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COLUMBUS — Even at the Division III cross country state championship, Yellow Springs senior Sam Borchers still had time to check his competition.

"I was so scared," Borchers said of the final 100 meters. "I knew I didn't have a sprint and I knew I was going as hard as I could. I was just so scared."

Borchers passed eight runners in the last mile and held off East Canton's Nicholas Dysle to win the D-III state title at Scioto Downs on Saturday. It was the first cross country state title for Borchers, who clocked 15 minutes, 50 seconds for the 3.1-mile course.

"I've always wanted to win a cross country title," Borchers said. "Track was a big deal for me, but when I was a kid, if you would've asked me what I wanted to do, I would've told you I wanted to win cross country."

Yellow Springs senior Evan Firestone was 12th (16:23) and junior Andy Peters 29th (16:50) as the Bulldogs finished sixth.

"To be up there with Sam was great," Firestone said. "I told him all along he had it in him. He was a little nervous, but he took care of business."

Borchers, who won his fourth overall state title, hung with the pack until making a move at the two-mile mark.

"I've never run a race that hard in my life," Borchers said. "It hurt so much. I've never been this sick after a race. I told Evan right before the race, 'Pain is temporary, but pride is forever.' It feels awesome."

Louisville St. Thomas Aquinas won the D-III team title, 114-115 over East Canton, due in large part to a faster fifth runner. Coldwater senior David Wilker was seventh overall (16:09) and Dayton Christian twins John (16:10) and Walt Luttrell (16:15) were eighth and ninth.

Division I: Centerville and Vandalia Butler finished sixth and seventh in the team race. Pacing the Elks were sophomores Shawn Roberts (16:35) and Matt Montavon.

Roberts, a move-in from Cleveland last year, missed most of the season with a leg stress fracture, but "he did everything in the pool that we did running," said Elks coach Jim Weckesser.

"I'm hoping next year for a top 10," said Roberts, who didn't resume racing until the regional. "It's looking real well for us next year."

Same for Vandalia, whose first five runners were separated by only 19 seconds. Like Centerville, Butler's entire top five cracked 17 minutes, led by senior Dave Barry (16:40).

Cincinnati La Salle defended its team title over Toledo St. John's, 78-89. Chardon senior Emil Heineking won the race in 15:16.

Division II: Peninsula Woodridge snapped Salem's two-year hold on the team title, placing three among the top 10 and scoring a meet-best 43 points. Northwestern was fifth, Tippecanoe eighth and Carroll 11th. Navarre Fairless' Aaron Melhorn won in 15:22. Northwestern's Jake McCubbin was the best area placer at 23rd.

Marc Pendleton contributed to this report.