State Cross Country: Mount Gilead takes home championship

OBETZ — Nerves? Everyone feels it the morning of the state cross country championships, especially when toeing the line before the firing of the starter's pistol.

It's what Mount Gilead did with those nerves that changed their fortune.

"It’s excitement. We don’t like to call it nervous. We like to turn it into excitement, and we definitely did that today," Mount Gilead junior Parker Bartlett said minutes after emptying his stomach into a trash can due to all his "excitement" following the race.

Unlike the previous four seasons where the Indians finished fifth, second, third and second in the Division III boys team standings at the state meet, this group stood atop the podium Saturday at Fortress Obetz.

"It’s mostly relief. I’m super happy, but I’m so relieved that I’ve finally done it," MG senior Reed Supplee said, adding, "It feels amazing to finally be a part of that team to be able to finally do it. To get second twice over my career, obviously it didn’t feel so great to be that close, but it feels amazing to have finally done it. I’m super excited."

While other seasons featured bad luck or drama-filled moments at state, this one went about as well as Mount Gilead could have asked. A top two team all season with Ottawa Hills and the pre-state favorite in the final Division III coaches poll, garnering 11 of 12 first-place votes, the Indians lived up to their advance billing.

Mount Gilead won the state championship going away, scoring 82 points to beat Ottawa Hills in second place by 69 points. Finishing third was Cincinnati Summit Country Day six points behind OH with 157 points, while Botkins was fourth with 167, Maplewood fifth with 188, Columbus Grove sixth with 235, McDonald seventh with 242, Black River eighth with 248, Belpre ninth with 257 and Bluffton 10th with 266. Northmor was 20th in the boys D-III meet with 436 points.

"We just tried to stay relaxed, knowing we’d run 12 meets and we can go out and do what we’ve done this whole season and be all right," Mount Gilead sophomore Will Baker said.

That's exactly what they did.

In the first 450 meters, Mount Gilead surged to the lead ahead of Maplewood, Ottawa Hills, Botkins and Black River. At the mile, the Indians unofficially checked in with 57 points ahead of the 110 by Ottawa Hills, 127 by Botkins, 145 by Maplewood and 180 by Country Day.

With a little over a mile left, MG held its spot with an unofficial tally of 70 points as Ottawa Hills couldn't slice into it with 118, nor could Country Day with 148, Botkins with 155 and Maplewood with 190.

"We definitely tried to get out really tough and strong," Baker said. "It worked out really well. Our top three guys are obviously in the top 20 and doing really well working together as a team."

In the first mile, MG's top five runners were all inside the top 35 as the game plan was to take the lead early and force their opponents to play catchup.

"It was to stay composed and to stay close together," Supplee said of the strategy. "I know me and Parker tried to stay side-by-side for a good bit of it, but we’re competitive."

Added Bartlett: "We wanted to put three kids out there and make a statement early on. We have a lot of trust with our 4, 5, 6 and 7 (runners). We all know we’re going to go out and do our best, so we might as well go for it."

The top 20 runners get on the podium with the top 30 earning All-Ohio honors. Befitting of a state championship squad, the Indians had three podium All-Ohioans as Baker was 10th in 16:16, Bartlett 13th in 16:20 and Supplee 14th in 16:24.

But without the efforts of the other two scorers ― senior Aaron Gannon who finished 37th in 16:47 and freshman Owen Hershner who ended 73rd in 17:21 ― the Indians are not celebrating Saturday afternoon.

"I trust Aaron," Supplee said. "Aaron is a great runner and an amazing person. I love him to death. Owen, I don’t know as much, but I was also that freshman that ran at state. I wasn't the fifth guy, but I knew he could do it. I knew it was in him. He has a great older brother in Cole, and I know he led him into state real well."

For the top three at MG, they were key member's of last year's state runner-up finish behind East Canton. Baker was 18th in 16:18, Supplee 22nd in 16:23 and Bartlett 57th in 16:57 a season ago at Fortress Obetz. But for Gannon and obviously Hershner, this was uncharted territory.

Mount Gilead coach Jake Hayes marveled at his team's poise considering the pressure of expectations foisted upon them all season and especially the four newcomers to the state experience as junior Nathan Smith was 174th in 19:16 and freshman Gage Baker was 182nd in 19:49 to round out the squad.

"For Owen to be a freshman and it’s Aaron’s first time at the state cross country meet, for them to keep their crap together and do what they needed to do was a testament to who they are as people and how hard they worked this season. We wouldn’t have been here without them that’s for sure," Hayes said.

For the coach, a Mount Gilead alum who once competed at state as a high schooler, and later returned as an assistant coach under longtime mentor Denny West before taking over the program five years ago, it was went according to Hoyle for once.

"We’ve had a lot of drama-filled state days with people dropping out (of races) or the live results not working or people being out (for state)," he said of previous state results. "I was like we need one year where everything goes smooth. With the exception of how slowly the results came up at the end (today), it was about as drama-free as we could ask for. It was a good day."

It was also an emotional one for Hayes as he reflected on the accomplishment and what a state championship meant to the school and program.

"These kids have worked so stinking hard for it and not just those guys. It’s Kyle and Casey White, Trevor Ball and Michael Snopik," he said while taking a moment to clear his throat and wipe his eyes while mentioning recent MG greats who have since graduated. "It’s a bunch of people over the last five years. The fact that they were able to come out and do what those guys started a lot time ago, it means a lot."

They quelled their nerves and turned it into fuel for their run to a state championship — even the coach.

"For me, I thought I would feel different. The disappointing thing is it doesn’t feel any different," Hayes said of finally breaking through with a title. "I was standing out there and we won and I was hoping it would feel cooler, but I stopped feeling sick to my stomach. That’s about the best thing."

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This article originally appeared on Marion Star: State Cross Country: Mount Gilead takes home championship