By Roger Gordon

Correspondent

The OHSAA’s regional cross country races were hosted in Boardman last Saturday. The following are the Portage County teams and individuals who qualified for the State Championships, which will be held at Fort Obetz on Saturday. State qualification is determined by a combination of advancing teams in which each team can run up to seven runners and top individuals not on qualifying teams. The top-five teams qualified for the state meet.

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

DIVISION II

AURORA

Head coach Laura Bell Peters knows exactly why her Aurora team dominated the field at the regional meet so much so that the Greenmen won the championship by a whopping 72 points over runner-up Avon, 111 points to 183.

“We have a young group that works hard, supports each other and is learning how to compete together,” said Bell Peters. “The girls have done a great job of understanding that cross country is a team sport, and their regional finish was a reflection of that. It was a team effort.”

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Aurora’s regional title was that it was accomplished by all freshmen and sophomores, beginning with sophomore Audrey Miller who captured the individual championship with a time of 17:46.30.

“Audrey has dropped over two minutes from her time last year,” Bell said, “which is unheard of considering she was already a top performing athlete last year.”

Claire Jenkins and Evelyn Jenkins, Miller’s classmates, placed ninth and 10th , respectively, with times of 18:47.50 and 18:53.20.

“Both Claire and Evelyn continue to be consistent, fierce competitors and ran outstanding races,” said the coach.

Sophomore Mia Paech finished with a time of 19:57.60, freshman Makayla Cicero had a time of 20:02.60, freshman Audra Leigh clocked in at 20:29.60 and sophomore Haley Koch turned in a time of 20:42.00. According to Bell Peters, those four runners were just as important as the top-three runners were to the team’s outcomes all season. The coach also mentioned three runners who, even though they did not score at regionals, were big contributors throughout the season — senior Emma Chameli, junior Grace Langell and sophomore Jenny Kolta.

“This group has rotated in who took those positions,” Bell Peters said. “Never once did we ever hear anyone get upset because their teammate beat them. It has always been about how the team has performed. This is a key to a successful team when Mia, Makayla, Audra, Haley,

Emma, Grace and Jenny have continued to push one another, celebrate each other’s success and contribute to the team’s success. Each one has strengths and unique personalities that work well as a cohesive team.”

DIVISION III

CRESTWOOD

Crestwood’s Luci Maschek is no stranger to running on the big stage.

Maschek, just a freshman, finished fourth at regionals with a time of 18:46.10.

“Luci is not intimidated. She has experience competing in high-level races as a club runner in middle school,” head coach Jim Schweickert said. “She gives us a scorer at the front of every race we run. This has definitely stepped the team up at the state level having her on the team. She is coachable, positive, personable and competitive. She’s been a great addition.”

Overall, the Red Devils finished tied with Alliance Marlington for first place with 127 points but lost the sixth-place tiebreaker to the Dukes. Their runner-up standing was the highest placement at a regional meet ever for Crestwood.

“We faced Marlington twice during the regular season, and we beat each other. Obviously we are closely matched,” said Schweickert. “I was very happy with the second-place finish. It was a good team effort. A little disappointed by losing the tiebreaker but qualified for the state meet just the same.”

The coach feels part of the reason his squad was able to garner such a lofty standing was due to running strong up front like it has all season.

“Our top-three runners have been very consistent in finishing in the top 10 of almost every meet this season,” he said.

Senior Piper Seibold finished eighth at regionals with a time of 19:11.20. Classmate Madie Grace Gonczy was right behind in ninth, clocking in at 19:16.20. Both are making a return trip to states after qualifying last season.

“Piper had a huge breakthrough this season running sub 19:00 the past few meets,” Schweickert said. “She has been a consistent team front runner for four years. Runs step for step with Madie Grace. A good team leader in ability, attitude and personality.

“Madie Grace also had a huge breakthrough this year running sub 19:00. She’s battled injuries throughout her high school career, including this year. She is beyond competitive during races and sometimes practices. One of the most competitive runners I've ever coached. She’s had her best season this year.”

Schweickert believes another reason his team finished so high was that senior Piper Freedline, his No. 4 runner, ran a personal-best time of 20:08.20 to score better than expected. “Piper,” he said, “has had a great season running a career PR of about 50 seconds ahead of last year. She missed all of her sophomore year of track and most of last cross country season with a hip injury, but has come back strong. She is incredibly consistent in all situations. Never is rattled by big meets. She quietly works hard and improves all the time. She will be a big key to our team finish at states. She can close the gap between our top three and next four, which is huge in the postseason.”

Rounding out those last four runners were sophomore Abby Pfost (21:47.10), junior Bella Stier (23:00.40) and freshman Maya Hankinson (27:01.40).

“Abby is a first-year cross country runner,” the coach said. “She ran track as a freshman but was a soccer player last fall. She feeds off of Piper Freedline in practices and meets. The two have been great for each other in training and competitions. Abby is very coachable and wants to learn and be successful. She is another big key for us at states. There is a gap between her and Piper Freedline that needs to become closer for us to score well.

“Bella has had a great season. She has run personal-record times about 1:30 faster than last year. She’s done this while running with a hip injury for two months. She’s an incredibly tough person who is able to push through difficulties and pain. She has set the tone for this team in our efforts to get to the state meet this year. As the No. 6 runner, she could factor into the team results at the state meet.

“Maya is a first-year runner who is just learning how to run. She has worked hard and improved all season long. She was called into service for the postseason in place of another injured runner. She’s taken advantage of that to continue improving.”

