The MMOC should be outstanding!
The Midwest Meet of Champions continues to attract the top teams to this elite cross country competition each year. The 2013 field is once again filled with many of the top distance runners and cross country teams in the region. Look for some fantastic races on Saturday!
Girls Competition:
Defending MMOC and State champion Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary will be here once again to defend their title. They are led by sophomore Rachel Iacofano who was 2nd at the D2 State meet as a freshman! Several D1 powers will try to dethrone SVSM this year including state ranked Springboro (#5), Upper Arlington (#9) and Brunswick (#11). Other top teams to watch include Dublin Coffman (6th in D1 in 2012), Sheridan (ranked #8 in D2) and New Albany.
The individual race is wide open with Iacofano being challenged by Leah Wallace (Reynoldsburg), Heather Sandvik (Westerville North), Dorrian Jaffe and Anne Heuerman (Upper Arlington), Audrea Busse (Springboro) and Emma Bryant (Butler), Julia Mendiola (also of SVSM).
It will be exciting to see which teams and individuals rise to the occasion this weekend!
Boys Competition:
The boys field is absolutely loaded once again this year! Defending MMOC champion St. Ignatius is here to defend their title. They will have their hands full with several highly ranked teams including Dublin Jerome (#2), Olentangy Liberty (#5), Boardman (#6), Chardon (#9), St Vincent-St Mary (#3 D2), Mentor (#11), New Albany (#12), Lancaster (#13), Dublin Coffman (#14) and Westerville North (#18). In 2012, only 2 points separated the top 3 teams - it could be very close at the top once again. Look for an outstanding team competition in the Race of Champions on Saturday!
Individually, we have the top 2 runners in Ohio doing battle for the 2nd time in 3 weeks. It should be very exciting to watch Mark Hadley (Boardman) and Nick Elswick (Chardon) going head to head at the MMOC this weekend! Less than a second separated these 2 highly decorated seniors when they last raced and they should be neck and neck throughout the race on Saturday.
Other top individuals include Luke Wagner (St Ignatius), Andrew Johnston (Olentangy Liberty), Kyle Mau (Hudson), Jake Brumfield (Butler), Zack Buck and Dennis Maloney (New Albany), Eric McCabe (Bradley), Tevin Brown (St. John's), Jake Mandel and Mitch Leitch (Dublin Jerome) and Matt Bromley (Sheridan). Expect to see some great competition in the boys Race of Champions this weekend!
General Information:
The venue for the 2013 MMOC is at Hilliard Bradley High School on a course that is flat, fast and spectator friendly. The course records are 15:34 by Tsehaye Hiluf of Reynoldsburg established in 2011 and 18:23 by Rachel Mahle of Springboro set last year. The course features a long, straight start, a few trips through the woods, several loops around the fields of Bradley HS and a 350 meter straightaway to the finish.
The energy will be high, the crowds will be large and the runners will be ready to make the running of the 2013 MMOC a must see cross country event!
The races begin at 9:00 am on Saturday with Junior High school races. Meet information can be found at www.bradleytrack.org under the MMOC meet index.