Several area cross country teams competed Saturday at the 54th Max Evans Ohio Caverns Invitational in West Liberty and the London Red Raider XC Invitational, with West Liberty-Salem winning the boys team title at Ohio Caverns and Urbana finishing fourth in the girls race at London.
Ohio Caverns XC Invitational
1ST – WEST LIBERTY-SALEM BOYS (62)
The West Liberty-Salem boys cross country team won the 54th Max Evans Ohio Caverns Invitational with 62 points.
The Tigers, ranked fourth in this week’s Division III OATCCC state poll, won the meet over Cedarville on a sixth-runner tiebreaker.
Asher Cole led West Liberty-Salem with a first-place finish in 15:50.6.
Brayan Gullett finished third in 16:30.0, followed by Zeke Longshore in 16th at 17:25.1.
Eric Hoover placed 21st in 17:39.6, while Gauge Lee finished 24th in 17:43.7.
Milo Matthews finished 35th in 18:05.3, followed by Zeke Lauck in 38th at 18:16.2.
Head coach Mike Louden said he was happy with the team’s performance on its home course, especially after dealing with sickness and injuries throughout the week.
Louden also said the close finish was a reminder that every place matters as the Tigers look to get healthy heading into the postseason.
WEST LIBERTY-SALEM BOYS JV
Zeke Sidders led the Tigers with a third-place finish in 18:48.2, recording a PR.
Zac Carter finished seventh in 19:14.7 with a season-best time.
Isaiah Barth placed 21st in 20:13.5 with a PR, while Walker Williams finished 22nd in 20:14.4.
2ND – WEST LIBERTY-SALEM GIRLS (50)
The West Liberty-Salem girls finished second at the Ohio Caverns Invitational with 50 points.
Addi Wallen led the Tigers with a fourth-place finish in 20:09.3.
Isla Leichty finished eighth in 20:28.0, followed by Elin Leichty in 12th at 20:46.6.
Elia Matthews placed 19th in 21:52.7, while Charlee Albers finished 23rd in 22:30.2.
Hattie Jacobs was 28th in 22:52.3, followed by Olive Matthews in 35th at 23:10.4.
3RD – BELLEFONTAINE BOYS (103)
The Bellefontaine Chieftains finished third at the Ohio Caverns Invitational with 103 points.
Oliver Grandstaff led the Chieftains with a seventh-place finish in 16:58.3.
Jackson Maus finished 19th in 17:31.1, followed by Brenden Murray in 23rd at 17:42.5.
Will Myers placed 28th in 17:51.9, while Jake Moreland finished 32nd in 17:59.2.
Aiden Fout was 33rd in 18:01.7, followed by Andrew Myers in 36th at 18:08.3.
Head coach Ben Davis said freshman Jackson Maus is continuing to establish himself as he becomes more comfortable with the 5K distance.
Davis also said the team’s pack, led by its senior leadership, will be important as the postseason approaches.
BELLEFONTAINE BOYS JV
The Bellefontaine junior varsity race featured 55 individuals.
Lucas Linn led the Chieftains with a 13th-place finish in 19:50 with a PR.
Bennett Lang finished 27th in 21:01 with a PR, followed by Andy McDonald in 33rd at 22:00, also a PR.
Tristyn Wilson placed 34th in 22:01 with a season-best time.
Marek Frazier finished 37th in 22:45 with a PR, followed by Charlie Moreland in 42nd at 23:20.
Brayten Swisher placed 50th in 24:53, while Dalton Frazier finished 54th in 29:10.
Davis said the junior varsity runners’ summer hill training paid off on the hilly course.
BELLEFONTAINE MIDDLE SCHOOL BOYS
The Bellefontaine Middle School boys finished fifth out of 20 teams in a field of 132 runners.
Camden Vollrath led the Chiefs with a 15th-place finish in 12:25.
Anthony Carter placed 31st in 13:00 with a PR, followed by Daniel Campbell in 32nd at 13:07, also a PR.
Owen Smith finished 37th in 13:19 with a PR.
Jayden Lambert placed 90th in 15:34 with a season-best time, while Malek Alhaj finished 91st in 15:38 with a PR.
BELLEFONTAINE MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRLS
The Bellefontaine Middle School girls finished third out of 18 teams in a field of 134 runners.
Kylie Lowe led the Chiefs with an eighth-place finish in 12:44, a season-best time.
Emma Smith finished 17th in 13:25.
Miley McKirahan placed 23rd in 13:59 with a PR, followed by Willow Rupp in 24th at 13:59, also recording a PR.
Danica Engle finished 39th in 15:11 with a PR.
Gemma Rutan placed 45th in 15:33 with a PR, while Emily Escue finished 61st in 16:12, also recording a PR.
Rosie Moreland finished 131st in 24:45 with a PR.
BELLEFONTAINE YOUTH
Emmett Lowe won the Ohio Caverns Invitational youth run in 6:18, outpacing a field of nearly 100 runners.
