This story will be updated.
CAMBRIDGE – The first step toward Fortress Obetz occurred on Oct. 24 for high school cross country runners statewide at their respective district meets.
Here is a look at how Muskingum Valley-area schools fared in the East and Southeast races as they eye the regional on Oct. 31 at Pickerington North.
DivisionII
John Glenn’s Ashlynn Kuklica dominated among 34 runners to win the East District girls race at Cambridge High School, clocking at 19:34.0 – 39 seconds ahead of runner-up Erin Hogue, of Tri-Valley. Her teammate, Addy Kent, was fourth in a personal-best 21:28.9.
Tri-Valley’s Cam Cunningham was sixth (22:30.1), Naomi Harris seventh (22:32.6) and Jordyn Frost 16th (23:51.5); Zanesville’s Miah Wilcox was 17th (23:55.7) and Emma Wells 20th (24:27.9). Tri-Valley’s Rylee Frost (25:01.4) and John Glenn’s Sadie Gardinsky (24th, 25:11.3) and Ava Brown (26th, 25:58.1) were also among the top 32 runners to advance.
The Scotties were second in the team standings behind New Philadelphia among five teams. John Glenn was fourth.
Zanesville’s Kolton Darnes, a junior, was the top local boys qualifier among 44 runners in Division II, where Tri-Valley’s Alexander Hogue was 16th (18:28.4), John Glenn’s Nicholas Harrington 17th (19:02) and teammates Alexander Applegarth 19th (19:08.0) and Kaid Ritchey 20th (19:08.3) also qualified.
New Philadelphia’s Kevin Smith topped the field in 16:53.0. Darnes finished just two seconds behind runner-up Tyler Shuss, of Dover.
The top three teams and first six individuals on non-qualifying teams advanced to the regional. Dover (35), Carrollton (50) and New Philadelphia (56) took the team spots.
Sheridan teams advance from Rio Grande: Sheriden Glanemann was eighth and Adriana Pack ninth among 59 runners at Rio Grande University, as the Generals were third of nine teams. Six teams and 12 individuals advanced to Pickerington.
Eva Jones was 14th (21:18.3), Addie Dennis 26th (22:34.2) and Kayleigh Cochran 35th (23:25.4) for Sheridan, which trailed champion Logan (66) and Athens (83) in the team standings.
Athens’ Zoe Wayner was first (19:02.6) and Chillicothe’s Gabby Maranzana second (19:37.3) among individuals.
The Sheridan boys were sixth to grab the final qualifying spot as Hudson Wilson was fourth (16:07.8) and Logan Adams 20th (17:32.1) among 71 runners. He was just four seconds back of third-place Corbin Scott, of Chillicothe Unioto (16:03.4).
Seth Johnson was 40th (18:12.8), Aiden O’Reilly 41st (18:41.1) and Michael Flowers 45th (18:38.1) for the Generals. Unioto was first (51).
In Division III, New Lex’s Olivia Emmert was 32nd of 89 runners to advance as an individual from the girls race. She ran 23:34.6.
New Lexington’s Tristan Fulk was 64th (19:58.5) of 143 runners in the boys race, but he narrowly missed qualifying as the top 63 qualified.
Eleven teams and 22 individuals advanced.
Fairfield Union’s Connor Runkle was second in 15:21.5, just one second behind Wellson’s Elijah Goodell (15:20.5).
Division III
In the boys race, Meadowbrook’s Vincent Campbell was third of 142 runners in 15:49.0 as 12 of 21 teams and five more individuals qualified for Pickerington.
The Colts, who were eighth, were joined by ninth-place Morgan as local teams to advance. Both had 224 points. Luke Norman was 30th (18:04.8), Grady Forbes 68th (19:18.6), Gavin Koscoe 71st (19:22.7) and Camdon Rogers 71st (19:25.4).
Morgan qualifiers were Carson Steimer (25th, 17:53.1), Brandon Haines (45th, 18:45.3), Rylan Tom (51st, 18:56.0), Jordan Blackburn (55th, 18:59.7) and Owen Lahmers (72nd, 19:22.9).
West M’s Cohen Mowery (52nd, 18:56.4) and Marcus Hillard (86th, 20:02.6) and River View’s Carson Hoke (61st, 19:06.2) and Jayden Wright (62nd, 19:06.4) qualified as individuals.
No area girls teams finished in the top 10 at Cambridge, where state power Minerva ruled the roost with 60 points. Zoarville Tuscarawas Valley was second, as the top 13 teams and next 26 individuals advanced among 121 participants.
Morgan (11th, 302), Meadowbrook (12th, 311) and Philo (13th, 363) grabbed the final three team slots.
Elana Wilson was 28th (21:40.5), Dakota Johnson 35th (22:08.4), Iva Heagen 78th (24:44.2) and Payton Lahmers 103rd (27:28.2) for Morgan; Raegan Daugherty was 23rd (21:19.2), Aubri Norman 67th (24:19.1), Elanor Webb 77th (24:39.2) and Kairi Marston 95th (25:59.4) for Meadowbrook; Philo was paced by Tiffany Bertke (53rd, 23:28.3), Kinleigh Krause (76th, 24:38.9), Taylor Bertke (25:37.2) and Lillyanne Fuller (28:59.4).
West M’s Ayla Mowery (27th, 21:36.1), Clare McCabe (92nd, 25:51.3), Avery Bollinger (97th, 26:20.7) and Alyana Wheeler (99th, 26:48.3), River View’s Emma Cochran (54th, 23:30.4), Ashlyn Stone (83rd, 25:02.1) and Adalynn Easley (87th, 25:23.9) and Charley Reed (96th, 26:01.3) and Maysville’s Olivia Rusnak (57th, 23:45.3) also qualified.
West Holmes’ Ava Reiheld won in 18:14.9.
Division IV
Crooksville’s Luke Sheets was third among 67 runners in the boys race at Cambridge, where only four teams and eight individuals advanced. Sheets clocked at 17:46.6, just three seconds behind runner-up Zane Boyd, of Caldwell.
Teammate Xavier Allen was 35th (21:08.4) for the Ceramics; the cutoff to qualify was 29th.
No Crooksville girls qualified. Jordyn Fields was 52nd (27:24.3) of 66 runners.
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Muskingum Valley runners have punched regional cross country tickets