With the OHSAA Cross-Country Championships set to take place on Saturday, we took a look at two underclassmen who are slated to toe the line this weekend at Fortress Obetz
Ryne Reynolds (Little Miami 2027) - OHSAA Division 1
Naomi Sheesley (McDonald 2028) - OHSAA Division 3
Starting with the Little Miami sophomore, Ryne Reynolds has made some tremendous improvements throughout this fall, improving by almost two and a half minutes since last fall (freshman year), going from 17:36.40 from the 2023 edition of the OHSAA Early Season Invitational, to 16:14.85 at this year's edition of the competition, and now coming into the state championships as a top-contender with a current personal best of 15:09.41.
To top it off, he has been a part of a Little Miami team that could potentially stand on top of the podium as team state champions, as they are currently the #1 ranked team across all divisions in Ohio.
Onto the freshman from McDonald, Naomi Sheesley has found her place among the best in the state in her first year competing in high school cross country, having not just run 19:05.27 for her debut, but also improved upon that throughout this fall and recently clocked an 18:33.65 going into the OHSAA Division 3 State Championships this weekend.
She has also notched a few wins under her belt this season, notably one at OHSAA Division 3 District - Madison, where she also set a personal best of 18:25.88.
Just based off regional performances, she will be going into the competition this weekend seeded fifth.