By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

To accurately measure how special the Field boys cross country season was, consider that the Falcons’ seventh-place finish on Saturday at the Division II state championship is the program’s seventh-best in school history.

For a program as rich in tradition as Field’s, it is a remarkable accomplishment.

The seventh-place finish is also the best of any boys team coached by Ed Conroy and the best finish for the school since a third-place finish in 2001. Field won state championships in 1994 and 1997 under head coach Bill Huntington, along with a state runner-up finish in 1996.

Field’s 2023 runners were also 14th in school history to qualify for the state meet as a team.

On Saturday, the Falcons totaled 232 points to finish behind Hawken (221 points), Kenston (181), Bay (161), Fairfield Union (136), Woodridge (123) and Marlington (108).

Individually, the Falcons were paced by Parker Shutty’s 16:37.75 (24th/44th place), with supporting runs by Sean Silk in 16:41.08 (27/50), Billy Silk in 17:14.98 (58/94), Evan Pruszynski in 17:15.31 (59/95) and Lucas Pollard in 17:17.41 (64/102).

DIVISION III

MOGADORE GIRLS

The Wildcats girls placed 16th overall in the Division-III race, finishing with 331 team points.

Minsger won the state championship with 62 points, while Rittman (123 points) and West Liberty Salem (175) finished second and third, respectively.

It was the second consecutive season that the Mogadore girls qualified for the state meet as a team and just the second time in school history for the feat.

Mogadore senior Katie Lane ran to the best individual finish, closing out her remarkable four-year career with a time of 20:14.49 (38th place/74th).

Emma Quillen finished the race in 20:18.17 (41/80), with Kasey Bolyard in 21:16.86 (73/123), Alana Santiago in 21:29.91 (89/139) and Julie Tompkins in 21:32.24 (90/140).

DIVISION II

SOUTHEAST’S JULIA WHEELER

Southeast sophomore Julia Wheeler is now an All-Ohioan.

With her 28th-place finish at Saturday’s Division II girls cross country state championships, Wheeler earns the lofty honor, which is presented to the top-30 finishers.

She finished the race in 19:21.13.

Wheeler ran her first mile in 5:54.08 and her second mile in 6 minutes, 21 seconds and her third mile in 7 minutes, 6 seconds.