The years of 2000 – 2009 brought us a talented group of runners from Ohio including several repeat champions.  In addition, nearly all 7 (and a bonus 8^th runner) of the runners mentioned were 4-time state qualifiers.  The runners were selected primarily from their performance from in state competition, most notably the state meet.  However, with the advent of the Nike Cross Country (Team) Nationals and the popularity of the Footlocker Cross Country Championship, the runners’ performances in those meets were also taken into account.  Much like the boys’ team, the girls’ squad had a great deal of success at the National meets listed above.  Below is a list of 8 of the best girls cross country runners for this decade. (No particular order) The girls all decade team could have easily been expanded to 10 runners.  However, we did limit it to 8 of the most decorated runners.

 

 

 

Sunni Olding – Two athletes set themselves apart from the rest at the beginning of the decade.  Sunni Olding was one of those athletes.  Sunni was a 4-time state qualifier and a 3-time Division 3 Champion.  Sunni started out her high school career in 2000 by winning the state championship in 18:18.  Her sophomore her in 2001 was the only year she did not win but did finish in 3r^d with a time of 18:34.  In 2002, Sunni rebounded to claim the top prize with a time of 18:28.  In that same year, Sunni qualified for the Footlocker Nationals and placed 10^th overall in a time of 17:52.  Sunni kept her best for her senior year.  As a senior, Sunni again finished first at the state meet with a time of 18:01.  What is most remarkable is that she won by 49 seconds.  Olding again qualified for the Footlocker Nationals and finished 5^th with a time of 17:42.

 

 

 

Michelle Sikes – Michelle Sikes was the other athlete to have a tremendous impact on girls cross country at the beginning of the decade.  Michelle was a 4-time state qualifier, although her freshman year was in 1999 where she finished 10^th.  In her sophomore year in 2000, Michelle finished 2^nd in the Division 1 race in a time of 17:48.  Sikes then went on to qualify for Footlocker Nationals and finished 22^nd in a time of 18:16.  In her junior year, Sikes finally finished 1^st with a time of 17:49.  However, she did not qualify for the Footlocker Nationals.  In her final season, Michelle finished 3^rd in the Division 1 race in 18:09 behind only Angela Bizarri and Carolyn Rauen.  Sikes capped the season off by qualifying for the Footlocker Nationals and finishing in 15^th place with a time of 18:03.  

 

 

 

Brittany Tinsley – Brittany was also a 4-time state qualifier finishing no worse than 12^th place her freshman year.  During her freshman year in 2001, Brittany finished 12^th in a time of 19:12 in the Division 2 race.  The following year, Brittany improved to 5^th place with a time of 19:11.  In 2003, Tinsley moved up to 3^rd place and a time of 18:49.  Finally in her senior season, Brittany was Division 2 state champion with a time of 18:08.  More impressive was that Tinsley qualified for Footlocker Nationals and finishing 5^th overall in a time of 17:49.  This matched the top place by an Ohio girl at the Footlocker Nationals in this decade. 

 

 

 

Angela Bizarri – Like the runners mentioned above, Angela Bizarri was a 4 –time state qualifier.  Angela started her high school career off with a bang by capturing the Division 1 state championship in 2002 with a time of 17:47.  The following season Angela qualified for the state meet but only managed a 25^th place finish in a time of 19:18.  However, that same year Angela had her best finish at the Midwest Footlocker Regional with a 13^th place finish in a time of 18:10.  In 2004, Bizarri rebounded and again capture the state title in a time of 18:19.  She again ran at Midwest Footlocker, but managed only to place 42^nd in a time of 19:19.  In her senior year, it looked as though Angela would win her third state title.  However, she was passed in the last 20 meters of the race by Brooklyne Ridder and finished 2^nd with a time of 18:20.

 

 

 

Emily Infeld – Emily had a remarkable high school career in Division 2 cross country by qualifying all 4 years, winning 2 state titles, and finishing no worse than 3^rd.  In her freshman year (2004), Emily finished 3^rd in the Division 2 state meet with a time of 18:18.  The following year Emily improved to state runner-up with a time of 18:10.  She went on to compete at the Midwest Footlocker meet where she finished 14^th in a time of 18:10.  In 2006, Emily captured her first of two state titles with a time of 17:40.  In that same year, Emily qualified for the Footlocker Nationals and place 20^th with a time of 18:39.  Infeld rounded out her high school career in 2007 by repeating as champion with a time of 17:30 and winning by 42 seconds.  Emily again qualified for the Footlocker Nationals and finished in 13^th place with a time of 17:55.

 

 

 

Brooklyne Ridder – Like all of the runners preceding her, Brooklyne was a 4 time state qualifier.  In addition, her lowest finish at the state meet was 2^nd!  In 2005, Brooklyne ran down Angela Bizarri at the finish to win her first state title in a time of 18:19.  The following year, Brooklyne improved her state time by 21 seconds but managed to only finish 2^nd with a time of 17:58.  In her junior season, Brooklyne again improved her state meet time by 20 seconds but again she finished runner-up with a time of 17:38.  Brooklyne competed at the Midwest Footlocker meet and nearly qualified for Nationals with a 12^th place finish and a time of 18:08.  Finally, in her senior season of 2008, Brooklyne was able to win her second state Division 1 title in a time of 17:51.

 

 

 

Stephanie Morgan – Stephanie Morgan began her high school career in Michigan.  In her freshman season (2005), she finished 6^th at the Division 1 Michigan state meet.  The following year, she moved back to Ohio with her family.  In her sophomore season, Stephanie finished 5^th in the Division 3 state meet with a time of 18:55.  She also ran at the Midwest Footlocker meet and finished 27^th in a time of 18:37. In 2007, Stephanie won her first of two state titles in a great time of 17:27 and winning by 61 seconds!  She qualified for the Footlocker Nationals by placing 5^th at the Midwest Regional in a time of 17:47.  Stephanie then went on to finish 35^th at Nationals in 19:02.  In her senior campaign, Stephanie repeated as state champion with a time of 17:57.  Stephanie then opted to run at the Nike Midwest Regional and won in a time of 18:01.  Stephanie competed well in Oregon at the Nike Nationals and finished in 16^th place with a time of 18:10.

 

 

 

Claire Durkin – Although Claire was only a 3 time state qualifier (like that is not a great accomplishment in itself), it is hard to overlook her accomplishments during her high school cross country career.  In her sophomore year in 2005, Claire qualified for the state meet but only finished 40^th.  The following year, Claire made a dramatic improvement by finishing in third place with a time of 18:02.  Most impressive though was Claire’s senior season in 2007.  In 2007, Claire won the state title in a Division 1 state meet record of 17:10.  Claire continued her success by winning the Midwest Footlocker Regional in a course record time of 17:01.  Claire went on to finish 5^th at the Footlocker Nationals in a time of 17:44 to cap off a great senior season.

 

 

 

Other runners in consideration:

 

Emily Thompson – 2 state titles and 4 time state qualifier

Bridget Franek – state title in 2005

Carime Reinhart – 4 time state qualifier with worst finish being 4^th

Amanda Burger – state title in 2007

Chelsea Oswald – 4 time state qualifier and 2 time Footlocker National qualifier
Katie Gillespie – state title in 2008