The highest finishing Ohio individual was So. Dustin Horter of Lakota East. Horter ran unattached and was11th overall in a time of 15:25.60. Just under 30 seconds from the first place finisher, Jonathan Davis of Oakwood in Illinois who ran a sesaon best 14:59.90. Davis is a Sr. and is the three time IHSA State XC Champion (13:59.30 - 3 Miles US #2), the 2015 IHSA 3,200 Champion 9:05.23 and the 2015 Nike Fesitval of Miles 1600 Champion (4:09.03). This was a very good run for Horter who was ranked OH #5 going in with a 15:11. He has established himself as one to watch over the next two years at the Regional and National level. (OH #1 and US #5 Watkins Memorial Sr. Andrew Jordan elected not to run NXN and to concentrate on The Footlocker National Championship.)
Other Top 30 Ohio Individuals:
15th Sr. Luke Wagner, St. Ignatius 15:28.60
16th Sr. Nick Stricklen, Lexington 15:29.30
18th Sr. Brad Davis, Dublin Jerome 15:33.20
24th Sr. Tristan Dahmen, Maplewood 15:39.50
25th Jr. C.J. Ambosio, St. Ignatius 15:40.00
27th Jr. Hunter Moore, Olentangy Orange 15:40.70
29th Sr. Edmund Coleman, Ashland 15:42.50
31st Jr. Jacob Keating, Lake Catholic 15:46.7
Ohio Boys Team
The highest fnishing boys team was St. Ignatius. They were the D1 State Champion this year and were one of the favored teams going into the NXN Midwest Regional. They ran 7th with 239 points on a race that featured the US #1 ranked Sandburg, IL team. Sandburg won with 120 points.
Ohio Girls
The highest placing girl was OH #1 So. Morgan Gigandet of Troy. She was 7th in 17:48.90 in a race that featured Naperville, IL Sr. Judy Pendergast who ran a new course record 17:00.60. Pendergast led fro the start and dominated, but Gigandet showed that she is not afraid to go out hard and challenge herself. She ran 2nd most of the race and her early pace caught up to her the last 800. Gigandet, just like Horter, proved that she will be one of the contenders at the Regional and National level over the next two year. One has to ask however and question her race strategy at her young age. Two weeks in a row she has gone out agressively and in my opinion, it just may have cost her an Ohio State Championship and a top five qualifying berth to NXN.
Other Top 30 Ohio Individuals:
14th Jr. India Johnson, Hilliard Davidson 18:00.40
15th Sr. Carly Davis, Dublin Jerome 18:03.60
18th Sr. Abby Nichols, Archbishop Alter 18:08.50
28th Jr. Elizabeth Ordeman, Oakwood 18:21.00
29th Sr. Mary Kate Vaughn, Oakwood 18:22.10
30th Jr. Michelle Hostettler, West Holmes 18:24.00
Ohio Girls Team
The top Ohio girls team was the NXN Midwest winners - Centerville. Just how good are the Centerville girls. They won the Regional scoring 145 points defeating several of the top ranked US teams. the Centerville girls were ranked US #10 and beat a Carmel, IN team for the 2nd time this season. The girls were led by Sr. Lainey Studebaker, who ran 35th overall (16th team) in 18:32.30. Fr. Grace Kilroy, 18:38.00, was the #2 runner, Sr. Taylor Malchow, the #3 runner in 18:40.90, So. Kelli Walsh, the #4 runner in 18:46.30 and Fr. Savannah Lowe was the #5 runner in 18:51.2. The girls went 16+23+28+35+43 (61+89). An 18.90 split for 1-5. Can they be better? In my opinion yes. First, So. Kelli Walsh is normally the teams #2 runner. Not slighting any of the girls, but if she runs what she is capable of, she is ahead of Kilroy. Let's give her 22. Studebaker is capable of running faster. And once again, not taking from any of the other Ohio girl's performances. She is ranked OH #3 and has run faster than Jerome's Davis consistently. Place her behind Davidson's Johnson, that would be team #9. That's a potential 125. Of course we can always speculate. The girls will have a chance to challenge themselves and prove how good they are in a few weeks.
Here is a virtual Merge of the NXN Regions. It has the girls 3rd at Nationals based solely on their NXN Midwest times. 6th on their merged average times and 1st on their Split times.
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