Boys Best of the Week: Elgin claims cross country championship in NWCC
DOLA — Elgin scored a Northwest Central Conference championship by winning the league's meet Saturday at Hardin Northern.
The Comets produced 39 points to edge Upper Scioto Valley's 51 points, Waynesfield Goshen's 61 and the hosts' 64 points.
USV's Joe Parker won the race in 16:56, but finishing second was Elgin's Ethan Marshall with a 17:43. Other's scoring for the Comets were fifth-place Sage Brewer in 18:20, seventh-place Kolby Wasserbeck in 18:36, 12th-place Peyton Zempter in 19:25 and 21st-place Gabe Freshour in 21:31. David Colby ran 27th in 25:04.
In the same race, Ridgedale's Brogan Weston was fourth in 17:58, and Isaac Lust was eighth in 18:40.
Here are some highlights from the last week with the area's high school boys sports teams and athletes:
∎ Shelby easily won the Mid Ohio Athletic Conference Cross Country Meet Saturday in Galion with 24 points, but Highland was second with 61, Pleasant third with 87, Ontario fourth with 92, Marion Harding fifth with 143, Clear Fork sixth with 167 and Galion seventh with 177. Shelby's Huck Finnegan won the race in 16:00.
∎ Highland packed up well to earn the runner-up spot as Joel Roberts was sixth in 17:00, Cael Gilmore ninth in 17:11, Hunter Bolton 12th in 17:35, Grath Garee 17th in 17:55, Matthew Miller 19th in 17:58, Caleb Wetzel 20th in 17:59 and Corban Benedict in 26th in 18:22.
∎ Pleasant's Will Lichtenberger was seventh in 17:01 and was followed by teammates' Caleb Cameron (16th, 17:49), Nick Swartz (18th, 17:57), Elijah McGinniss (25th, 18:20), Jonah Bowdle (28th, 18:28), Liam Curtis (35th, 19:20) and Ben Dunham (36th, 19:22).
∎ Harding's Kade Sutherland crossed the line in fifth place in 16:58. Others running for the Presidents were Peyton Ward (33rd, 19:08), Sebastian Swihart (34th, 19:15), Harrison Owings (49th, 24:53) and Kole Gilmore (50th, 25:10).
∎ River Valley's lone runner at the MOAC meet was Chase Osborne, who was 14th in 17:39.
∎ As expected, the state's second-ranked Division III squad dominated en route to the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference team championship at Fredericktown's Kokosing Dam on Saturday. Mount Gilead put its best five runners inside the top seven and its whole varsity lineup in the top 20. The Indians scored just 19 points to best Fredericktown's 52, Northmor's 74, Centerburg's 103, East Knox's 137 and Cardington's 152.
∎ Mount Gilead's Will Baker, Reed Supplee and Parker Bartlett swept the top three positions at the KMAC, turning in respective times of 15:58, 16:09 and 16:21. Their other two scorers also cracked 17 minutes, as Owen Hershner was sixth in 16:51 and Aaron Gannon was seventh in 16:58. Cole Hershner was 19th in 18:06 and Nathan Smith 20th in 18:11.
∎ For Northmor, Ryan Lehman was fourth in 16:30, David Blunk eighth in 17:10, Connor Radojcsics 15th in 17:44, Ethan Amens 22nd in 18:14, Bryce Cooper 25th in 18:22, Levi Hunter 30th in 18:37 and Thomas Keen 31st in 18:39.
∎ Cardington's Aidan Reitmire was ninth in 17:11, A.J. Brehm 37th in 18:48, Brayden Rammelsberg 43rd in 19:16, Ryan Clinger 58th in 20:43, Isaac Dela Cruz 61st in 21:19 and Brayden Lackey 73rd in 23:18.
∎ North Union's Tyler Huff was runner-up at the Central Buckeye Conference's Mad River Divsion with a 17:38. Also running for the Wildcats, who ended in fifth with 245 points, were Mitchell Marlette (17th, 19:09), Max Leavitt (33rd, 20:31), Traven Reber (32nd, 20:29), Levi Bard (42nd, 21:50) and William Popovich (49th, 21:59).
∎ River Valley finished the soccer regular season with a 9-1 victory over Pleasant. Gabe Douce put up a hat track for the Vikings, while Hudson Pollock scored twice and added an assist, and Briley Beckley had a goal and two assists. Adri Diaz, Noah Williams and J.R. Bates also scored, as Christian Knight had two assists and Preston Campbell one assist. The Vikings posted a 9-7 overall mark and a 4-2 record in the Mid Ohio Athletic Conference.
∎ Marion Harding's Trent Leonard saved four shots and had a shutout in goal during a 1-0 victory over Pleasant. Jackson Shipley scored the match's lone goal off a Jack McCreary assist.
∎ Highland's Zane Sheets headed in his team's only goal in a 6-1 loss to Clear Fork.
Coaches and statisticians are encouraged to send their results to Rob McCurdy at rmccurdy@gannett.com, 419-610-0998, Twitter @McMotorsport and Instagram @rob_mccurdy_star.
Marion Star Boys Best of the Week Performer Poll, vote:
Marion Harding soccer's Trent Leonard had four saves to earn his first shutout in goal during a victory over Pleasant.
River Valley soccer's Gabe Douce scored three goals in a win over Pleasant.
Elgin cross country's Ethan Marshall ran to a runner-up finish in 17:43 at the Northwest Central Conference Meet.
North Union cross country's Tyler Huff finished second in 17:38 at the Central Buckeye Conference Mad RIver Division Meet.
Mount Gilead cross country's Will Baker won the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference title with a 15:58.
Voting continues at MarionStar.com and its app through early Sunday morning.
In last week's voting, River Valley soccer's Hudson Pollock, who scored six goals with an assist in three wins, earned 127 of 165 votes (77 percent) to win it. Other nominees were Elgin golfer Isaac Dillon, Mount Gilead cross country's Will Baker, Northmor cross country's Ryan Lehman and North Union cross country's Tyler Huff.
This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Boys Best of the Week: Elgin claims cross country championship in NWCC
