Oakwood won its first ever OHSAA Division III State Cross Country Championship on Saturday at Fortress Obetz in Columbus.
“We’ve had really good teams in the past,” senior Delaney Cahill said. “With like really good runners. So finally to get that victory for our team is, like, just crazy. Our coach and team have worked so hard for it.”
Credit: Steven Wright
Credit: Steven Wright
The Jills scored 71 team points to beat best runner-up Huron by 39. The team had all of its scoring placers finish within one minute of one another in all three postseason races.
Jills freshman Evelyn Reinoehl had the best finish for Oakwood. She placed 10th with a time of 18 minutes, 38.59 seconds. Senior Delaney Cahill was right behind her by fewer than three seconds in finishing 11th.
Senior Riley Meador (28th), and juniors Isa Dunlap (40th) and Sylvia Gallagher Yerman (44th) all scored points. Juniors Katherine Erin (45th) and Anna Peters (97th) were other contributors to the state team.
“We train how we race,” Cahill said. “We’ll be in packs, like Evelyn, Riley and I are all in packs and we all try to run together, so that really helps when we’re racing. Just that we know what it’s like and how it’s going to be like.”
The team finished as runner-up in 2020 and have produced multiple individual champions over the last decade-plus. This was an accomplishment everyone was striving to achieve.
Saturday did not go to plan, according to Sanford, as he expected his runners to finish in a different order of support. He said the runners ability to step up when the race called for them to perform at their best shows their tenacity to reach their goal.
“Our six actually ran really well,” Sanford said. “You never know which girl is going to step up.”
Oakwood’s runners mainly stayed in the middle of the pack until roughly the mile mark of the race. Reinoehl fell short after the race began, but still managed to get a top-10 finish.
Credit: Steven Wright
Credit: Steven Wright
As their plan to run down those in front of them played out as it has successfully in the past, there was little doubt the rest of the field were running for second.
“I’m so excited,” Cahill said. “Season’s over and we ended on a high note. So it’s just amazing.”
The top-24 placers in each division made the podium and were awarded medals.
In D-IV, Cedarville senior Ellie Mark (3rd), Newton sophomore Michaela Flora (6th), Minster junior Claire Bohman (10th), Mechanicsburg senior Clair Rodgers (11th), Fort Loramie freshman Elaina Borchers (13th), and West Liberty Salem senior Malia Miller (24th) all placed.
Valley View senior Addy Abner (9th) was the area’s top finisher in D-III.
Talawanda senior Abra Mills finished ninth in the D-II race and Lakota West senior Ava Shepard placed 8th in the D-I race.
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