While the national post season track and field meets are winding down, one can only wonder what will happen next year during the Cross Country season. Take a look at who's returning, what teams have a good shot at making the post season and the best by grade level for both boys and girls in Ohio Cross Country.
Returning Team Rankings
Based off of the past season (2007), with taking out all seniors, the returning team rankings show what teams have a strong nucleus of returning athletes which could help them make a run at some post season hardware.
On the boys side the three most prominent teams returning in the state are Medina, Hilliard Davidson and Centerville. Medina loses three of its top ten runners, but they still have a strong returning pack with 2007 Div I State Champion Donny Roys leading the way.
Hilliard Davidson loses three of their top nine runners, but only one of their top five runners. Hilliard Davidson returns four impressive runners that have all broken 16:30. Centerville, the State Runner-Up, loses four of its top ten, but will be loaded with Seniors next year that have State Meet experience.
On the girls side the top three returning teams all finished in the top five at the OHSAA State Championship in Div I. The top three returning teams are North Canton Hoover, defending Div I State Champ Brecksville-Broadview Heights and Colerain.
Hoover only loses two members of it varsity squad, but the most impressive thing is that they return thier top four runners from the state championships. BB Heights only loses one runner from their state champion team, while Megan McAdams will be hard to replace, Hoover already has a fine core of talented young ladies willing to move up and take her place. Colerain loses three of its top ten runners, but only one of those ladies ran on their State team.
Individual Returning Runners
Ohio has 20 individual returning boys that have ran the MileSplit US First Team Elite time of 16:00. And an amazing 76 other individual runners that made the MileSplit US Second Team Elite time of 16:30.
Donny Roys, the defending Div I State Champion looks to defend his title, but he will have a host of runners that will look to dethrone him. Zach Wills of Mason, Shawn Roberts of Centerville, Luis Carbajal of Dublin Scioto and Kevin Yarnell of St. John's Jesuit are the most likely contenders to have a shot of knocking the crown off of Donny Roys.
On the girls side, Ohio has an impressive 47 different individual returning girls that made the MileSplit US First Team Elite time of 19:00, with a separate 122 runners that ran at or below the MileSplit US Second Team Elite time of 19:45.
The top three returning girls in Ohio all run in different divisions. Stephanie Morgan is the Div III State Champion from Barnesville, and Div. I State Runner-Up, Brooklyne Ridder of Oak Hills have both run sub 18:00 5K's. Chelsea Oswald of Walsh Jesuit, the Div II State Runner-Up is hot on their heels and is looking to get into that elite club.
While the national post season track and field meets are winding down, one can only wonder what will happen next year during the Cross Country season. Take a look at who's returning, what teams have a good shot at making the post season and the best by grade level for both boys and girls in Ohio Cross Country.
Returning Team Rankings
Based off of the past season (2007), with taking out all seniors, the returning team rankings show what teams have a strong nucleus of returning athletes which could help them make a run at some post season hardware.
On the boys side the three most prominent teams returning in the state are Medina, Hilliard Davidson and Centerville. Medina loses three of its top ten runners, but they still have a strong returning pack with 2007 Div I State Champion Donny Roys leading the way.