Division 3 Boys
After winning their very first team state championship title last year, Columbus Grove will be looking to both defend that title and add another one to the collection this weekend. However, this won't go unchallenged, as Mount Gilead, who is currently ranked #1 on both the Coaches' Poll and the MileSplit Team Scores, will be looking to improve upon their runner-up finish from last year and ultimately notch the coveted trophy.
Looking back at last year's championship, Columbus Grove narrowly won 122 - 128.
Based on the lineups, Columbus Grove will be returning this weekend with four athletes from last year's championship run: Braylon Best, Bryce Bonifas, Levi Bryan, and Caiden Squillante. Zack Bryan, Holden Hartzog, and Aidan Vogt are the newest names to the lineup.
As for Mount Gilead, they will be returning with last year's fourth place finisher and current #3 in the state, Will Baker, who has been on a winning streak all season long, notching victories throughout Central and Northwest Ohio. With him, Mount Gilead will be bringing back Tommy Emberg, Nolan Hershner, and Owen Hershner. The newest names to the lineup will include Ethan Turner, Liam Stalnaker, and Henry Bartlett.
Individually, it might be anyone's race right now, as Luke Snyder (Rittman 2026) will be returning to defend his title once again and will be joined by the runner-up from last year, Landen Eyre (Whiteoak 2025), who will be seeking his first cross-country state championship title. Between these two, they both have almost remained undefeated throughout the season.
Someone to look out for now however, is Andrew Rohde (Steub. Cath. Cent. 2025) who had a massive performance earlier this month at the OVCCL Senior Day, where he dipped under the 15-minute barrier for the first time and clocked a division-leading 14:46.34. This will be his first time at the cross-country state championships.
Speaking of sub-15 performances, including Rohde, Baker and Snyder have both dipped under the mark, with Baker's 14:57.95 at Berlin Bear Dash and Snyder's mark of 14:55.34 at Trinity / Valkyrie Invitational, a race that also saw Division 1's Alex Bruns set one of the fastest times in Ohio cross-country history.