For some runners, such as Clayton Murphy of Tri-Village and Sydney Leiher of Beavercreek, it was the last cross country meet of their high school careers.

For others, like boys winner Nick Raymond of Erie-Mason, Mich., or girls winner Ashley Erba of Warsaw, Ind., it was a training session for Nike and Footlocker national races the next three weeks.

But all 96 participants undoubtedly agreed with Murphy “it’s an honor to be chosen to run for your state team and a blast to go against the best runners from other states.”

The runners made up senior all-star cross country teams from Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan who competed in the 26th Mid-East Cross Country championships Saturday morning.The race was run on the 5,000 meter (3.1 mile) course at Indian Riffle Park.

Each team has 12 members with the top five finishers in the race counting in team scoring. Indiana won the girls team title with 29 points to 37 for Ohio.

Leiher, the only local runner, was 12th overall in 18:38. “It’s a great way to finish my cross country career,” said Leiher, who was sixth in the Division I state meet. “Being picked to run for Ohio is special. You get to meet so great runners. The race itself was fun being in a pack where everyone is fast.

“I didn’t run my best race, but getting 12th is good considering I didn’t train much this week. Now I’m going to take some time off, rest and then start training for track season (where she is defending state 1,600 meter champion).”

Erba, the state runner-up in Indiana, set a meet record, winning in 17:21, 34 seconds ahead of Bobbie Burgess of West Lafayette, Ind.

Murphy was 15th overall in the boys competition (15:57) and the second Ohio runner behind Brian Brennan of Walsh Jesuit (12th in 15:56). Michigan and Illinois tied for first with 42 team points. Indiana won the title because its No. 6 runner finisher higher than the No. 6 Illinois runner. Indiana was third with 48 and Ohio fourth with 108.

“Coming from a small school like Tri-Village (35 miles west of Dayton near Richmond, Ind., with 91 boys) it doesn’t get much bigger than this for me,” said Murphy, who was fourth in the state D-III meet.

“Going against all these state champs and being able to stay with them is a great feeling. A nice way to go out.”

Raymond, who runs for a school just north of Toledo, was the Division III state champion in Michigan. His winning time Saturday was 15:25, 12 seconds better than Riley McInerney of Charleston, Ill., who was third in the Illinois Class AA state meet.