2014 State XC Season Preview - D1 Boy's and Girl's

Mark Stonecipher

 

D1 INDIVIDUAL BOYS

 

The 2014 D1 Individual Boy’s XC season has 9 seniors returning from the top ten returners from the 2103 State Championship, along with 1 sophomore.  Hudson Sr. Kyle Mau is the leading returner, placing 3rd last year in a time of 15:21.93.  He led the number two returner, Michael Vitucci of St. Xavier by 20.27 seconds.  Last spring Mau was 2nd in the 3200 with a strong 9:03.07.  He was 6th in the 1600 in 2013 with a 4:13.19.  Vitucci however, won the 1600 with a time of 4:07.96.  He also anchored the St. Xavier boy’s to a new State record in the 4 x 800 and also split a 1:49 anchoring the 4 x 800 to a win at the New Balance Nationals.  One would expect a healthy Mau or Vitucci to stand atop the podium at the end of the season.

The two will be challenged however, by several others, including Hilliard Davidson’s Sr. Colin Burdette who has the fastest 2013 time of all returners having run a 15:12.91 in the Ohio Capital conference Championships.  In last year’s State meet, Burdette finished 18th in 15:57.86, just ahead of two other Sr.’s, Wooster’s Kevin White (15:58.16) and Northmont’s JT Mackay (15:59.01).  The only other runner under 16 minutes was Sr. Jacob Kernell of Lake-Uniontown, who was 14th in 15:49.34.

The other 3 Sr.’s in the top 10 returners are Pickerington North’s Zach Zimmerman (16:05.34), St. Xavier’s Cole Grabowski (16:09.76) and George McCartney of Toledo Central Catholic (16:10.41). The sole returning underclassman in last year’s top ten returners is Beavercreek sophomore Ben Ewert.  (16:05:.36).  Ewert finished 26th last year.

 

 

2014 D1 BOYS

TOP 10 RETURNERS BY PLACE

From 2013 OHSAA STATE MEET

Athlete

  

Team

Result

1   Kyle Mau

12

Hudson

15:21.93

2   Michael Vitucci

12

St. Xavier

15:42.20

3   Jacob Kernell

12

Lake-Uniontown

15:49.34

4   Colin Burdette

12

Hilliard Davidson

15:57.86

5   Kevin White

12

Wooster

15:58.16

6   JT Mackay

12

Northmont

15:59.01

7   Zach Zimmerman

12

Pickerington North

16:05.34

8   Ben Ewart

10

Beavercreek

16:07.36

9   Cole Grabowski

12

St. Xavier

16:09.76

10 George McCartney

12

Toledo Central Catholic

16:10.41


 

D1 BOY'S  TEAM

Just as it is difficult to predict Pre-season individuals, it is also difficult to place Pre-Season teams.  Based strictly on times run last season, last year's number three team at State, Hilliard Davidson, has to be considered one of the top teams to contend for the State Championship. Davidson lost it's #1 runner, Garrett Knapik, but returns five runners, including Sr. Colin Burdette, who has the State's fastest 2013 time. He was 18th last year.  Other returners are: #59 Sr. Luke Hoover, #76 Sr. Ryan Whitney, #93 Sr. Johnny McKeown and #121 Jr. Adam Hoover.

St. Xavier is the defending State Champion and should contend again for the title. Michael Hall who was 4th and Evan Stifel who was 5th graduated, but the team returns #8 Sr. Michael Vitucci, #29 Sr. Cole Grabowski and #34 Sr. Brad Eagan.  They are all experienced runners.  For St. Xavier, it will all depend upon who fills in their number four and five spots.

Mason is the number 10 team based on 2013 times and they were the #5 team at State last year.  However, they graduated their top two placing runners, #13 Tom Clark and #38 Zac Thompson.   They return # 62, Sr. Tommy Stewart and #100, Jr. Jacob Bauer.  Mason's strongest runner, Sr. Nick Grismer, fell at State last year and did not finish, but ran 7th in the 3200 in the spring (9:16.22). He has the 7th fastest returning time from 2013 and just may give Mason the strength they need to be on the podium.

 

2014 D1 Boys  TOP TEAMS BY INDIVIDUAL TIMES (From 2103)

1.  Hilliard Davidson #3

2.  Dublin Coffman

3.  New Albany

4.  St. Xavier  #1

5.  Thomas Worthington

6.  Hilliard Darby

7.  Lake - Uniontown

8.  St. Ignatius #7

9.  Westerville South

10. Mason  #5

 

2014 D1 BOYS   TOP TEAMS BY INDIVIDUAL TIMES (From 2103)

 

 

D1 INDIVIDUAL GIRLS

St. Ursula Academy Sr. Annie Heffernan, the defending D1 Champion (18:13.90), leads the returning D1 girls. Six of the top 10 girls return.  In fact, 15 of the top 20 return, with all of the returners under the 19:00 minute mark.  Heffernan is arguably the best girls XC and distance runner in the State.  She is building an impressive resume after finishing 3rd in the 2012 XC State Championships in 17:45.07.  In 2014, she followed up her XC win with a 1st in the 1600 (4:56.82).  Fighting a virus, she had a sizable lead in the 3200 with 200m to go, but faded to 6th.  In the 2014 indoor season, she ran a 10:12.02 in the NBNI Championship 2-mile finishing 3rd .  She was 1st in the OATCCC Indoor 3200 (10:31.39).  Heffernan should repeat and just may go under 18:00. 