If it performs like it has all season, Schweickert believes his squad can place well at the state meet.

“It’s hard to predict a specific place due to the great competition we will face statewide,” her said. “We’re taking a no-pressure approach. We haven’t talked about placing, just competing. Our three front runners all have a chance to be All-State.”

GARFIELD

Head coach Justin Thomas doesn’t have any grand illusions about Lina Kaufman winning the state championship.

However, Thomas does have big expectations for his sophomore standout at Fort Obetz.

“Our goal is for Lina to improve on her (20 th -place) performance from last year’s state meet, and I believe she has a great opportunity to do that,” he said. “Racing is never predictable, but she certainly has the ability to compete for a podium finish and push for a top-10 to top-15 spot.”

Kaufman qualified for this year’s state meet by way of her fifth-place finish with a time of 18:57.00 at the regional meet.

“I was extremely happy with Lina’s performance,” said Thomas. “Our focus was on performing well at regionals while continuing to prepare for the state meet. We knew she had the ability to finish near the top of the field, and she put together an outstanding race. She actually ran even better at regionals than she did at districts, but that performance didn’t surprise us. We know what she is capable of.”

The coach raved about Kaufman’s diligence in constantly learning what cross country is all about, adding to her already vast knowledge of the sport.

“Lina is one of the hardest workers I have ever been around when it comes to cross country,” he said. “She comes to every practice prepared and ready to work, but what really stands out is how much she wants to understand the purpose behind what we do. She asks questions, wants to learn and makes sure she understands how each workout connects to being prepared for the next race. That commitment to learning and improving is a big reason for her success.

“We believe in Lina’s ability and are excited to see what she can do this weekend.”

DIVISION IV

MOGADORE

The state meet has become old hat for Kasey Bolyard.

The Mogadore runner qualified for states her freshman season when the entire team went and both as an individual and with the team her sophomore year. After missing out last year, the senior Wildcat will make a third trip to Fort Obetz after finishing 18 th with a time of 20:12.10 at the regional meet.

“I certainly I expected Kasey to qualify for state!” head coach Diana Thomas said. “That was the plan all along as we set up her comeback season, and she has nearly perfectly executed all her workouts and races each step of the way.”

Bolyard won five of the nine meets she competed in this season, was in the top five percent for three of those and placed in the top five percent at regionals. As a coach, you can’t ask for much better than that.

“I full-heartedly believe Kasey has one more PR in there,” said Thomas, “and it’s about to happen at Obetz this weekend!”

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

DIVISION III

GARFIELD

It will be a family affair for the Garfield boys cross country team at the state meet.

Brothers Owen Thomas, a junior, and Lucas Thomas, a freshman, will compete for the G-Men. Owen qualified for the state meet with a third-place time of 15:38.70 at the regional meet, while Lucas advanced to states with a clocking of 15:42.10, good for fifth place. This is Owen’s second trip to the state meet, for he qualified as a freshman.

“We believe Owen has a legitimate opportunity to get on the podium and compete for a top 10, potentially even a top five, finish,” head coach Justin Thomas said. “He is a tough competitor and has been running exceptionally well. We are excited to see what he can accomplish at the state meet.

“I believe Lucas has a chance to get on the podium, too, and compete for a top-15 to top-20 finish. He is no stranger to competing on big stages. Over the last few years, he has competed in multiple national-level meets. He will be focused and prepared, and if he puts everything together on race day, you never know what can happen. We are excited to see him compete.”

The coach was thrilled with both runners’ results at regionals.

“I was beyond happy with Owen’s finish,” he said. “We knew he had the ability to compete for the regional title. Our focus was to perform well at the regional meet, but ultimately, we have been preparing for the state meet and helping him run his best race at Obetz.

“We felt Lucas had a legitimate shot at a top five finish with the potential to do even better depending on how the race unfolded. He has continued to improve throughout the season, and it was great to see him put together such a strong performance.”

According to coach Thomas, both Owen and Lucas have mastered the mental part of this very difficult sport.

“Owen is a great runner because of his leadership, work ethic and understanding of what it takes to be successful,” he said. “He makes sure he gets his work done every day, but he is also very smart about his training. He understands the importance of recovery and knows when to push and when to hold back. That balance is a big part of what makes him successful.

“Lucas is an extremely hard worker who takes care of all the little things. He makes sure he is mentally and physically prepared for each practice and race. He also does a great job of staying levelheaded and being patient with his training and development. Especially as a freshman, understanding that improvement takes time is important, and he has done a great job with that. Coaching Lucas through his freshman season has been incredibly exciting.”

SOUTHEAST

Caden Dillon is the first Southeast runner to qualify for the state meet in … well … one year.

The junior Pirate advanced to Fort Obetz in 2025 when he was a sophomore, becoming the first Southeast runner to qualify for states since 1999.

Dillon advanced to the state meet by way of his personal-best – and school-record – time of 16:41.90 which produced a 19 th -place finish at the regional meet, seven spots higher than he finished last year. It also gave him the school record for the fastest time in school history, breaking Adam Weger’s 16:48 time that was set all the way back in 1995.

“We felt that we had prepared Caden all season for this race (regionals),” head coach Julia Dillon said. “Physically, he is in peak condition, and mentally, he is naturally a race runner.

We were excited about his finish but had expected him to do well.”

According to the coach, the younger Dillon is a talented runner due to his grit.

“Caden is a true competitor and has an incredible work ethic,” she said. “He is willing to give 100 percent of himself and then some, and he never complains. We are expecting nothing less from him at Obetz. He knows the course, and he will leave it all out there.”