OHSAA Boys & Girls State Cross Country Tournament
Hosted at Scioto Downs Race Track

COLUMBUS, Ohio –Record-tying showings by the Minster girls and the Peninsula Woodridge boys highlighted the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s Annual State Cross Country Tournaments, held Saturday at Scioto Downs in Columbus. Other girls champions were Rocky River Magnificat and Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, while Mason and Bellaire St. John Central were other boys winners.

           Minster’s seventh championship in Division III moved the school into a first-place tie with Cleveland Heights Beaumont for most OHSAA girls cross country championships with seven. The Wildcats had 65 points and narrowly defeated Attica Seneca East, which had 69. Defending champion Versailles was third. Minster, which has won six of those championships in the last 10 years, was led by senior Lei Bornhorst, who was 22^nd overall with a time of 19:45.47. Freshman Samantha Hoelscher placed 26^th, sophomore Averie Bornhorst 37^th, sophomore Sophia Richard 38^th and junior Jessica Albers 40^th.

            Barnesville senior Stephanie Morgan defended her individual championship when she ran a 17:57.13. Seneca East sophomore Brittany Stockmaster was second.

            In Division I, Magnificat, the 2007 runner-up, won its second championship overall and first since 1995. Its 68 points easily topped runner-up North Canton Hoover, which had 121. Defending champion Brecksville-Broadview Heights did not qualify this year. Leading the Blue Streaks was junior Madeline Chambers, who was fifth overall with an 18:17.91. Also for Magnificat, juniors Clare and Abby Fischer were 18^th and 19^th, respectively, and sophomore Katherine Stultz 29^th.

            Cincinnati Oak Hills senior Brooklyne Ridder recaptured the individual championship that she won as a freshman. Runner-up the past two years, Ridder posted a winning time of 17:51.36, while Cincinnati Glen Este sophomore Michelle Thomas was second.

            Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy was fourth, sixth and second, respectively, in the last three state tournaments before winning its first title in Division II. The Royals had 51 points to easily outdistance second-place and defending champion Kettering Archbishop Alter, which had 95. Senior Katie Gillespie led CVCA by winning the individual championship with an 18:00.43. Perry sophomore Abbie Clifford was second. Other top Royals were sophomore Joy Talbott (12^th overall), senior Carolyn Case (13^th) and sophomore Irene Frangos (20^th). 

Woodridge joined Sandusky Perkins (1987-89) as the only Division II boys schools to win three straight cross country championships. The Bulldogs had 96 points to edge Tipp City Tippecanoe, which had 99. Leading Woodridge was senior Joe White, who placed ninth overall with a time of 15:57.01. Other top finishers were senior Michael Rhodes (19^th overall) and sophomore Jimmy Charles (32^nd). Alliance Marlington senior Jarrod Eick, last year’s runner-up, was the individual champion, running a 15:38.05, while Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy senior Kyle Sullinger was second.

Bellaire St. John Central placed seventh, fifth and fourth, respectively, in the last three state tournaments before earning its first gold trophy this year in boys Division III. The Fighting Irish had 104 points, edging runner-up and two-time defending champion Louisville St. Thomas Aquinas, which had 115. Pacing St. John Central was senior Sam Foster, who finished third overall with a 15:58.21. Other top showings came from junior Luke Holubeck (26^th overall) and junior Matthew Moscato (31^st). Cincinnati Christian junior Isaiah Bragg was the individual champion. His 15:54.79 was less than a second better than East Canton senior Gabe Henning.

The 5,000-meter OHSAA state tournaments were the 80^th annual for the boys and the 31^st annual for the girls. Sixteen teams and individuals that did not qualify with a team but placed in the top 16 in last week’s four regional tournaments participated in each race.