Local cross country programs turned in standout performances over the weekend at the OHSAA Southwest District Championships. Several area teams and individuals advanced to next week’s regional meet in Troy, while others capped their seasons with personal bests and podium finishes.
West Liberty-Salem Boys & Girls Big Orange
The West Liberty-Salem cross country program continued its postseason success at the Division III Southwest District Championships at Cedarville University. Both the boys and girls programs captured district titles, marking another dominant performance for the Big Orange.
Girls Results
The WL-S girls claimed their ninth straight district title, finishing first overall out of 17 teams in the Division IV Super District, where 31 schools compete in one race.
Team Scoring (Top 6):
- West Liberty-Salem – 66 (District Champion)
- Fort Loramie – 80 (District Champion)
- Versailles – 85 (District Runner-Up)
- Cedarville – 114 (District Runner-Up)
- Newton – 126
- Anna – 230
WL-S Individual Results (143 runners):
- Malia Miller – 6th (19:50.2)
- Addi Wallen – 9th (20:16.6)
- Gwen McCullough – 11th (20:32.9)
- Isla Leichty – 12th (20:39.2)
- Elia Matthews – 30th (21:26.3)
- Mariska Smith – 35th (21:45.4)
- Charlee Albers – 39th (21:57.0)
“I am proud of the girls’ effort to secure the program’s ninth straight district title. They are ready to transition into the last part of the season where they should have their best races.”
– Head Coach Aaron Lauck
Boys Results
The West Liberty-Salem boys, ranked fourth in this week’s OATCCC Division III state poll, captured their fourth straight district title and 19th overall.
Team Scoring (Top 10):
- Oakwood – 52 (District Champion)
- West Liberty-Salem – 57 (District Champion)
- Versailles – 75 (District Runner-Up)
- Anna – 157 (District Runner-Up)
- Waynesville – 170
- Milton-Union – 205
- Bethel – 208
- Urbana – 251
- Brookville – 280
- Arcanum – 299
WL-S Individual Results (149 runners):
- Asher Cole – 3rd (16:04.2)
- Caleb Larson – 5th (16:21.4)
- Dylan King – 9th (16:44.3)
- Brayan Gullett – 17th (17:06.3)
- Garrett Wallen – 23rd (17:29.2)
- Eric Hoover – 30th (17:49.4)
- Zeke Longshore – 52nd (18:40.3)
“Winning a fourth straight district title against a talented D3 field is an amazing accomplishment and one we’re extremely proud of. This marks the first time since the 1973–79 teams to win at least four straight district titles. Garrett Wallen and Eric Hoover had outstanding performances, improving 13–16 spots from their pre-race seeds. I’m extremely proud of all seven guys and the guts they ran with today.”
– Head Coach Mike Louden
Next Up: Division III Southwest Regional at Troy Stadium – Saturday, October 25 (Boys 12:30 PM, Girls 11:50 AM).
Bellefontaine High School
Girls Results
The Lady Chiefs punched their ticket to the regional meet for the first time since 2017 after a strong team performance at the Division II District Championships at Cedarville University.
Grace Brown successfully defended her title to become a back-to-back district champion, leading the Chiefs to a sixth-place finish overall and a regional berth.
Team Scoring (Top 10):
- Bellbrook – 59
- Troy – 78
- Carroll – 87
- Butler – 120
- Tippecanoe – 121
- Bellefontaine – 147
- Greenville – 190
- Piqua – 192
- Tecumseh – 239
- Wilmington – 251
Individual Results:
- Grace Brown – 1st (19:10)
- Kaeleigh Flora – 7th (20:32)
- Cece Reier – 42nd (23:45)
- Sloan Stolly – 44th (23:56)
- Leila Hammond – 53rd (24:22)
- Cameo Greene – 54th (24:23)
- Blakely Vollrath – 55th (24:29)
“This group has been building toward this all season. Grace’s back-to-back district title set the tone for the team, and on a hot, windy day they stayed composed and raced tough. To see their work pay off—and to bring the program back to Regionals after several years away—is really special. They earned this.”
– Head Coach Stacey Wilson
Boys Results
The Bellefontaine boys finished as Division II District Runners-up, collecting their fourth consecutive district trophy and extending their regional qualifying streak.
