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Bound for state: Local teams and individuals shine at regional XC meet | News, sports, jobs
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Bound for state: Local teams and individuals shine at regional XC meet | News, sports, jobs

Staff photo / Dan Hiner. Lakeview’s Trent Miller (328) runs during the Division II boys cross country regional meet at Boardman High School as teammate Jake Langmeyer (326) runs the course.

BOARDMAN – Started with Division III and ended with Division I, consistently featuring teams and riders from Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties.

The area had a strong showing at the regional cross country meet Saturday at Boardman High School. Several teams and individuals paved their way to the state competition this week.

On the boys side, Boardman, Lakeview, Maplewood will run on behalf of Mahoning Valley. And for the girls, McDonald and Salem will represent the area.

This joins a host of individual runners, including a 2023 state champion, who will also tackle the course in Fort Obetz on November 2.

DIVISION I CHILDREN

There was something eating away at some members of Boardman’s cross country team: The Spartans haven’t made state since 2013.

That changed Saturday with a group of kids crowded around the Spartans’ tent near the shot put circle, cheering once the results were posted. The Spartans finished tied for seventh with Chardon with 244 points. The top eight teams advanced to state.

David D’Altorio has been Boardman’s number one running back all season. It started strong, but little by little it began to decline in the second half of the route. He finished 19th in 16:17.34.

However, his Spartan teammates were there to provide support in the middle of the pack. Jacob Turek (16:48.82) finished 46th, Dylan White (16:56.16) was 55th and Dominic Theodore contributed an 89th-place finish that gave the team 72 points.

“It was not the career that (D’Altorio) had planned and his teammates chose him. That is a credit to them.” Boardman head coach John Phillips said. “This season, David has been the leader and today he needed his teammates. It’s something really cool. They backed him today because he’s backed him all season. “This was a total team effort to get there.”

There weren’t many locals in the Division I race, as Austintown Fitch’s Justin Sahli was the only other local to advance. He achieved a ninth place with a time of 16:04.23.

DIVISION I GIRLS

The area did not see a team qualify on the Division I women’s side, but one Spartan will race in Columbus. Boardman’s Olivia Brady placed ninth in 19:13.03

BOYS DIVISION II

The Lakeview boys cross country team had to wait to learn its fate.

While laser timing has sped up the results process, results were not available until about 15 minutes into the race. But the moment they were posted, a small crowd behind the finish line erupted in cheers.

The Bulldogs placed fifth and qualified for the state championship.

“There are hundreds of runners and only one can win. And only six teams out of 20 go (to state), so we focus on the process.” Lakeview head coach Sean Voorhies said. “We’re sleeping, we’re eating right, we’re training right… usually the results will come on their own.”

Lakeview was fifth of six teams to qualify. The Bulldogs scored 173 points.

The Bulldogs kept their season alive despite not having a top-20 running back.

Anthony Marble-Salem was 22nd, Jake Langmeyer was 37th, Trent Miller came in 41st and Griffin Oravec rounded out Lakeview’s top 50 finishers with a run of 47th.

Only one individual advanced in the Division II boys race, as Salem’s Sam Yakubek finished 10th in 16:33.14.

DIVISION II GIRLS

Salem returns to the state championship.

The Quakers placed fifth with 191 points to earn their ticket to Fort Obetz.

Salem opted for the tried and true method of running in a pack. Three runners finished in a group of six people. Maggie Hopple placed 32nd, Maggie Hall finished 35th and Cassidy Wallace finished 37th. That pack mentality led to a number of points.

“The big goal coming into the year, these seniors, was to be the first team in school history to go (to state) four years in a row, the first senior class,” Salem head coach Ted Yuhaniak said. “It’s pretty special because over the years, they’ve had some pretty good teams at our school. You hear it from professional athletes, but you’re left speechless. “You are very proud of them.”

Ursuline had a pair of runners finish in the top 10 of the Division II women’s race. Savaya Woody (19:12.98) was fifth and teammate Camille Dunifer (19:17.08) was sixth.

There were a couple more local individual qualifiers led by Lakeview’s Jalyn DeLeon’s time of 19:41.11 for 18th place. West Branch’s Clarice Martin’s time of 19:51.04 led to her 21st place finish.

DIVISION III GIRLS

Sometimes experience matters in cross country, and Heartland Christian’s Rebecca Geiss has plenty of experience.

After winning the Spartan Invitational earlier this fall, Geiss earned the opportunity to defend his state championship. She won the Division III girls regional meet on Saturday to send her back to state.

Geiss won the race in dominant fashion, with a time of 18:10.58. She crossed just over 18 seconds ahead of Smithville’s Kaityln Carr.

“I just do everything I can and trust the results to God.” Geiss said. “I think he knows what’s best for me and I trust his plan.”

Naomi Sheesley recorded a time of 18:33.65 to come third, and Chalker’s Abbey Castle came fifth in 19:18.11.

Team-wise, McDonald was the best Mahoning Valley team, finishing fourth with 132 points. Maplewood fell two points shy of joining its rival in the top five.

Other individual qualifiers include Mineral Ridge freshman Kylee Molnar (19:35.26) with an eighth-place finish, Anna Steimle (19:45.86) will represent Grand Valley after crossing in 12th place, and Maplewood’s Mackenzie Edgar ( 19:47.21) was 14th.

BOYS DIVISION III

The McDonald boys got things going with a third-place finish in the Division III race. The Blue Devils accumulated 114 points, finishing behind Rittman’s 87 and Waynedale’s 102.

Carson Klase led the way for McDonald in 16:29.92, good enough for fourth place. Teammate Joey Cappuzzello was sixth with a time of 16:36.58.

Emmitt Slabach, who returned to Boardman after winning the Spartan Invitational this year, was the top local individual with a second-place finish in 16:06.55.

“I ran with a lot of the runners I faced today” Slabach said. “It helped me know how they run. He helped me fix some things that weren’t so good then. “I’m happy with how I ran today.”

Mineral Ridge’s Dominic Pappagallo placed third in 16:19.08. Jackson-Milton’s Lucas Sokol was the next local, running 16:47.83 for 12th place, Grand Valley’s Sam Steimle was 14th in 16:50.54 and Lowellville’s Nate Yon was 15th in 16:51.02.

A pair of Maplewood runners were the last area runners to qualify. Ethan Nevinski placed 17th with a time of 16:57.70, and Micah Sparks was immediately behind with a time of 17:06.87.