Division 2: Girls
Right now, it's looking like the legacy for the Lions of Minerva will likely continue this weekend with another team title at the state championships this weekend. This may not go unanswered however, because while they have been on top of the Coaches' Poll for essentially the entire season, Athens has been sneaking their way up and have pretty much held the #2 spot on both the MileSplit Team Scores and the polls coming into districts up until now.
Starting with the returning champions Minerva, they will be looking to return with nearly the same exact lineup from 2023, with the only newest addition being a freshman, Tateum Richard (Minerva 2028).
Alongside her are Gabby Lupshu and Makenzie Beavers leading the charge followed by Katie Ison, Hannah Ison, Kayla Crissman, and Annabelle Crissman to round out the squad.
As a whole, they have one of the best team averages in the state, with a 1 - 5 Split of just 36.95 seconds. In cross-country, this could be the determining factor of them notching another state title.
For Athens, as previously mentioned they are currently #2 on both the MileSplit Team Scores and, by only 3 points, Coaches' Polls. They will be returning with the runner-up from last year, Sophia Szolosi (Athens 2026), who is currently undefeated in the closing stages of this season, notching victories at the Tri-Valley Conference, OHSAA Division 2 District - Rio Grande, and OHSAA Division 2 Region 7 - Pickerington.
Alongside her, is an entire lineup consisting of athletes who we could see all return next year, as none of them are seniors. This includes Andie Corrigan, Landis Corrigan, Zoe Wayner, Margaret Nunemaker, Olivia Smart, and Helen Rittenhouse. Notably, Andie Corrigan is the third ranked freshman in the state at the moment after her 18:42.62 performance at OHSAA Division 2 Region 7 - Pickerington.
Coming into the state championships, the ladies from Athens will be carrying the momentum of winning that region meet, finishing ahead of the defending state champions by three points (45 - 48) at Pickerington.
Looking into the individual side of the competition, we could see a number of new athletes on the podium this year, as many of them have made big improvements since last season. The few to keep an eye on are also currently ranked two and three in the division: Ella Rhoades (Wauseon 2026), Abby Sewell (Mercy McAuley 2025), and Gwen Huddle (Napoleon 2028).
For Rhoades, she will be looking to improve upon her 30th place finish from last year's edition of the state championships, and it's looking like it will be in the cards for the junior as she put up outstanding performances at her respective district and region meet, winning both and nearly eclipsing the 18-minute barrier, with a personal best of 18:03.76 at OHSAA Division 2 District - Columbus Grove.
Moving onto Sewell, the senior was mentioned in another piece earlier this year as being one of the most improved athlete's year-by-year, and she has continued to build upon that. Similar to Rhoades, Sewell also set her personal best at her respective district meet (OHSAA Division 2 District - Voice of America). Looking back at the rest of her season, after the Mason Cross Country Invite, she went on a streak of both wins and consistency, dipping under 19-minutes for the rest of the season up until now.
Besides this being her first time at the state championships, she has improved by over 5 minutes since last year, going from personal/season bests of 23:44 and now running 18:14.11 for the #3 spot in the division at the moment.
Last but not least, the freshman out of Napoleon, Gwen Huddle, has had an incredibly strong first fall to her high school career, staying under the 19-minute mark for almost the entire season. So far, her highlights include her 18:31.40 personal best at Columbus Grove XC Invitational, a victory at Northern Lakes League XC Championships, and a third place finish at OHSAA Division 2 Region 6 - Tiffin.