Team Scoring (Top 10):
- Tippecanoe – 31
- Bellbrook – 60
- Bellefontaine – 83
- Carroll – 96
- Butler – 120
- Piqua – 208
- Greenville – 258
- Franklin – 273
- Tecumseh – 283
- Wilmington – 285
Individual Results (120 runners):
- Hayden Maus – 2nd (16:39)
- Jake Moreland – 8th (17:04)
- Oliver Grandstaff – 12th (17:19)
- Will Myers – 25th (18:09)
- Landon Gerwels – 37th (18:44)
- Andrew Myers – 44th (18:57)
- Brenden Murray – 56th (19:50)
“We were plus-three as a top five with our pre-race goal places and seeded third overall, so we maintained status quo. Hayden ran a strategic race and the rest of the team executed well. A good week of practice will put us in the hunt for a state berth at regionals.”
– Head Coach Ben Davis
Next Up: Division II Regional at Troy Stadium – Saturday, October 25, 2:20 PM.
Benjamin Logan High School
The Lady Raiders placed 13th out of 19 schools at the Division III Southwest District Championships at Cedarville College. Although the team did not qualify, five runners advanced individually to regionals based on their performances.
Team Scoring (Top 15):
- Oakwood – 20
- Waynesville – 79
- Greenon – 130
- Urbana – 179
- Brookville – 182
- Eaton – 214
- Valley View – 214
- Milton-Union – 216
- Bethel – 225
- Alter – 230
- Indian Lake – 240
- Benjamin Logan – 297
- Northwestern – 343
- Graham – 344
Individual Results (111 runners):
- Gwen Smith – 47th (23:04 – PR) – Regional Qualifier
- Molly Siefring – 59th (23:36) – Regional Qualifier
- Elliott Butler – 68th (24:08) – Regional Qualifier
- Lucy Wenger – 69th (24:12) – Regional Qualifier
- Lottie Bodin – 70th (24:18 – PR) – Regional Qualifier
- Lauren Kennedy – 91st (25:42)
- Peyton Smith – 92nd (25:47)
Boys Results
The Raider boys had four individual regional qualifiers at the Division III district meet.
Individual Results:
- Tyler Shoopman – 66th (19:09) – Regional Qualifier
- Greyson Butler – 19:22 – Regional Qualifier
- Oliver Morse – 19:27 – Regional Qualifier
- Maxwell Troth – 20:08 – Regional Qualifier
- Gabe Elsasser – 21:55
- Miles Granbois – 27:32
Next Up: Division III Regional Championships at Troy – Saturday, October 25 (Girls 11:50 AM, Boys 12:30 PM).
Indian Lake High School
The Indian Lake girls’ team advanced to regionals with a strong showing at the Division III Southwest District race at Cedarville University.
Girls Individual Results:
- Laura Metzger – 18th (21:36)
- Reagan Rash – 24th (21:56)
- Evie Wagner – 48th (22:49)
- Kayleigh Taylor – 63rd (23:38)
- Haley Metzger – 100th (26:44)
- Olivia Albert – 107th (28:33)
- Karlee Taylor – 109th (28:46 – PR)
The boys team did not advance as a group but had three individual qualifiers:
Boys Individual Results:
- Nathan White – 58th (18:53)
- Cason Lacher – 84th (19:45)
- Will Faler – 97th (20:10)
- Titus Kelly – 105th (20:30)
- Aidan Stinebaugh – 114th (20:57)
Next Up: Division III Regional at Troy – Saturday, October 25 (Girls 11:30 AM, Boys 12:15 PM).
Calvary Christian High School
Both the boys’ and girls’ teams competed well to earn a bid to Regionals.
Bellefontaine Middle School Cross Country
Girls Team
The Bellefontaine Middle School girls finished seventh at the Division II State Meet at Dublin Jerome.
Individual Results (106 runners):
- Kylie Lowe – 9th (13:01)
- Baya Deal – 11th (13:10 – PR)
- Mia Regula – 57th (15:32)
- Bentley Drake – 59th (15:39 – PR)
- Alivia Owens – 63rd (15:51)
- Myra Varner – 92nd (17:31)
Team Finish: 7th
Kylie Lowe will continue her season at the Middle School Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky on November 16.
Boys Team
The Bellefontaine Middle School boys placed fourth at the Division II State Meet at Dublin Jerome, tying the best team finish in program history.
