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Previewing the 2024 high school cross country state meet capsule – Morning Journal
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Previewing the 2024 high school cross country state meet capsule – Morning Journal

Where: Fortress Obetz, 4175 Alum Creek Drive, Obetz, 43207.

Section III

When: November 2. 10 a.m.: Boys; 10:45 a.m.: Girls.

Zone Team Qualifications: None.

Individual Area Qualifiers: (Boys): Andrew Young, Lake Ridge; Joe Fox, Wellington; Christian Gorney, Lake Ridge; Trevor Taylor, Open Door. (Girls): none.

Favorites: Rittman’s Mount Gilead and Luke Snyder for boys; Minster and Rebecca Geiss of Heartland Christian for the girls.

What to watch: There are no regional teams competing in Division III competition, but a handful of area individuals could be in pursuit of earning All-Ohio honors by finishing in the top 30. … While defending champion Mount Gilead appears to be a lock to win the boys title, the girls team championship appears to be up for grabs. Perennial favorite and defending champion Minster have come into their own in recent weeks and now appear to be the team to beat, with Rittman, Cincinnati Madeira, Cincinnati Summit Country Day and West Liberty Salem all expected to be in the hunt. … The individual races have both defending champions in the field, as Geiss edged Cortland Maplewood’s Caleigh Richards last year to prevent her from becoming a four-time state champion, and Snyder won by three seconds. Snyder should have company with Will Baker of Mount Gilead and Landen Eyre of Whiteoak.

Section II

When: November 2. Noon: Boys; 12:45 p.m.: Girls.

Regional team qualifiers: Rocky River boys and Bay boys.

Individual Zone Qualifications: (Boys): None. (Girls): Erin Belveal, Bay; Brooklyn Marriott, Bay.

Favorites: Lancaster Fairfield Union and Andrew Walton of Fairfield Union for boys; Minerva and Sophia Szolosi from Athens for the girls.

What to watch: The big question for the boys race is the state of the Bay Rockets. Top runner Michael Hanselman struggled to finish the race at the regional meet and Connor Spellman ran on flat terrain to put less pressure on his ailing Achilles tendon. If Bay hits full throttle, the top three of Hanselman, Spellman and regional champion Kieran Ripley could compete favorably with the top three of favorite Fairfield Union. It is then a question of knowing which are the fourth and fifth runners who will have the best day. Also in the race is perennial contender Woodridge, who doesn’t have the same strength up front but has a very tight field that only had a 29-second gap last week to win the regional meet. West Liberty Salem and Lexington could also be heard. …The Rocky River boys really came into their own late in the season, finishing ahead of Bay each of the last two weeks. The Pirates were fifth in the state last year in Division I and could very well finish in the top half of the field this week. … Among the girls, defending champion Minerva has been ranked No. 1 all season in the state coaches’ poll, but the Lions were trailed last week by Athens by three points. Minerva has always peaked at state meets, including last year when the Lions were the surprise winner, so expect a repeat. Other regional champions in this area are Hathaway Brown, Dayton Oakwood and Lexington. … Several area boys should be in contention to earn All-Ohio honors with top-30 finishes, including Bay’s top three, as well as Rocky River’s Henry Lange and Ryan Stirm. Only two area girls are in the field, but both Bay girls are well positioned to compete for All-Ohio spots.

Division I

When: November 2. 2:00 p.m.: Boys; 2:45 p.m.: Girls.

Regional team qualifiers: Avon girls, Rocky River girls.

Individual Area Qualifiers: (Boys): Jeremy Snyder, Westlake; Nick Thompson, Avon. (Girls): none.

Favorites: Mason and Eli Ilg of Massillon Jackson for boys; Lancaster and Daniela Scheffler of Uniontown Lake for the girls.

What to watch: Cincinnati St. Xavier was ranked No. 1 all season, but the Bombers finished fourth in the Troy Regional in which the top five teams finished with an 18-point gap. Mason, who was prevented from completing a hat-trick last year by Massillon Jackson, has the tightest pack among the contenders and also superior depth, making him the pick. …No regional team qualified from Division I, but Snyder could be in contention to earn All-Ohio honors with a top 30 finish. …On the girls’ side, Hilliard Davidson was the top-ranked team all season until ‘for Lancaster to take over after the district meet. The Gales confirmed this during the regional competition by winning by 23 points over Davidson. Avon was ranked No. 3 early in the season and Rocky River rose to No. 5, but neither team ran particularly well in the regional meet. A strong performance with a tight field for either team could result in a top-five finish. …For much of the season, Ashville Teays Valley’s Katy Zang posted stunning times and appeared to be the clear favorite to win the women’s individual title. But she crashed mid-race last week at Pickerington and failed to finish, opening the door for several individuals. Avon junior Kaitlyn Reese is among those expected to challenge for the title, along with Scheffler, defending champion Evelyn Prodoehl of West Chester Lakota West, Brooke Chapman of Olentangy Orange and Marisa Heil of Lancaster .

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