Jackelyn Johnson | The Lima News
OBETZ – Coming into this season, longtime Minster girls’ cross country coach Jessie Magoto kept the goals simple for her young squad.
Last fall, Minster notched its third consecutive Division III state title. However, after winning last year’s state championship, Magoto lost the core of her top seven runners to graduation.
However, that did not hamper the development of this year’s team.
At Saturday’s Ohio High School Athletic Association Cross Country State Championships at Fortress Obetz and Memorial Park, Minster notched its fourth consecutive Division III state title. It was the 17th overall state team title for the Minster girls’ program.
On Saturday, Minster edged out Summit Country Day for the D-III title, 134-140. Rittman (144) and West Liberty-Salem rounded out the top four squads in a field of 20.
“I got choked up last week with just the idea (of possibly winning another state title). You never want to set anybody up for failure with expectations that you don’t think are realistic,” Magoto said. “We just want them to be the best that they can be. But somewhere along the way, I started thinking, ‘This is a little more than what we thought’.
“We had just two girls run today that ran last year. So, these were people that didn’t race last year (in the top seven). We just said, ‘Love the moment. If you love it, then you will be ferocious. And we’re going to love whatever happens, no matter what’. You just want them to be courageous.”
Maria Niekamp led the pack of Minster runners on Saturday with a seventh-place finish in 18 minutes, 31.99 seconds on the 5,000-meter course at Fortress Obetz and Memorial Park.
“It was like magic,” Niekamp said. “We were all just so ready and grateful for this opportunity. We were so ready to compete today. It was awesome.”
Niekamp admitted that her personal performance on Saturday exceeded her own expectations.
“I honestly was surprised. Like going down that hill (late in the race), I passed a girl and that gave me the energy to keep going, and to see how many girls I could catch,” she said with a grin.
Rounding out the scorers (top five runners) for Minster on Saturday included Claire Bohman (20th, 18:51.46), Joanna Topp (58th, 19:43.16), Adriana Kremer (88th, 20:16.55), and Ava Stammen (91st, 20:18.94). There were 183 finishers in the D-III race.
The top 30 placers in each race on Saturday earned all-Ohio status.
Crestview notches second place; Columbus Grove places fifth
Before this season, the last year Crestview sent a boys team to the state meet was 2000.
On Saturday, Crestview did much more than just return to the state meet.
Crestview nearly notched a state title Saturday as it finished second in Division III.
Crestview scored 131 points, while Mount Gilead won the D-III title with 109 points. Ottawa Hills (172) and Botkins (178) rounded out the top four teams in D-III. Columbus Grove came in fifth (195).
Crestview coach Randy Grandstaff was not completely surprised at how his team performed on Saturday.
“It did not surprise me, because since the conference meet (Northwest Conference Championships), they’ve been running extremely well, and today was no different. They absolutely nailed it today,” an emotional Grandstaff said.
Grandstaff was a standout runner at Van Wert in the late 1980s. In 1988, he was part of a Van Wert team that placed second at the state meet.
“It so happened that this week I busted out the old VHS (tape) of the 1988 state meet, and with us hoisting the trophy. And I told them that it would be them…. Today, it is,” he said with a grin.
Andrew Heth led the Knights on Saturday with a 35th-place finish (16:19.48).
“It was amazing,” Heth said. “We set goals this week. We worked really hard to achieve them, and to come here and do that was really cool. It was definitely a great race for all of us. We took this trip as a business trip. We came here serious, and we wanted to hoist the trophy.”
Rounding out the scorers for Crestview were Lincoln Smith (44th, 16:22.59), Derek Young (66th, 16:41.10), Kale Vining (74th, 16:48.55), and Luke Sawmiller (95th, 16:59.42).
Added Grandstaff, “I knew they would be special, but I didn’t know they would be this special. They ran well beyond what I thought they would run. I did not expect to have four guys in the 16s. When we did that at the district meet, that changed the whole season. It’s just been a blessing to work with these guys. I give them the work and they just do it. I give them times to hit for PRs, and they exceed them. It’s just an amazing group of guys.”