Individual Results (139 runners):
- Jackson Maus – 4th (11:28 – PR)
- Sennett Stolly – 20th (12:12)
- Camden Vollrath – 30th (12:30)
- Bennett Lang – 52nd (13:05)
- Lucas Lin – 61st (13:21)
- Jayden Lambert – 114th (14:49)
- Anthony Carter – 117th (14:53)
- Owen Smith – 118th (14:55)
Team Finish: 4th
Jackson Maus will compete at Middle School Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky on November 16.
Indian Lake Middle School
Indian Lake Middle School athletes showed grit and determination at the 7th and 8th Grade Postseason Invitational at Fortress Obetz, competing through steady rain, mud, and cold to represent the Lakers well.
Girls Individual Results:
- Abby Bihn – 10th (13:13 – Top 30 Medal)
- Caroline Jones – 49th (14:54)
- Abby Arnett – 58th (18:58)
- Ella Wu – 123rd (19:35)
Boys Team Results: 4th place out of 10 teams
Boys Individual Results:
- Hayden Kuhlke – 14th (12:24 – Top 30 Medal)
- Logan Kuhlke – 12:36 (Top 30 Medal)
- Hayden Thompson – 82nd (14:08)
- Dalton Young – 91st (14:34)
- Brantley Bowers – 93rd (14:35)
The Lakers wrapped up their middle school season with multiple personal bests and strong finishes, highlighting the depth and dedication of the program.
West Liberty-Salem Middle School Big Orange
The West Liberty-Salem middle school cross country teams wrapped up their seasons with outstanding performances at the OHSAA Middle School State Meet on Saturday, earning top finishes against elite competition.
Girls Results
The WL-S girls delivered a fantastic team effort, finishing runner-up out of 36 teams and bringing home a team trophy.
Nika Matthews led the Big Orange with a top-10 finish and podium spot, running 12:35 for 10th place.
Elayna Hoover (20th, 12:49) and Lilly Woodruff (29th, 12:59) also earned medals for top-30 finishes. Despite challenging course conditions, the team rose to the occasion, finishing second to a strong Beavercreek squad.
Team Scoring (Top 7):
- Beavercreek – 53
- West Liberty-Salem – 128
- Bellbrook – 156
- Lakota West – 179
- Ottawa – 193
- Anthony Wayne – 199
- Cedarville – 256
WL-S Individual Results (295 runners):
- Nika Matthews – 10th (12:35)
- Elayna Hoover – 20th (12:49)
- Lilly Woodruff – 29th (12:59)
- Elin Leichty – 34th (13:13)
- Iris Meister – 53rd (13:38)
- Emily Finch – 136th (14:55)
- Issabella Meyers – 283rd (18:45)
“What a great team effort and what a way to end our season. Course conditions were tough, but we competed hard. We’re so proud of our Big Orange girls and the season they had!”
Boys Results
The WL-S boys also impressed, finishing 4th out of 44 teams in a deep and competitive field.
Milo Matthews led the team with a 14th-place finish (11:22), while Caizen Anders also medaled with a 28th-place finish (11:39). The boys battled through wet and challenging conditions to earn their strong team finish.
Team Scoring (Top 7):
- Lakota West – 74
- Perrysburg – 98
- Loveland – 143
- West Liberty-Salem – 199
- Beavercreek – 206
- Pettisville – 274
- Piqua – 308
WL-S Individual Results (366 runners):
- Milo Matthews – 14th (11:22)
- Caizen Anders – 28th (11:39)
- Zeke Lauck – 34th (11:46)
- Chafer Matthews – 69th (12:06.13)
- Liam Harrington – 71st (12:06.53)
- Raylan Wulf – 83rd (12:14)
- Harrison Sutherin – 91st (12:20)
- Walker Williams – 185th (13:11)
- Jacob Bahan – 228th (13:41)
- Wyatt Brooks – 234th (13:47)
Open Race Finishers (163 runners):
- Bryce Michael – 110th (15:18)
- Jett Ziegler – 121st (15:30)
- Malachi Titus – 123rd (15:33)
6th Grade and Under
Emma Smith placed 10th at the Division 2/3/4 State Meet at Dublin Jerome, earning a podium spot with a PR of 13:12.
In the boys’ 6th-grade race, Emmett Lowe placed 39th out of 186 runners with a PR of 13:45.
Both Smith and Lowe will compete at the Youth 6th Grade and Under Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky on November 16.
All qualified athletes will return to competition next weekend at the OHSAA Regional Championships at Troy Stadium, with middle school nationals to follow in mid-November in Louisville.