Three other Sr.’s return, all under 19:00.  Ursuline Academy’s Catherine Finke is the #4 returner, placing 7th last year in 18:42.25.  The other two Sr.’s are Abbie VanFossen of Lakota East (11th , 18:53.07) and Claire Wiles of Olentangy Liberty (12th, 18:55.00).

The top returning underclassman is Centerville Jr. Lainey Studebaker.  Studebaker ran 3rd in 2013 with a time of 18:30.53.  She was 2nd in the 1600 on the track (4:58.88) and ran 4th at the NBON in the Mile with a time of 4:57.88.

 

Another girl to watch for is Jr. Haley Hess of Oregon-Clay.  She was 6th in 2013 running 18:41.39.  

 

2014 D1 GIRLS

TOP 10 RETURNERS BY PLACE

From 2013 OHSAA STATE MEET

Athlete

  

Team

Result

1   Annie Heffernan

12

St. Ursula

18:13.90

2   Lainey Studebaker

11

Centerville

18:30.53

3   Hailey Hess

11

Clay-Oregoan

18:41.39

4   Catherine Finke

12

Ursuline Academy

18:42.45

5   Louiza Wise

11

Solon

18:45.27

6   Emma Bryant

10

Vandalia-Butler

18:51.30

7   Anne Heuerman

11

Upper Arlington

18:51.98

8   Abbie VanFossen

12

Lakota East

18:53.07

9   Claire Wiles

12

Olentangy Liberty

18:55.00

10 Leah Ford

11

Mason

18:56.92

 

 

D1 GIRL'S  TEAM

The Mason girl's are the defending team champions and they should be the favorites to return to the top spot on the podium.   They return six of their seven runners from State last year, losing their #5 runner, Kinsley McBath to graduation.  The team is led by Jr. Leah Ford and So. Ellie Brush.  Ford was 14th last year and Brush 15th, separated by less than 1 second (18:56.92, 18:57.59).  Two more underclassman were their # 3 and 4 runners. So.  Ailee Henderson (30th, 19:11.74) and Jr. Maegan Murphy (41st, 19:19.17).  Sr’s Erin Brush and Bethany Angstadt both return.  They ran in the 6th and 7th spots last year. (62nd, 19:32.78, 74th, 19:40.98).    The team also sits atop the rankings as the number one ranked team based upon returner’s times.

Last year’s #2 team, Beavercreek is ranked #3 in the rankings by time.  They lost their #1 runner from last year, #20 Danielle Beranek, but return all of their other runners, with 6 girls separated by less than 45 seconds last year.  Sr.’s Aurora Turner (23rd, 19:01.39) and Emma Hensley (48th, 19:24.54) lead the way .  Jr. Cami Baird was the #3 runner last year (51st, 19:25.39) and she is joined by So.’s Lauren Shuman (80th, 19:45.66) and Jordan Grant (81st, 19:45.83).  Their 7th runner from last year, Jr. Ashley Dunteman also returns (98th, 20:01.70).

Ursuline Academy was 3rd last year and is ranked #5.  Last year’s #7 runner, Sr. Catherine Finke returns (18:42.25), along with So. Anna Herriott (33rd, 19:14.12). However,  based solely on last year’s times, the team’s 3-5 runners will need to step up for them to contend for a top five spot on the podium.  The team lost last year’s #4 runner, Christine Frederick.

Two other teams to watch for are Hilliard Davidson and Upper Arlington.  Davidson  is ranked #2 in the Team Times Ranking.  They placed 11th at State last year and are led by Sr. Lilly Saniel-Banre (32nd, 19:13.46).  Upper Arlington is ranked 4th and is led by Jr. Ann Heuerman who was 10thg last year (18:51.98) but has the 3# leading time from last year (18:08.68).  

 

2014 D1 GIRLS  TOP TEAMS BY INDIVIDUAL TIMES (From 2103)

1.  Mason #1

2.  Hilliard Davidson #10

3.  Beavercreek #2

4.  Upper Arlington #15

5.  Ursuline Academy #3

6.  Gahanna Lincoln #7

7.  Perysburg #5

8.  Thomas Worthington #13

9.  Rocky River #12

10. Centerville  #4

NOTE: In the ranking linked to below, the Rocky River team is shown as Magnificat in the ranking.  The team girls are correct.  We are addressing this and will have corrected.  Sorry for any confusion.

 

   2014 D1 GIRLS TOP TEAMS BY INDIVIDUAL TIMES (FROM 2103)