Regional XC Preview: local runners head into Saturday with state aspirations
Every race, Dalton’s Emberlynn Nolt writes the same two things on her arms. One arm says ‘My team’ and the other one reads ‘Smile’ in black magic marker.
The junior has learned to embrace every moment she gets running on the cross country course with her teammates after seeing her 2021 season limited, thanks to a nagging injury.
Being forced to the sidelines abruptly liked that has taught her many lessons and is one of many reasons why she — along with her Dalton teammates — will be running today at the Division III Boardman Regional.
“It's made me appreciate running more,” she said. “Just being able to run healthy this year has been an amazing experience. I feel like I've worked for with the past two years, and I feel strong this season. I'm ready to keep it going.”
Nolt, who helped lead Dalton to a runner-up finish at last weekend’s Div. III Lorain District meet, has been made a full recovery from a hip flexor injury that wiped out nearly half of the schedule last season.
She was able to have a productive track season, following the injury, but has gotten back to where she was in cross country, including a personal record 19:43.90 earlier this month at the Wayne/Holmes Invitational. That result has been of five consecutive top-10 individual finishes for the Nolt.
“It was hard to watch them do things that I felt like that's where I was supposed to be,” Nolt said, “But (the injury) gave me a better work ethic and more appreciation of my teammates. It made me a well-rounded runner.
Here’s a look at the regional meets involving area teams:
DIVISION I
Boardman Regional
WHEN: Saturday; 3 p.m. (boys); 3:45 (girls)
WHERE: Boardman High School (7777 Glenwood Ave., Youngstown)
AREA TEAM: Wooster girls — Mattie Dunlap (jr.), Elli Gordon (fr.), Olivia Hiner (sr.), Rosalind Holt-Frank (jr.), Clara Mariola (fr.), Gabriella Signorino (so.), Ani Tzonev (fr.). INDIVIDUAL: Ethan Keating (Wooster, sr.).
RUNNERS TO WATCH: Boys — Tommy Rice (GlenOak, sr.), Dylan Wood (Copley, jr.), Tesfaye Young (GlenOak, sr.), Eli Ilg (Mass. Jackson, so.), Luka Bork (Lakewood, jr.), Elijah Hadler (Medina Highland, sr.), Elliot Zuckett (Mass. Jackson, jr.). Girls — Katie Clute (Olmsted Falls, sr.), Sarah Peer (Westlake, jr.), Julia Isham (Strongsville, sr.), Savannah Dennison (Mentor, sr.), Kaitlyn Reese (Avon, fr.), Daniela Scheffler (Lake, so.).
PREVIEW: It wouldn’t been a shock if Wooster’s coaching staff is still crunching the numbers well after the girls race is completed in this loaded region. The Generals come into the meet projected to finish ninth — one spot outside of the final state-qualifying position — but a host of teams are all within points of each other. Strongsville, Rocky River, Brunswick and Cleveland St. Joseph Academy are all among the teams that Wooster will have its eye on. The key for the Generals, however, is consistency as the group has been steady all season long. With a pack like Audrey Miller, Mattie Dunlap and Gabriella Signorino, the locals could find themselves in a great position. Ethan Keating in the lone area boy in the big-school field and is one 27 runners to have broken the 16-minute mark this season. The senior is looking for his first career state berth.
AT STAKE: Top seven boys teams and individuals finishing in the top 28, along with top eight girls teams and individuals finishing in the top 32, advance to next week’s OHSAA State Championships at Fortress Obetz.
DIVISION II
Boardman Regional
WHEN: Saturday; 1 p.m. (boys); 1:45 (girls)
WHERE: Boardman High School (7777 Glenwood Ave., Youngstown)
AREA INDIVIDUALS: Beau Polen (Norwayne, jr.), Tripp Wingate (Norwayne, so.), Josh Rittgers (Orrville, sr.), Cayden Speicher (Triway, sr.).
