Girls Cross Country Preview: a team-by-team look at the 2022 season

Simply put, the 2021 girls cross country season was an historic one.

Rittman's Pyper Gibson and Norwayne's Annabel Stanley broke their respective school 5K records, while each runner — along with Norwayne's Jaylee Wingate — broke the 19-minute mark for the first time in their respective careers.

Gibson clocked an 18:47.30 in the final meet of the season to place 10th and earn All-Ohio honors in Division III, while both Stanley (18:53) and Wingate (18:57) recorded their record-setting times in finishing 1-2 at the Wayne County Athletic League Championships. Wingate is already off to a strong start, posting an 18:45.9 to win the OHSAA Preseason Invitational.

All three runners are back this fall to make more history and chase the area record of 18:12, set by Michelle Hostetler of West Holmes back in 2015.

Combine that with a handful of runners who also broke 20 minutes last season — Clara Sundberg (Waynedale), Merrick Gibson (Rittman) and Emberlynn Nolt (Dalton) — and this fall should have several storylines to watch.

Here's a look at the area's teams:

Central Christian

Coach: Mark Woods (fifth season)

Returning runners: Julia Miller (sr.), Angela Miller (jr.)

Newcomer: Grace Jarvis (so.)

Outlook: Julia Miller is looking to build upon her All-MBC season, where she was eighth at the league championships a year ago. Jarvis will add another training partner for two returnees as she joins the program after playing for the school’s soccer team last fall.

Chippewa

Coach: Scott Geiser (second season)

Last season: 5th in WCAL, 9th in Lorain Div. III District

Returning runners: Ricki Reed (sr.), Abby Blaz (sr.), Robin Jolly (sr.), Kelsey Newsom (jr.), Annie Henegar (jr.)

Newcomers: Cally West (fr.), Emma Samsa (fr.), Payton Stukovsky (fr.)

Outlook: Reed, Jolly and Samsa are the lone fulltime runners for the Chipps, which roster is primarily made up of members of the school’s soccer program. Newsom is the lone returning Chipp to break the 24-minute mark in 2021.

Dalton

Coach: Jodi Augspurger (17th season)

Last season: 4th in WCAL, 3rd in Lorain Div. III District, 7th in Youngstown Div. III Regional

Returning runners: Brianna Chenevey (sr.), Lauren Clos (sr.), Ava Fivecoat (jr.), Janae Hostetler (jr.), Emberlynn Nolt (jr.), Kaitlyn Geiser (so.), Jordan Nussbaum (so.), Kendel Nussbaum (so.)

Newcomers: Rachel Wertz (sr.), Analeia Hershberger (jr.), Mackenna Thiel (jr.), Myah Lehman (fr.), Samantha Thiel (fr.)

Outlook: With four of its top six runners back, expectations are high for the Bulldogs this fall. Both Hostetler and Nolt were key in the team's regional-qualifying season a year ago and should lead the charge again along with Chenevey and Clos providing support.

Hillsdale

Coach: Bonnie Infante (third season)

Returning runner: Lauryn Davis (sr.)

Newcomers: Abi Decker (sr.), Lizzie Arnold (jr.)

Outlook: After running alone last season, Davis will have some company this fall. The senior finished the year with a 26:17.45 and will look to get down into the low 20s with the support of rookies in Decker and Arnold.

Loudonville

Coach: Whitney Snyder (first season)

Last season: 4th in Lorain Div. III District, 10th in Youngstown Div. III Regional

Returning runners: Kadee Vranekovic (sr.), Grace Ringler (jr.), Allison Tournoux (jr.), Tess Shultz (so.)

Newcomers: Hannah Endslow (fr.), Natalie Endslow (fr.), Nora Lance (fr.)

Preview: Shultz posted the sixth-fastest 5K in school history last fall and is expected to be the No. 1 for the Redbirds in the absence of recent graduate Catlyn Kauffman. Shultz clocked a 21:13 in her rookie season and, along with Vranekovic and Tournoux, brings back some key race experience.

Northwestern

Coach: Brent Martin (sixth season)

Returning runners: Harper Flores (sr.), McKensie McCoy (so.)

Newcomers: Ava Stoller (sr.), Ava O’Loughlin (sr.), Kayla Cutter (so.), Pippy Garman (fr.), Addy Connelly (fr.)

Outlook: The numbers are up for the Huskies, which will provide some nice depth behind veterans Flores and McCoy. McCoy was the team’s top runner last fall, clocking a 23:21.36 and was busy this summer as she compiled over 200 miles during offseason training.

Norwayne

Coach: Terry O'Hare (25th season)

Last season: 3rd in WCAL, 8th in Lorain Div. II District

Returning runners: Annabel Stanley (sr.), Jaylee Wingate (sr.), Alayna Gubics (so.), Corinne McCall (so.)

Newcomers: Mackenzie McCaffrey (sr.), Scarlett Butler (so.), Maddy Kate Wolf (fr.), Lillith Dreibelbis (fr.)

Outlook: Stanley crushed the school 5K record (18:53), with Wingate (18:57) not too far behind, making for one of the toughest 1-2 combos in the area. Combine that with a pair of other returning runners in Gubics and McCall and the Bobcats will be ready for the move to D-III with at least a couple runners destined for the state meet.