Columbus Grove, the defending D-III state champions, finished fifth on Saturday.
The five scorers for the Bulldogs were Levi Bryan (32nd, 16:15.34), Bryce Bonifas (77th, 16:49.09), Caiden Squillante (89th, 16:57.37), Aidan Vogt (94th, 16:59.35), and Braylon Best (117th, 17:13). There were 192 finishers in the race.
“Our guys have worked hard all year,” longtime Columbus Grove boys’ coach Terry Schnipke said. “We were hoping for no less than second. I guess you’re in a good place in your program when you get fifth at the state meet and you’re disappointed. Obviously, winning State last year was great. … That’s not going to happen every year. We were hoping for the podium. But I don’t know what to say. That was a heck of a field (of runners) out there. There were some fast runners out there today.
“But I’ll tell you what – my guys run with a lot of heart. I’m blessed every year by the Lord with guys that will do what I ask them to do. I’m proud of them.”
O-G’s Rosengarten, Van Wert’s Scott finish third and fourth, respectively
It has been a battle for the past couple years between Ottawa-Glandorf’s Ty Rosengarten and Van Wert’s Owen Scott.
At last year’s Division II state meet, Scott placed fifth, while Rosengarten came in ninth.
Saturday’s boys’ Division II race at the state meet was no different than all the previous meetings between those two standout runners.
For the first two miles on Saturday, Rosengarten and Scott were in the lead pack that consisted of four runners.
Then, the pack began to separate in the third mile.
Rosengarten went on to finish third in a new school-record time of 15:18.81. Scott came in fourth with a new school-record time of 15:23.07.
Fairfield Union’s Andrew Walton won the D-II race (15:09.84), while Lexington’s Latrell Hughes finished second (15:13.46).
“We went out the first two miles, and I was right behind Walton,” Rosengarten said. “I was like, ‘The opportunity is right here to win’. Then, in that third mile, and once we got outside of the stadium, he (Walton) pulled away. Then it became a three-man battle between me, Owen and the Lexington runner. I wanted that top two (finish), but I didn’t get it. But it’s all right. Third place is still great.”
Added Scott, “I’ll take it. It’s the last meet of the year. … I mean, who wouldn’t want to win? But I got fifth last year, and I got fourth this year. I have to be happy. It’s the last race of the cross country season. I’ve had a lot of great memories. This is a good way to end it.”
The two seniors are going to compete at the collegiate level next school year. Rosengarten is committed to the University of Findlay, while Scott is committed to Youngstown State.
The Van Wert boys’ team finished 18th on Saturday. Rosengarten was the lone boy state-qualifier from O-G.
Moody places 12th in D-III
Lincolnview’s Brynleigh Moody placed 12th on Saturday in D-III with a personal best and school record time of 18:39.74.
At last year’s D-III state meet, Moody finished 29th.
As a team on Saturday, the Lincolnview girls placed 18th. The Lincolnview boys’ team also placed 18th.
“I’m so happy to be here,” Moody said. “This is better than I can ever imagine – ending my season like this. And to hear that the team did amazing – it’s a great day. I just kept telling myself, ‘I need to go with this group (of runners). I can do this’.”
Kenton’s Manns places 19th
Kenton junior Addi Manns placed 19th in D-II on Saturday in a personal-best time of 18:41.02.
As a team, Kenton placed 15th.
“It was awesome,” Manns said. “I kept hearing that I was 19th, and that kind of scared me throughout the race. Before the race, I’ve had trouble with pre-race anxiety. Before this race, I had a little bit. But it’s just a testament to all the prayers from my family.”
Also, in D-II, the Ottawa-Glandorf girls’ team placed 19th.
Other area all-Ohio performers (top 30 placers) on Saturday (not already mentioned) were: GIRLS – Miller City’s Andrea Pfau (D-III, 24th, 18:57.54); BOYS – Coldwater’s Mason Ayers (D-III, 20th, 15:56.63), Minster’s Nick Prenger (D-III, 30th, 16:14.04)
**Complete results from Saturday’s OHSAA Cross Country State Championships can be found on Milesplit.oh