RUNNERS TO WATCH: Boys — Colin Cernansky (Marlington, jr.), Daniel Kearns (West Geauga, sr.), Blake Baker (Canfield, jr.), Michael Nichools (Marlington, jr.), Nash Minor (Marlington, sr.), Matthew Dienes (West Geauga, jr.), Ben Myers (Fairview, sr.). Girls — Bella Graham (Marlington, sr.), Reese Reaman (Woodridge, jr.), Olivia Kindbom (St. Vincent-Sr. Mary, sr.), Madison Palmer (Brookside, sr.), Amy Weybrecht (Gilmour Academy, jr.), Madelyn Begert (Northwest, fr.).
PREVIEW: In his second regional appearance, Josh Rittgers comes in after what has been a roller-coaster season for the senior. After an early-season injury limited the veteran, Rittgers has worked his way back to form as he registered a 16:56.50 earlier this month and was a top-20 district finisher last weekend at Lorain. With a field loaded with sub-16-minute runners, however, the veteran will need another personal-record to work his way into the state-bound group. Tripp Wingate has been one of the feel-good stories of the season, shaving nearly four minutes off of his time from a year ago. The 10th-grader will be making his regional debut, along with teammate Beau Polen and Triway’s Cayden Speicher.
AT STAKE: Top six boys and girls teams, along with individuals finishing in the top 24, advance to next week’s OHSAA State Championships at Fortress Obetz.
Pickerington Regional
WHEN: Saturday; 1 p.m. (boys); 1:45 (girls)
WHERE: Pickerington North High School (7800 Refugee Road, Pickerington).
AREA TEAMS: West Holmes boys — Reid Chaney (so.), Zeke Galbraith (sr.), Braydyn Lemon (jr.), Owen Mallasch (fr.), Jacob Miller (jr.), Owen Neville (fr.), Hunter Uptain (so.). West Holmes girls — Carolyn Miller (sr.), Brenna Myers (sr.), Noelle Smith (so.), Lexy Starner (so.), Zora Starner (so.), Emily Truax (sr.), Alexis Wagers (fr.).
RUNNERS TO WATCH: Boys — Charles Putnam (Portsmouth, jr.), Ezra Minard (Marietta, jr.), Marcus Runkle (Fairfield Union, sr.), Zeke Galbraith (West Holmes, sr.), Kasy Science (Marietta, sr.), Corey Rafferty (Heb. Lakewood, sr.). Girls — Zoee Lehman (Granville, sr.), Cameron Walker (Unioto, fr.), Sophia Szolosi (Athens, fr.), Ella Johnson (Granville, sr.), Hera Hoffee (Minerva, sr.), Marie Souther (Zane Trace, jr.), Maddux Bigam (Circleville, so.).
PREVIEW: All season long, West Holmes’ girls team has banked on its ability to pack run. The strategy should pay off in a big way this weekend as the Knights have a strong shot at a top-three team finish and a state berth. Noelle Smith has been the leader all season long, but the key to advancing will be in the middle of the West Holmes lineup with runners like Lexy Starner, Alexis Wagers, Zora Starner and Carolyn Miller. The Knights’ Zeke Galbraith is eyeing a return to the state meet and, more importantly, another All-Ohio finish. Galbraith, who set the fastest 5K time in school history earlier this month, is one of four runners that have clocked below 15:50 in the field. The senior will try to work his way up to Portsmouth’s Charles Putnam, who was eighth at state last season.
AT STAKE: Top six boys and girls teams, along with individuals finishing in the top 24, advance to next week’s OHSAA State Championships at Fortress Obetz.