6TH – CALVARY CHRISTIAN BOYS (177)
Adly Knox and Benaiah Soma tied for 11th in 17:12.3.
Aydan Knox finished 27th in 17:50.8, followed by Brett Gilldow in 62nd at 19:15.6.
Will Bender placed 82nd in 20:55.5.
CALVARY CHRISTIAN GIRLS
Avery McCarty led Calvary Christian with a 42nd-place finish in 23:47.6.
Soma Mayumi finished 93rd in 29:28.3, followed by Jocelyn Wylie in 98th at 30:36.4.
9TH – TRIAD BOYS (247)
Henry Beaverson led Triad with a 29th-place finish in 17:54.9.
Jacob Johnson finished 34th in 18:04.1, followed by Daniel Ishida-Garwood in 49th at 18:41.1.
Noah Humphrey placed 72nd in 19:55.4, while Hayden Williams finished 86th in 21:30.4.
Chris May was 94th in 22:27.0, followed by Alex McComas in 97th at 23:04.5.
11TH – BENJAMIN LOGAN BOYS (297)
Greyson Butler led the Raiders with a 39th-place finish in 18:17.1.
Gavin Jordan finished 60th in 19:13.1, followed by Oliver Morse in 66th at 19:32.6.
Cason Lacher placed 79th in 20:43.2, while John Tingley finished 83rd in 21:00.5.
Gabe Elsasser finished 98th in 23:27.4.
8TH – BENJAMIN LOGAN GIRLS (199)
Mollie Siefring led the Raiders with a 46th-place finish in 23:59.5.
Lottie Bodin finished 48th in 24:12.5, followed by Gwendolyn Smith in 51st at 24:15.8.
Shelby Siefring placed 54th in 24:22.1, while Elliott Butler finished 55th in 24:29.2.
Lauren Kennedy was 61st in 25:34.5, followed by Montana Coleman in 63rd at 25:41.3.
INDIAN LAKE BOYS
Nathan White led the Lakers with a 42nd-place finish in 18:25.4.
Hayden Kuhlke finished 47th in 18:33.5, while Dalton Young placed 100th in 24:12.8.
6TH – INDIAN LAKE GIRLS (177)
Laura Metzger led the Lakers with a 24th-place finish in 22:33.2.
Alicia Brielmaier finished 38th in 23:29.1, followed by Kayleigh Taylor in 39th at 23:34.8.
Caroline Jones placed 58th in 24:55.9, while Abby Arnett finished 70th in 26:04.3.
INDIAN LAKE MIDDLE SCHOOL BOYS
Hayden Thompson led the Lakers with a 39th-place finish in 13:26, a season-best time that earned him a finishers’ medal.
Isaac King finished 71st in 14:33, followed by Kole Gilliam in 79th at 14:52.
Lincoln Halterman placed 105th in 16:20 with a PR, while Lincoln Nielsen finished 106th in 16:27.
Owen Flory was 117th in 17:58, followed by Carter Flory in 118th at 18:08.
Gunner Rogers finished 126th in 19:13 with a PR.
INDIAN LAKE MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRLS
Serenity Albert led Indian Lake with an 83rd-place finish in 17:05 with a PR.
Makenna Gibbons finished 100th in 18:06 with a PR, followed by Aubrey Hoffman in 102nd at 18:09 with a PR.
Taylor Alltop placed 109th in 18:41.
Kaylyn Warren finished 121st in 21:07, followed by Cheyenne Pender in 122nd at 21:22.
Rozalyn Lane finished 132nd in 25:10 with a PR.
RIVERSIDE BOYS
Brenden Lattimer represented Riverside in the boys race, finishing 114th in 31:52.2.
RIVERSIDE GIRLS
Kristen Thompson represented Riverside in the girls race, finishing 96th in 30:13.9.
London Red Raider XC Invitational
8TH – URBANA BOYS (177)
The Urbana Hillclimbers finished eighth at the London Red Raider XC Invitational with 177 points.
Levi Zachrich led Urbana with a 21st-place finish in 18:13.1.
Landon McKellop finished 25th in 18:51.0, followed by Anthony Keeran in 35th at 19:25.5.
Connor Moore placed 81st in 21:29.3, while Henry Chapman finished 86th in 22:18.9.
Wyatt Zachrich was 95th in 22:41.2, followed by Sawyer Risner in 103rd at 23:17.7.
4TH – URBANA GIRLS (117)
The Urbana girls finished fourth at the London Red Raider XC Invitational with 117 points.
Hazel Lightle led the Hillclimbers with a 13th-place finish in 21:11.8.
Avery Smith finished 14th in 21:12.5, followed by Olivia MacKendrick in 24th at 22:18.1.
Sara Hildebrand placed 35th in 23:01.3, while Meghan Hoskins finished 50th in 23:59.7.
Ellie Blacker finished 87th in 26:39.7, followed by Addison Bass in 92nd at 27:20.4.
