The Mount Gilead boys’ cross country team won the Division IV state meet Saturday at Fortress Obetz, its third state championship in a five-year span, the Morrow County Sentinel reported.
The Indians started slowly and were fifth early before overtaking Russia for first place, 84 points to 99. Mount Gilead’s top five runners finished within 26.8 seconds of one another and all placed in the top 50. Several Indians placed in the top 48 to earn All-Ohio recognition in Division IV, according to the Sentinel.
Junior Brycen Gabriel led the team, finishing 15th in 16:16.6. Sophomore Aiden McLain was 28th (16:31.4), senior Ethan Turner 37th (16:38), junior Grayson Smith 39th (16:40) and junior Henry Bartlett 45th (16:43.4). Sophomore Andrew Gannon placed 63rd (16:59.9) and senior Liam Stalnaker 81st (17:09.4).
Bartlett, normally the team’s top runner, fell close to the finish line before recovering to complete the race as Mount Gilead’s fifth scorer, the Sentinel reported. Coach Jake Hayes said he did not see the fall and learned of it afterward from live results. Hayes credited the group’s depth and pack running, and described this year’s squad as the best in school history, citing a fastest team average that beat the previous record by 10 seconds and the lowest spread. Gabriel and Turner both said the team planned to run patiently early and move up in the middle of the race.