Orrville

Coach: Elle Shumney (first season)

Last season: 5th in PAC, 10th in Lorain Div. III District

Returning runners: Ahlaina Martin (sr.), Emily Batchlet (sr.), Rachel Dreher (sr.), Aleah Daugherty (so.), Brenna Martin (so.)

Newcomers: Lisa Simmavanh (so.), Annie McAllister (fr.), Aleah Ries (fr.)

Outlook: Dreher had a strong 2021 campaign, which the Red Riders are hoping will repeat itself this fall. Shumney will look to Dreher to lead a veteran-laden roster after she ran a 22:41.70 as a junior. Of the nine girls on the roster, five of them return with meet experience.

Rittman

Coach: Matt Snyder (15th season)

Last season: 2nd in WCAL, 2nd in Lorain Div. III District, 9th in Youngstown Div. III Regional

Returning runners: Pyper Gibson (sr.), Isabel Ward (jr.), Cali Edgar (jr.), Merrick Gibson (so.), Caroline Kennel (so.)

Newcomers: Alexis Piciacchia (sr.), Aquinnah Rufener (jr.), Isabella Piciacchia (so.) Brooke Bowlby (fr.), Madison Shipley (fr.), Kylee Breiding (fr.), Jessica Schehl (fr.), Chloe Smith (fr.), Olivia Rufener (fr.), Ava Denby (fr.)

Outlook: After a runner-up finish in the county, the Indians are ready to compete for the top prize this season. Led by All-Ohioan Pyper Gibson (18:47.30) and state qualifier Merrick Gibson (19:43), this team returns a ton of talent and has at least eight runners who could all start.

Smithville

Coach: Greg DeRodes (19th season)

Last season: 6th in WCAL, 7th in Lorain Div. III District

Returning runners: Caitlin Walsh-Knouff (so.)

Newcomers: Lily Lehman (sr.), Kaitlyn Carr (fr.), Maggie Wenger (fr.), Carli Smith (fr.)

Outlook: The Smithies have one of the top freshmen in Carr, the reigning WCAL middle school champ. Carr will be the leader for one of the youngest lineups in the area, which also will look to rookies like Wenger and the lone veteran Walsh-Knouff for production.

Triway

Coach: Matt Woods (eighth season)

Newcomers: Ella Wigal (so.)

Outlook: The Titans will not field a full team this season but added a strong runner in Wigal. The underclassman was a regional qualifier in the 3,200-meter run this past track season and will be splitting her time between both cross country and soccer.

Tuslaw

Coach: Bethany Koons (first season)

Last season: 3rd in PAC, 8th in Canton Div. II District

Returning runners: Aubrey Spitale (sr.), Amelia Criswell (sr.), Hannah Blanford (jr.), Kayla Scheufler (so.), Hannah Blandford (so.)

Newcomers: Savannah Gill (fr.), Hailey Wood (fr.)

Outlook: With the graduation of regional qualifier Malena Cybak, the Mustangs will be looking for a new leader. That person could be Scheufler, who posted the third-fastest time on the team last season. Koons also expects the freshman tandem of Gill and Wood to have a say in the scoring this fall.

Waynedale

Coach: Shauna Pittman (first season)

Last season: 1st in WCAL, 1st in Lorain Div. III District, 2nd in Youngstown Div. III Regional, 8th in Div. III state

Returning runners: Sydney Reber (sr.), Allison Moore (sr.), Clara Sundberg (jr.), Jayla Smith (jr.)

Newcomers: Anna Pittman (fr.), Brayleigh Mast (fr.), Carleigh Lynch (fr.), Shaleigh Miller (fr.)

Outlook: Three of the top four runners from the Bears' state-qualifying team are back this season. Sundberg had a breakout sophomore campaign, clocking the fourth-fastest time locally (19:29), with Moore (20:36.80) and Reber (21:05.50) also back to lead the pack.

West Holmes

Coach: Kevin Beachy (15th season)

Last season: 3rd in OCC, 2nd in Cambridge Div. II District, 4th in Pickerington Div. II Regional, 16th in Div. II state

Returning runners: Brenna Myers (sr.), Carolyn Miller (sr.), Emily Truax (sr.), Olivia Sampsel (sr.), Autumn Conner (jr.), Lexy Starner (so.), Zora Starner (so.), Noelle Smith (so.)

Newcomer: Alexis Wagers (fr.)

Outlook: Fresh off of their state berth last fall, the Knights are eager to get back and break into the top 10 this season. The Starner sisters each posted impressive freshman campaigns, Lexy (20:10.80) and Zora (20:11.10) each among the top area runners, with Smith (20:24.90) not too far behind.

Wooster

Coach: Holly Pope (third season)

Last season: 2nd in OCC, 10th in Canton Div. I District

Returning runners: Audrey Miller (sr.), Olivia Hiner (sr.), Margaret McBride (so.)

Newcomers: Mattie Dunlap (jr.), Gabi Signorino (so.), Lillian Vance (so.), Clara Mariola (fr.)

Preview: The Generals are coming off of an impressive runner-up finish last season, something that Miller was a key part in. Miller was sixth at the OCC meet and posted the area’s 10th-fastest time after a 20:08.80 earlier in the year. McBride also brings back a lot of experience.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: High School Girls Cross Country 2022: team-by-team previews