State Meet Preview: Northwest Headed South
As we approach the OHSAA state meet and close the book on what was for many a school a historic week, we are given a moment to pause and evaluate. How have our kids performed? How many records have fallen that were thought untouchable? How many legacies were cemented? How will the Northwest stack up when we leave our utopia corner of the state and head to the hustle and bustle of Columbus on a fall Saturday?
While the prior questions are best answered in the sanctity of the team or coaching staffs, the latter is exactly where we at MileSplit are able to assist.
The Northwest sends two teams per gender in division one, four apiece in division two, and an impressive total of fourteen teams in division three. For those unaware this is a balancing act by the OHSAA to ensure that the regions have accurate representation compared to the number of schools within their region that are in any given division. With the Northwest having a plethora of small schools and large cities few and far between that explains the uneven number of schools to advance.
Division I
The teams to advance on the girl's side are the defending state champs and now reigning 2022 regional champions Perrysburg who scored 15 points for the perfect meet last weekend. They are joined by Toledo Notre Dame Academy who have had an excellent season thus far and really put an exclamation on the season with the runner up finish at regionals.
These teams are joined by Sinai Douglas, Grace Blonde, and Katherine Wilt. How these young ladies stack up for the weekend is a story with a lot of variability. Perrysburg's young women, especially Ava Beeks and Natalie Sanders, have an outstanding shot at being all Ohioans going sub 19 at Tiffin.
If the duo are chased closely behind by the next three lady Jackets they have a good chance to repeat as state champions, if not it may be Mason or Hilliard Davidson taking the title home as both are exceptional and have as much fire power as anyone.
The boy's teams that will be making the trip are Toledo St. Francis who are the regional champions this season and Anthony Wayne our team runner-ups. They are joined by Noah Williams the individual champion from the Northwest, Lucien Flores, Anthony Clark, and Aidan Novinsky.
The challenge is far more uphill on the boy's side for the region. Large schools from the three major urban areas of the state have held near monopoly on the state titles in cross and track and this fall the projections hold the same as well. With the top athletes in the state being either under fifteen minutes or flirting with the mark the relatively flat course of Fortress Obetz could very well put it out of reach for our regions young men.
So long as they race their best they will have done the region proud and with some luck we could see a top five finish from St Francis and some all Ohioans including Noah Williams.
Division II
In division two the ladies who moved on and are taking the whole team are Regional champions Lexington and runner up Eastwood along with Ottawa Glandorf and Lima Shawnee. The smaller the schools get the stronger the region shows out and that truth begins in D2.
Lexington's ladies are rated 2nd in the state according to Ohio MileSplit and are only a narrow margin behind the on paper favorite Granville. Beyond this though the odds are that the northwest can sneak another team or two in Eastwood and Ottawa Glandorf into the top ten at state and in so doing bring along numerous all Ohioans.
The individuals who will be coming along looking for that very honor are Kayla Gonzales your 2022 regional champion, Kaylie Dameron, Xavia Immel, Zurina Immel, Raygann Campbell, Kate Thormeier, Morgan Wiechman, and Jennalee Dameron. This group of athletes can make some noise themselves and we can look for some great races and time to be pushing down into the seventeens.
The gentlemen for division two from Northwest Ohio are again in for a more difficult road ahead as of the four teams advancing Shelby, our regional champs, will be the only team who on paper looks to finish in the top ten. This is not a poor reflection on Shelby or runner up Liberty Benton, or Ottawa Glandorf and Bath who also take their whole team to Columbus this weekend, but rather highlights how talented the state is at the 5k this season.
The top finishers in the D2 meet this weekend should be approaching 15:10 and there should be a small pack of them able to accomplish this. While this may be too tall an order for our regions D2 boys there is still hope for many an all Ohioan from these teams or from the individuals who qualified including Xander Fackler, Vent Ashton, Aidan Pena, Jack Callan, Calvin Morris, Tyler Birt, Drew Laudick, Josiah Gonzales, Evan Hinesman, and Colin Buening.
Division III
In division three the Northwest has its best hope for a male team title as Ottawa Hills our regional champions are seeded second in the state headed into the big dance. They are joined by Lincolnview, Columbus Grove, Marion Local, Archbold, Bluffton, and St Paul. While the green bears are the best title hope these other schools offer competitive intrigue as on paper three of them should be in a place to join Ottawa Hills in the top ten, something that can be marked in record books and keep heads held high for a lifetime.
If the likes of Lincolnview, Grove and Marion are going to do just that they will need leaders in all Ohioan position, to be there will have additional challenge as the likes of Jaxen Durfey, Joe Parker, Lanny Oakman, Paul Westrick, Trevor Heitkamp, Anthony Caprara, Jose Blanco, Jalen Randleman, Brayden Cleveland, Cooper Brockway, Shawn Auck, Wyatt Mitchell, Zach Mcwatters, Kellen McDonnell, and Jack Grieshop will be vying for the all Ohio medals themselves.
The hope is that the tough competition will allow for our teams to rise to the top and be the very best they can be before heading into offseason recovery mode.
Small school girls is perhaps the strongest contingent being sent to the state from the Northwest as defending cross champion Minster will be joined by defending track and field team champion Colonel Crawford along with Patrick Henry, Liberty Center, Ottawa Hills, Huron, and Fort Recovery.
It would not be unreasonable to predict that half the top ten finishing schools come from this list as that actually is how the math currently stacks up. The top three listed will no doubt be challenged by the likes of Fort Loramie, West Liberty Salem, and Mogadore but more likely that not the champion is going to come from one of our talented teams we are sending to the meet.
As for individuals, if anyone can challenge Paige Steinke of Anna it may just be our individual champion Macie Miller who herself is also pushing seventeen going 18:04 on the Tiffin course which is far more elevation change than Fortress Obetz. Macie is joined by Reese Landis (runner-up), Grace Anderson, Lilly Schiefer, Josilyn Welch, Lauren Sattler, Allison Woodruff, Sophie Rupp, Olivia Vogelpohl, Brynleigh Moody, Leslie Burrow, Emelia Simmons, Kendall Sears, and Lily Grady.
These women are talented and battle hardened by the rigid competition of the Northwest, it is now time to let it all lay on the course for one final race of the season and see who all can bring medals, trophies but more importantly memories that will last a lifetime.