeling happy. And I couldn’t be happier right now. It was a great day today.” Added Schrock, “I’m happy. It wasn’t quite the time that I was looking for, but I came here to race, and I feel like that’s what I did.” Wapakoneta senior Kenzie Schneider closed out her high school cross country career on Saturday, finishing 83rd overall in 19:46. “I’m definitely not ecstatic about it,” Schneider said. “I was hoping for a school-record day. My PR (personal record) is eight seconds off the record. I thought that today was going to be the day. But based on the conditions, with that hill and the way everyone ran today – I’m not surprised. It was definitely not a bad time for me, though.” ***Complete results from the OHSAA Cross Country State Championships can be found at athletic.net Featured Local Savings