Three-peat: Colonel Crawford wins district title, six individuals advance to regionals
GALION — The idiom "Don't count your chickens before they hatch" could not describe Colonel Crawford coach Jordan Studer more accurately.
Coming into Saturday's Division III district girls cross country race, Studer knew her runners were ranked second in the state in the latest Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches poll. But even before the race she didn't want to think about regionals or state — the Eagles had to get through districts first.
And first is where they finished with a dominant 49 points, besting runner-up Crestview by 34.
"With the cold weather this week a few of them weren't feeling great, but they pushed hard and I'm proud of them," Studer said.
Junior Cecelia Chase paced the pack with a fourth-place finish 19:02.3. Sophomore Gabby Roston was sixth, followed by freshman Brynn Bruner, sophomore Olivia Hardy and freshman Rylinn Edgington, who finished 12-13-14. Junior Izzy Roston and senior Maria Smith were 21st and 31st, respectively.
"It was very exciting," Studer said. "Brynn Bruner stepped up to our third today because a couple girls weren't feeling their best. She was feeling it and went for it. The others did great, too, but weren't feeling as strong in the moment.
"They're not afraid to push each other."
And that is what has helped the Eagles continue to be one of the premier programs in Northwest Ohio.
"God's really blessed us with a great group of girls who just work hard and have goals," Studer said. "They want to be pushed hard, and the boys do now, too. When we set goals, they buy into it and go. I heard this the other day — the kids know that if you buy into them, they'll buy into you. They know as hard as I push them every day it's because I care."
Joining the Eagles will be Wynford sophomore Briana Westrick, who placed 16th in 20:58.2, and Galion junior Raygann Campbell, who was third in the Division II girls race in 19:48.1.
Wynford was seventh as a team, but neither Bucyrus, Buckeye Central nor Crestline had enough runners for a total. Galion was sixth in D-II.
Freshmen phenoms shine at Amman's Reservoir
Colonel Crawford's Shawn Auck competed in his first high school district meet Saturday morning, but looked as if he had raced there all his life.
The talented freshman followed up a win at the Northern 10 meet last weekend with a first-place finish in 16:51.5 at districts, 15 seconds ahead of runner-up Cooper Brockway of Crestview.
"It's really cool, especially as a freshman," Auck said. "To be going to regionals is really exciting."
And he won't be going alone as teammate and fellow freshman Braeden Grau was 10th.
"Those two have worked so hard and this was one of their goals. It's exciting to see," Studer said. "Braeden even had a minor injury this week and set his eyes on his goals. I told him his body was going to take over, that injury feeling you have will dissipate. Shawn had this goal for a while. He doesn't say much in practice about his goals, but we know when he's zoned in — he's on it."
Bucyrus freshman Karter Boggs will join Crawford's qualifiers after a fourth-place finish in 17:18.2, and his junior teammate Deven Deskins is moving on, too, placing 16th.
"I'm happy with that. I'm a little disappointed in my place — if I ran my typical time I'd have been second or third," Boggs said. "I came out a little too fast, but that's how I always come out.
"I'm not upset with fourth. I'm happy I'm moving on."
Auck and Boggs pushed each other throughout middle school and have continued that now as freshmen.
"Track and cross country, we help each other out," Auck said.
And they're both optimistic about their season not coming to an end next week, either.
"I'm hoping. We'll see, though," Auck said of qualifying for state.
For Boggs, it was something he had in mind for this season from the very start.
"The goal was to make it to state," he said. "With my times right now, I'll hopefully make it."
Bucyrus finished sixth as a team, Colonel Crawford was seventh and Buckeye Central eighth, led by Braeden Siefert in 23rd. Wynford and Crestline didn't have enough runners for a team total, and Galion was ninth in the D-II race.
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This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Colonel Crawford girls three-peat at district cross country meet
