The 2012 State Cross Country Championships saw only one repeat individual Champion. Senior Sam Prakel of Versailles defended his title and bested his 2011 D3 record time by 2.72 seconds, in running 15:16.34. Two other National Trails records were set. Senior Sam Wharton of Tippacanoe established a new D1 Boys and National Trails record running 15:09.95. Lebanon Junior Jacqulyn Crow set a new D1 Girl's and National Trails record, running 17:39.31. The previous record was set in the girl's D2 race by Freshman Mary Kate Vaughn of Oakwood. Vaughn ran 17:41.57. Two teams repeated. Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary repeated as the D2 girl’s champion and Liberty Center repeated as the D3 girl’s champion.
The day was overcast and cool and the course, surprisingly, was in excellent condition with the exception of the finish area that had been flooded earlier in the week. The first race of the day was the D3 boys. The team championship turned out to be the closets of the three divisional boy’s races. Seneca East was 5th in 2011 and won the 2012 Championship, scoring 101 points. The team was led by Junior Jason Willman who ran 16:14.19, 17th overall and 10th in the team race. East’s number two runner was Sophomore Carson Pipher. Phipher was 24 overall and 14 in the team race with a 16:17.85. Sophomore Wes Pipher was just behind his brother finishing 29th and 17th. (16:22.29) Running 4th was another Sophomore, Jared Stockmaster, who placed 34 and 20 in 16:32.06 the only Senior on the team, was their 5th runner, Karl Burgenderfer who ran 17:00.30, placing 64th and 40.
MacDonald was just 6 points back of Seneca East, scoring 107. Junior Bobby Johnson was 5th overall and 2nd in the team scoring with a 15:39.45. Running 6th overall and 3rd in team scoring was Senior Patrick Kunkel. (15:45.31) MacDonald’s 3rd runner however, was 53.67 back of Kunkel. Junior Alex Coviello ran 44th and 26th with a time of 16:38.98. Senior Tyler Smith was 49th/30th in 16:44.14. Sophomore Zach Hawout was 73rd/46th in 17:08.12.
Senior Sam Prakel of Versailles repeated as the individual champion running 15:16.62. His time was a new National Trails Raceway D3 record, besting his time from last year of 15:19.34. Senior Cory Glines, a recent Michigan Signee, was 2nd in 15:20.66. He and Senior Kyle Polman of Independence who was 3rd in 15:24.30 led for most of the race with Prakel pushing into the lead the last 800 of the race. 4th went to Senior Clayton Murphy of Tri-Village in 15:32.45. The 5th place finisher was Junior Bobby Johnson of McDonald in 15:39.45.
The second race of the day was the D2 boy’s race. Defiance Senior Abel Flores, the 2011 runner-up led most of the race, pushing the pace, but the day belonged to Senior Mick Iacofona of Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary. Iacofona ran 15:32.98. Flores ran 15:46.48. Third place went to Sheridan Junior Matt Bromley who was 3.56 seconds back in 15:46.94. 4th went to Springfield Shawnee’s Senior Michael Tymoski with a 15:54.53. The 5th place finisher was Junior Ben Bockhoven of Cuyahoga Falls CVCA. (15:57.26)
The D2 Team race went to Peninsula Woodridge. Woodridge scored 83 points to 2nd place Defiance’s 109 and 3rd place Springfield Shawnee’s 110. The Woodridge runners went 5, 8, 10, 17 and 43 led by Senior Michael Wojcik who ran 8th overall and 5th in the team race with a time of 16:01.22. Senior Alex Frederick ran 2nd for Woodridge with a time of 16:10.61 finishing 14th and 8th. Senior Sam Scourfield ran 19th and 10, running 3rd for Woodridge in 16:15.86. The 4th runner, Junior John Harry, was 11.31 seconds back running 19th and 17th. (16:27.17) Sophomore Noah Bullock was back in 75th and 43rd place, running 17:04.72, but placing high enough to give secure Woodridge’s victory.
Abel Flores led Defiance with his 2nd place run. Running 2nd for Defiance was Junior Alex Barrientos was 11th overall and 6th in the team race with a 16:06.38. Junior Nate Wichman ran35th/15th (16:23.67). Junior Garret Wiles was 73rd/42nd in 17:02.06. Senior Ben Rath ran 73rd/44th in 17:05.03.
MacDonald was 3rd, just 1 point behind Defiance. Senior Michael Tymoski led MacDonald with a strong 4th place overall finish. (15:54.53) Following Tymoski, were Sophomore Will Holmes 20th/11th (16:19.31), Senior Austin Szekacs 22nd/13th (16:21.44), Senior Tyler Greenwood 41st/25th (16:36.66) and Sophomore Jordan Penrose 93rd/58th (17:19.37)
The D1 individual race was won by Tippecanoe Senior Sam Wharton in a new D1 and National Trails Raceway course record 15:09.95. Wharton was 2nd in 2011 to Reynoldsburg’s Tsehaye Hiluff who held the record of 15:21.52. In the race, Wharton pushed the pace early, leading from start to finish. 2nd place went to Westerville North’s Senior Jacob Dumford who also broke the 2011 winning time. Dumford ran 15:17.95 finishing just ahead of Walsh Jesuit Senior Brian Brennan. (15:22.63) Chardon Junior Nick Elswich was 4th in 15:24.01 just ahead of Westerville North’s number two runner, Senior, Kent Ford who ran 15:29.11.
