Boys Best of the Week: Runners compete in big field at Fredericktown
FREDERICKTOWN — Just about everyone was competing at the Denny Stevens Invitational last week at Fredericktown's Kokosing Dam.
Nine area schools were represented in a boys cross country race that included 20 teams and 242 runners.
Winning it with just 54 points was Ohio's second-ranked Division III team Mount Gilead. Also winning individually was MG's Will Baker with a 15:48. Reed Supplee followed with a 16:12 for fourth, Parker Bartlett with a 16:38 for 10th, Aaron Gannon with a 17:05 for 18th, Owen Hershner with a 17:13 for 21st, Cole Hershner with an 18:16 for 57th and Nathan Smith with an 18:37 for 72nd.
Finishing as the runner-up with 106 points was Northmor. Ryan Lehman led the Golden Knights with a third place in 16:13, while Lucas Weaver was 14th in 16:52, David Blunk 19th in 17:09, Levi Hunter 35th in 17:44, Connor Radojcsics 41st in 17:57, Ethan Arnold 62nd in 18:23 and Thomas Keen 87th in 18:57.
Highland took fifth with Joel Roberts getting 20th in 17:11, Cael Gilmore getting 24th in 17:16, Caleb Wetzel getting 48th in 18:03, Matthew Miller getting 52nd in 18:09 and Hunter Bolton getting 67th in 18:26 to score points.
Pleasant finished ninth as Will Lichtenberger in 25th in 17:20, Nick Swartz 29th in 17:35, Caleb Cameron 39th in 17:52, Elijah McGinniss 70th in 18:28 and Jonah Bowdle 97th in 19:06 all scored for the Spartans.
Scoring for 15th-place Elgin were Ethan Marshall (17th, 17:04), Sage Brewer (77th, 18:43), Kolby Wasserbeck (78th, 18:44), Peyton Zempter (129th, 19:48) and David Colby (189th, 21:49).
Harding ended in 17th as a team with Kade Sutherland leading with a 16th in 17:03. Peyton Ward was next in 89th in 19:01 and was followed by Sebastian Swihart (119th, 19:23), Harrison Owings (235th, 25:52) and Kole Gilmore (242nd, 29:22).
River Valley's Chase Osborne was 34th in 17:42, while Ridgedale's Brogan Weston was 44th in 17:59 and Isaac Lust 55th in 18:14. Gilead Christian's Seth Bertan was 73rd in 18:39 and followed by teammates' Joseph Bossard (172nd, 20:59), Jackson Keller (234th, 25:36) and Timothy Jeane (241st, 28:38).
Here are some other highlights from around the area last week with boys high school sports teams and athletes:
∎ North Union was fifth at the Triad Invitational with Tyler Huff running third in 18:14 and Mitchell Marlette running 17th in 19:52 to pace the team.
∎ Cardington saw five runners turn in personal best times at an invitational in Pickerington while competing in the Division II-III race. Aidan Reitmire topped the squad with a 27th in 17:37 and A.J. Brehm was 77th in 18:46 as the Pirates finished 14th as a team.
∎ Buckeye Valley won the North Union Invitational with 67 points to edge Pleasant's 73. Lichtenberger again paced the Spartans with a sixth in 16:46, while Cameron was eighth in 16:57, Swartz ninth in 17:00, Bowdle 22nd in 17:49, McGinniss 28th in 18:02, Liam Curtis 41st in 19: 02 and Ben Dunham 43rd in 19:09.
Elgin took sixth with Marshall going 15th in 17:24, Wasserbeck 25th in 17:52, Brewer 26th in 17:55, Zempter 44th in 19:19, Gabe Freshour 70th in 21:52 and David Colby 71st in 22:03.
Sutherland clocked a 16:38 to finished third individually as the Presidents were eighth as a team. Ward ran 37th in 18:40, Swihart 40th in 18:52, Owings 86th in 27:07, Gilmore 72nd in 27:08 and Alexander Mullins 74th in 39:01.
The hosts were 10th. Huff ran 12th in 17:16, Marlette 35th in 18:37, Traven Reber 52nd in 19:42, Max Leavitt 63rd in 21:25 and William Popovich 68th in 21:42.
∎ Mount Gilead competed against out-of-state teams, some of the biggest schools in the state and four Division I state-ranked squads at the Centerville Saturday Night Lights varsity championship race. The Indians were ninth in a field that featured 27 teams and 258 runners. Baker was 10th in 15:51, while Supplee was 45th in 16:34 and Bartlett 47th in 16:35.
∎ In boys soccer, River Valley's Adri Diaz scored a goal with an assist, Gabe Douce and Briley Beckley scored goals and Hudson Pollock had an assist in a 4-3 loss to London. J.R. Bates saves seven shots.
∎ Two days after falling 10-0 to Mansfield Senior, Highland rallied for a 2-1 soccer win over Crestview. Caleb Hunter scored the Scots' first goal off a pass from Cody Thomas, while Zane Sheets scored the go-ahead-goal with 14 minutes left from an assist by Pat Bracken.
Earlier in the week, Highland topped Galion 4-2. Hunter had two goals and an assist. Sheets scored the other two goals, and Bracken added an assist.
∎ Harding's Jordan Hensley scored off a penalty kick after Andrea Rosas was fouled in the box, but Galion went on to win 2-1.
∎ In Harding's final golf match of the season at Marion Country Club, the Presidents beat Mansfield Senior 192-207 as Jacob Beaschler was medalist with a 40. Austin Allen shot 46, Connor McCoy 50 and Aidan Miller 56. In a 154-186 loss at Shelby Country Club, Beaschler fired a 37, Allen a 47, McCoy a 51, Gavin Baumgartner a 51, Miller a 53 and Rayma Smith a 56.
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:
Highland golfer Emerson Grassbaugh qualified for the Division II district tournament with an 81 at the Oakhaven sectional.
Northmor golfer Grant Bentley led the Golden Knights to a first-ever district berth as a team with his 79 at the Division III Darby Creek sectional.
Elgin golfer Isaac Dillon shot a 75 at the D-III Darby Creek sectional to qualify for the district by finishing third overall.
Mount Gilead golfer Steven Street shot a 77 at the D-III Darby Creek sectional to gain a district spot.
Voting continues at MarionStar.com and its app through early Sunday morning.
This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Boys Best of the Week: Runners compete in big field at Fredericktown