DIVISION III
Boardman Regional
WHEN: Saturday; 11 a.m. (boys); 11:45 (girls)
WHERE: Boardman High School (7777 Glenwood Ave., Youngstown)
AREA TEAMS: Rittman boys — Devin Bowlby (sr.), Quinton Dawson (fr.), Jakob Gibson (jr.), David Kollin (sr.), Luke Snyder (fr.), Bryen Valerio (fr.). Tuslaw boys — Aric Bretz (sr.), Randolph McFarren (sr.), Braden Polen (jr.), Logan Rankl (sr.), Jake Snyder (sr.), Jack Swartz (sr.), Steve Swartz (so.). Waynedale boys — Dylan Adams (so.), Scott Decker (jr.), Wyatt Moore (fr.), Caden Schmeltzer (so.), Nick St. John (so.), Jayden Varner (fr.), Jackson Varner (fr.). Dalton girls —Brianna Chenevey (sr.), Ava Fivecoat (jr.), Analeia Hershberger (jr.), Myah Lehman (fr.), Emberlynn Nolt (jr.), Samantha Thiel (fr.), Mackenna Thiel (jr.). Norwayne girls — Scarlett Butler (so.), Lillith Dreibelbis (fr.), Alayna Gubics (so.), Corinne McCall (so.), Annabel Stanley (sr.), Jaylee Wingate (sr.), Maddy Kate Wolf (fr.). Rittman girls — Brooke Bowlby (fr.), Ava Denby (fr.), Merrick Gibson (so.), Pyper Gibson (sr.), Caroline Kennel (sr.), Aquinnah Rufener (jr.), Isabel Ward (jr.). Waynedale girls — Carleigh Lynch (fr.), Brayleigh Mast (fr.), Shaleigh Miller (fr.), Allison Moore (sr.), Anna Pittman (fr.), Sydney Reber (sr.), Clara Sundberg (jr.). INDIVIDUALS: Joshua Hennis (Chippewa, jr.), Carson Steiner (Dalton, jr.), Kade Tegtmeier (Northwestern, jr.), Jacob Wakefield (Northwestern, sr.), Tess Shultz (Loudonville, so.), Kaitlyn Carr (Smithville, fr.), Maggie Wenger (Smithville, fr.), Ella Wigal (Triway, so.).
RUNNERS TO WATCH: Boys — Luke Snyder (Rittman, fr.), Brylan Holland (East Canton, sr.), Dominic Pappagallo (Mineral Ridge, so.), Michael Couture (Open Door, sr.), Kaleb Nastari (United, sr.), Alex Donaldson (Maplewood, jr.), David Sterinle (Grand Valley, sr.). Girls — Jaylee Wingate (Norwayne, sr.), Megan Hipple (McDonald, sr.), Pyper Gibson (Rittman, sr.), Kaitlyn Carr (Smithville, fr.), Caleigh Richards (Maplewood, jr.), Annabel Stanley (Norwayne), Rebecca Geiss (Heartland Christian, fr.).
PREVIEW: Jaylee Wingate has been running alone the past couple of weeks but should have some competition at this regional. Megan Hipple of McDonald — a three-time state qualifier who was fifth last fall — is expected to be right next to the local, who has put together a historic season. Pyper Gibson has also had her share of success on the Boardman course, something the senior hopes continues this weekend. Gibson and Smithville freshman Kaitlyn Carr have traded personal victories over each other the past two weeks and should be within steps of one another again. Annabel Stanley of Norwayne also is a veteran to the state meet and comes in as one of seven runners to break 19 minutes this season. Look for Clara Sundberg (Waynedale), Merrick Gibson (Rittman) and Tess Shultz (Loudonville) to also be in the mix for top-10 finishes, along with Lillith Dreibelbis (Norwayne) and Emberlynn Nolt (Dalton). Norwayne, Rittman, Dalton and Waynedale all have a shot at state berths as a team, too, with Mogadore, McDoanld, Kirtland and Garrettsville Garfield as the top competition. An expected showdown between Rittman’s Luke Snyder and East Canton’s Brylan Holland highlights the boys race. Snyder, a freshman, has the top time in the entire region coming in, but Holland is just seconds off the pace and is a two-time All-Ohioan that has ran the Boardman course more than a handful of times. Behind those two, a strong pack is expected to form. Kade Tegtmeier of Northwestern is hoping to find himself in that group and earn a second straight state appearance. Fellow upperclassman Jack Swartz of Tuslaw is also eyeing a return trip to Fortress Obetz, while Waynedale’s Jackson Varner — like Snyder — is a rookie that has been one of the top runners in the area this fall. Both Carson Steiner (Dalton) and Jacob Wakefield (Northwestern) have legitimate shots at individual state berths. In the team race, Rittman is within reach, with McDonald and East Canton as the teams it will be keeping an eye on throughout the race.
AT STAKE: Top four boys and girls teams, along with individuals finishing in the top 16, advance to next week’s OHSAA State Championships at Fortress Obetz.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Cross Country: previewing Saturday's regional meets
