Oakwood senior Hix all smiles after top-five cross country finish

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By Greg Billing, Staff Writer 11:12 PM Saturday, November 7, 2009

COLUMBUS — Oakwood High School senior Peter Hix had the smile. Now all he needed was the Coke.

Hix, after finishing fourth at the Division II boys state cross country meet, looked forward to indulging in those foods and drinks that were off limits during training. Tops on his list was an ice cold Coca-Cola.

“It was really stressful before,” Hix said of leading up to the state meet. “Now I can just relax, and it’s all over.”

Hix could have used a boost midway through Saturday, Nov. 7, at Scioto Downs.

Fatigue started to set in but he used his classic kick to secure fourth and All-Ohio (top 15 finishers) honors. He was near the front of the pack for the first mile but let the leaders go when they started separating.

“I just wasn’t going to chase them because I would have run myself out for the end,” Hix said. “I was happy with the strength I showed at the end with my final kick. That was one of the strongest kicks I’ve done in a very, very long time. It felt awesome.”

Oakwood, making its third state appearance, finished 12th in the 16-team field. Also in D-II, Tippecanoe finished sixth in the team standings a year after its runner-up finish. Seniors Kevin Fink (10th) and Tyler Feitshans (15th) led the way.

Valley View senior Jake Kasperski (14th) also grabbed a spot on the podium.

Division I

With the Sidney City Schools levy not passing, and the likelihood of sports being cut, the Yellow Jackets needed some good news.

Senior Aaron Dinzeo delivered. He finished fifth — nine spots better than in 2008 — and was the only area runner to crack the top 40.

“It was a fight around those hills to keep my position,” said Dinzeo, who credited strength training and doing more work on his own time for the improvement.

“This is dedicated to Sidney City Schools with everything we are going through. ... When I’m on the line, I’m not thinking about it, but it’s a lot to bear sometimes. Every time I race I know who I’m representing, and that’s myself, my family and my school.”

Division III

Springfield Emmanuel Christian Academy senior Isaiah Bragg grabbed second place to highlight four podium finishes by Miami Valley runners.

Bragg won the D-III state title running for Cincinnati Christian in 2008 and missed out on a repeat by about eight seconds.

Still, his effort for Emmanuel Christian gave the school its first state appearance in any sport.

New Bremen senior Justin Eilerman (10th), Versailles freshman Sam Prakel (13th) and Coldwater sophomore Mike Seas (15th) joined him on the podium for All-Ohio honors.

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