The D1 team race was dominated by St. Xavier, scoring 71 points to 2nd place Masons 123 and 3rd place St. Ignatius’ 139. Xavier went 6, 14, 15, 17 and 19, led by Senior Jake Grabowski who was 9th in the overall race in a time of 15:38.76. All of Xavier’s 5 runners were under 16:00. The number two runner was Senior Michael Momper. (15:50.03) 22nd/14th. Number three was Junior Michael Hall who ran 15:52.68. 24th/15th. Senior Alex Kuvin was the #4 runner finishing 30th/17th in a time of 15:54.68. The number five runner was Junior Evan Stifel. 32nd/19th (15:56.59)
The girl’s D3 race saw Liberty Center repeat as State Champions. Their lead runner however, Sophomore Brittany Atkinson, the defending State champion, was bested by another Sophomore, Sarah Kanney of Coldwater. Kanney set a new D3 record running 17:58.03. Kanney, looking back occasionally, led the entire race. Atkinson ran 18:06.67 which also put her under her time in 2011 of 18:27.51. In fact, the 3rd, 4th and 5th place runners were also under the old record. Senior Delany Phelps ran 3rd for Toledo Christian in 18:16.06, Hawken Senior, Alexandra Markovich, was 4th in 18:19.55 and Senior Meghan Vogel of W. Liberty Salem was 5th in 18:24.76.
In the D3 Girls team competition, Liberty Center repeated with a score of 101. They placed 2, 6, 9, 36 and 48. They team was led by Runner-up Brittany Atkinson. Center’s number 2 runner was Senior Kelly Haubert. Haubert was 9th overall and 6th in the team scoring, running 17:44.18. The number three girl was Junior Paige Chamberlain. She was 15th/9th, running 19:00.68. The number four runner was Freshman Olivia Kundo. 55th/36th (19:50.54) 5th for Center was another Freshman, Rachel Pinson. 73rd/48th (20:17.13)
The Coldwater girls were the number two team behind Kanney’s strong run scored 116 points. The teams number two runner was Junior Christina Seas. Seas ran 6th overall and 4th in team with a time of 18:33.45. The teams number three runner is Sarah’s sister, Senior Jill Kanney. 29th/17th (19:20.11)
The number three team in the State was Gates Mills Gilmour Academy, scoring 123 points. Gilmour was led by Senior Alexis Anton 20th/11th (19:11.94) and underclassmen, sisters, Freshman Hanna Markel 27th/16th (19:18.94) and Junior Halle Markel 35th/20th (19:29.83)
The D2 girl’s run was dominated by underclassmen, led by undefeated Freshman Mary Kate Vaughn of Oakwood. In perhaps the day’s most dominant performance, Vaughn pushed hard, leading the entire race. She set a new D2 girl’s record, running 17:41.57. Last year’s record was 18:19.14 by Junior Sarah Taylor of London. Taylor finished back this year running 44th in 19:40.07. 2nd place went to another Freshman, Rachel Iacofano of Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary. Iacofano ran 18:20.70. Third place went to Senior Ellen Isaac of Lexington in 18:22.24. 4thplace went to Sophomore Taylor Vernot of Wauseon. (18:24.88) The 5th place runner was another Freshman, Emily Cass of Athens in a time of 18:27.27.
Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary was the D2 Team champion, totaling 53 pints to beat Lexington with 74 points. Kettering Archbishop Alter was a distant 3rd with 158 points. SVSM went 2,5, 8 15 and 23. They were led by the State runner-up, Rachel Iacofano. The teams 2nd runner, Senior Marissa Rossetti, was the number 9 overall runner and 5th team scorer with a time of 18:39.65. The number three runner, Junior Julia Mendiola, ran 14th overall and 8th in the team with a 18:50.81. Senior Amanda Sollenberg was the teams 4th runner, placing 27th overall and 15th in team. (19:15.34) The girl’s number 5 runner was Sophomore Cynthia Haas. 40th/23rd (19:36.79)
Lexington was a strong second in the D2 team competition, running 3,7,13, 19 and 32. The team was led by the number 3 State finisher, Senior Ellen Isaac. (18:22.24) Junior Lillian Freundlich ran 13th/7th as the team’s #2 runner. (18:45.20) Senior Elizabeth Volz ran 3rd 25th/13th (19:13.36). The 4th and 5th runners were Freshman Dominique Clairborne 33rd/19th (19:22.44) and Junior Susan Fain 54th/32nd (19:48.20)
In the D1 girl’s race, it didn’t take long for the new National Trails course record set by Mary Kate Vaughn in the D2 race to be broken. Lebanon Junior, Jacquelyn Crow, ran 17:39.31. Crow and runner-up, Senior Janelle Coe of Sylvania Northview put on a furious finish in the last 200 yards passing Sophomore Annie Heffernan of Cin. St. Ursula, who had led the race until the finish. Coe finished in 17:40.88 and Heffernan finished in 17:45.07. The 4th and 5th place finishers were also under 18:00. Mason Senior, Lauren Wood ran 4th in 17:52.35 and Sycamore Senior, Samantha Siler ran 17:56.57.
In the D1 team competition, the Mason girls were dominant, scoring just 42 points to runner-up Centerville’s 142 and 3rd place Beavercreek’s 147. The Mason girl’s ran 2, 6, 8, 12 and 14. The team was led by the overall #4 finisher, Senior Lauren Wood. (17:52.35) The number two girl was Freshman Maegan Murphy 13th/6th (18:17.34) Mason’s # 3 runner was Senior Tori Martin. 17th/8th (18:30.57) The 4th and 5th girls were Senior Emily Schlimm 23rd/12th (18:40.74) and Freshman Leah Ford 26th/14th (18:41.75)
Winners Table
