2024 High School Cross Country Capsule Meet Preview – Morning Journal

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

Section III

When: November 2. 10 am: boys; 10:45: Girls.

Qualification of regional teams: none.

Individual area qualifiers: (boys): Andrew Young, Lake Ridge; Joe Fox, Wellington; Christian Gorney, Lake Ridge; Trevor Taylor, Open Door. (Girls): none.

Favorites: Mount Gilead and Luke Snyder of Rittman for boys; Ministry and Rebecca Geis of Heartland Christian for girls.

What to watch for: No teams from the region compete in Division III, but a few locals could aim for honors in Ohio by finishing in the top 30. lock to win the boys title, the girls tag team championship seems up for grabs. Perennial favorite and defending champion Minster has hit the ground running in recent weeks and now appears to be the team to beat, with Rittman, Cincinnati Madeira, Cincinnati Summit Country Day and West Liberty Salem expected to be in the hunt. … The individual races feature both defending area champions, as Guice held off Cortland Maplewood’s Kailey Richards last year to keep her from becoming a four-time state champion, and Snyder won by three seconds. Snyder should have company with Mount Gilead’s Will Baker and Whitehawk’s Landen Eyre.

Section II

When: November 2. Noon: boys; 12:45: Girls.

Region team selection: Rocky River boys and Bay boys.

Individual qualification in the zone: (boys): none. (Girls): Erin Belveal, Bay; Brooklyn Marriott, Bay.

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

What to watch for: The big question for the boys race is the status of the Bay Rockets. Top runner Michael Hanselman struggled to finish the race at regionals, while Connor Spellman ran in racing shoes to take pressure off his sore Achilles tendon. If Bay is firing on all cylinders, the top three of Hanselman, Spellman and regional champion Kieran Ripley could match up favorably against top-three favorite Fairfield Union. Then the question arises as to whose fourth and fifth contestants have the better day. Also in the hunt is perennial contender Woodridge, which doesn’t have the same power up front but has a very tight squad that won the regional meet last week by just 29 seconds. West Liberty-Salem and Lexington could also be heard. …The Rocky River boys really came out late in the season, finishing ahead of Bay each of the last two weeks. The Pirates were fifth in the state in Division I last year and could very well finish in the top half of the field this week. … Among the girls, reigning champion Minerva has been ranked first in the state coaches poll all season, but the Lions were edged by Athens by three points last week. Minerva peaked last year at the state meet, 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 compete for honors in Ohio with top-30 finishes, including Bay’s top three, as well as Rocky River’s Henry Lang and Ryan Stirm. Only two area girls are on 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: Girls.

Region team selection: 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 girls.

Things to watch for: Cincinnati St. Xavier was the top seed all season, but the Bombers finished fourth in the Troy Regional, in which the top five teams finished within 18 points. Mason, who was denied a triple-double by Massillon Jackson last year, has the tightest package among the contenders, as well as excellent depth, making them their pick. … No team qualified for the Division I regional, but Snyder could claim an Ohio title with a top-30 finish. … On the girls team, Hilliard Davidson was the top-ranked team all season until Lancaster led the team after the district meet. Gales backed that up at the regional meet, beating Davidson by 23 points. Avon was ranked No. 3 and Rocky River was ranked No. 5 at the start of the season, but neither team had much success at regionals. High play with a tight pack for any team can lead to a top five finish. … For most of the season, Ashville Teays Valley’s Katie Zang has been on a roll and seemed to be the clear favorite to win the girls individual event. But last week at Pickerington she crashed mid-race and failed to finish, opening the door for several competitors. Among those expected to compete for the title are junior Kaitlyn Reese of Avon, along with Scheffler, defending champion Evelyn Produl of West Chester Lakota West, Brooke Chapman of Olentangy Orange and Marisa Hale of Lancaster.