By Mark Carpenter

Defender of the People

Large crowds and many young runners gathered at Ripley High School on the morning of Saturday, October 16 for the annual Southern Hills Athletic Conference cross-country meet. High school, middle school and elementary runners all took on the hills and valleys around RHS in an effort to prove they were the best of the best in SHAC.

For the Adams County runners it was certainly a successful day. Coach Kelly Boerger’s North Adams High School Girls won the SHAC Tag Team Championship, while in the same race Samantha Seas of Peebles won the 2021 Women’s Individual Title. The West Union High School Girls’ team won the same race. finished second at North Adams, while 10 runners from Adams County finished in the top 15 in the high school girls’ race to win conference honors. Four county boys were among the top 15 in the high school race to make the All-Conference team.

In college races, Beau Hesler, an eighth grader from North Adams, was the college boys’ race champion, with Grady Myers of Peebles placing third. In college girls, Lydia Armstrong of West Union finished second overall.

As expected, the high school girls’ race was a battle between Adams County’s two top runners, Seas and North Adams; Myla Toole, who struggled with a stress fracture during the latter part of the season. Seas took the upper hand on Saturday, finishing first at 7:51 pm with Toole second at 8:43 pm.

The top 15 in the high school race was dominated by runners from Adams County, North Adams freshman Katelynn Boerger, finishing third (21:17) and West Union senior Addie Shupert, fourth (21 : 22). Also winning All-SHAC honors in the high school girls’ race, which included 54 runners, were: McKenna Shelton of North Adams sixth (21:58), Sadie Armstrong seventh of West Union (22:43), Anna Armstrong eighth of North Adams (10:59 p.m.), Makenna Armstrong of West Union 10th (11:30 p.m.), Sara Boldman of West Union 12th (11:54 p.m.) and Areena Goon of North Adams 15th (24h35).

When the high school girls’ team totals were counted, it was North Adams who was crowned SHAC champion with a score of 29, with West Union second at 45.

“When we started having a free run last summer the girls told me they wanted to win the All-County Championship and the SHAC Championship,” said Boerger, coach of North Adams. “They didn’t let any of the obstacles they faced prevent them from achieving these goals. We are very happy to continue our season at the District Meet this weekend in Rio Grande. Plus each of our college runners got their PRs today and Beau (Hesler) had another phenomenal run. He will also be attending the OHSAA State Middle School Meet this weekend. “

“Our high school boys’ team did a great job coming together for third place in the competition and our high school girls really left everything on the course today. I couldn’t be prouder of all my runners.

The high school boys’ race on Saturday was dominated by the Whiteoak team. The Wildcats won the tag team championship, the individual championship (new Landen Eyre) and placed seven runners in the top 15. From Adams County, Manchester’s top player was Connor Darnell, fourth overall in the field. 67 runners, with its time of 18:08. Three other Adams County young men took All-SHAC honors on Saturday – North Adams’ Cody Hesler placed ninth (6:50 pm) and his Peebles teammates Hayden Crum and Carter Vogler placed 10th and 12th respectively , with times of 18:52 and 19:00.

The college girls’ race consisted of 36 runners and Adams County’s top finisher was West Union seventh grader Lydia Armstrong, who finished second overall, crashing down the chute in a finish time of 13: 25. Armstrong’s teammate and West Union eighth grader Emma Crawford also finished in the top 10, placing 10th in 14:34. Eastern Brown won the SHAC College Girls’ Team crown, while West Union finished third.

The aforementioned Beau Hesler of North Adams was the individual champion of the college boys’ race, crossing the finish line in his winning time of 11:09. Grady Myers, eighth from Peebles, was third out of 67 runners with a time of 11:36, while Ryan Butcher-Raines, eighth from Manchester, was sixth with a time of 11:54. Eastern Brown wiped out college titles, with Manchester coming in fourth.

High school cross-country teams are now turning their attention to the district competition, which will take place on Saturday, October 23 at the University of Rio Grande, with teams and individuals looking to qualify for the regional fixtures.

2021 SHAC XC Team Final Ranking

MS Girls: Eastern Brown 33, Fayetteville 44, West Union 66, Fairfield 77, Ripley 124

MS Boys: Eastern Brown 38, Fairfield 53, Fayetteville 109, Manchester 112, Whiteoak 135, North Adams 140, Lynchburg 147, Ripley 174

HS Girls: North Adams 29, West Union 45, Eastern Brown 83, Lynchburg 85, Fairfield 124, Manchester 147, Ripley 174

HS Boys: Whiteoak 29, Fairfield 86, North Adams 93, Ripley 116, Lynchburg 123, Peebles 147, Manchester 151, Eastern Brown 196, West Union 208