NORTH ROBINSON — Back on Saturday, August 25, Colonel Crawford High School hosted close to 280 area cross country runners in the annual Early Bird Invite. In total, there were 165 boys and 114 girls in competition on the day, among them were competitors from Colonel Crawford, Northmor and Crestline.
On the boys side, Gavin Shindeldecker of Lucas took home the individual title, crossing the finish line with a winning time of 16:58.53 while the team from Ashland won the team title.
The boys from Northmor would finish the day as the runner-ups in the 15-team field with Gavvin Keen taking the top finish on the team. Keen finished eighth overall with a time of 18:00.63.
Keen would be joined in the top-50 by teammates Ryan Bentley, Mostyn Evans, BJ White, Chase Hoover, Alec Moore and Kooper Keen.
Bentley finished 13th in the field in a time of 18:25.37 with Evans slightly behind him at 18:32.17, good for 15th pace. White came across in the 40th with a time of 19:52.32. In 44th was Hoover (19:59.15), Moore finished 46th (20:01.81) and K. Keen snagged 48th (20:06.43).
Also in action for the Golden Knights on Saturday: 52. Kyle Price; 57. Austin Amens; 77. TJ Diehl; 80. Jack Sears; 108. PJ Lower; 114. Kolton Hart; 119. Zach Govoni; 131. Austin Lewis; 134. Josh Cramer; 135. Anthony Bryant; 144. Ethan Branch and 148. Dylan Amens.
The hosting Eagles would finish fifth overall as a team with Braxton James leading the way by finishing ninth in 18:01.97.
Overall, Crawford would see just two other runners joining James in the top-50 in the likes of Alex Lawson and Alex Mutchler.
Lawson finished in 16th with a time of 18:41.26 while Mutchler crossed the line in 27th at 19:19.74.
Also in the field for the hosts were: 54. Jacob Hoffman; 65. Carson James; 71. Zach Leonhart; 76. Luke Lawson; 83. Brandon Bauer; 128. Brock Nolen and 161. Caleb Christman.
For the Crestline Bulldogs, Dan Kiser would take home the highest finish, earning 55th with a time of 20:29.54 while teammates Lucas Cochrun finished 139th (24:32.23) and Ben Sharp crossed the line in 150th (25:32.77).
Over on the girls side of the event, Sarah Reinhart of Carey won the individual portion of the race in a time of 21:14.06 and Western Reserve secured the team title.
Northmor’s Lady Golden Knights finished fourth overall in the 11-field team while the Lady Eagles earned fifth.
Top finisher on the day for the Knights was Julia Kanagy, finishing 14th overall with a time of 22:42.07.
Joining Kanagy in the top-50 were teammates Sabrina Kelley, Julianna DiTullio, Olivia Goodson and Kristie Wright.
Kelley snagged 17th with a time of 23:07.63 while DiTullio rounded out the top-25 in a time of 23:38.99. Goodson finished 38th in a time of 24:22.04 and Wright earned 41st with a finishing time of 24:45.68.
Other Northmor runners in action on the girls side were: 51. Carolyn McGaulley; 70. Maddison Yaussy and 97. Bailey Snyder.
For the hosting Lady Eagles, Ally Hocker was the top finisher, crossing the line in 22:12.51 which was good for 11th overall in the field.
Katie Hopkins, Alison Manko, Courtney Lyons and Sheba Sulser joined Hocker in the top-50 on the day.
Hopkins finished 31st (24:03.76) and Manko took home 36th (24:21.29). Lyons came in 44th in the field (24:55.99) and Sulser snuck into the top-50 at 49th overall (25:14.54).
Also in action for the Lady Eagles on Saturday: 59. Katie Hanft; 61. Theresa Dzugan; 67. Abby Hocker; 68. Madisyn Cook; 85. Cassidy Vogt; 95. Emma Swisher and 101. Alivia Payne.
Crestline’s lone girl runner, Caitlin Harley, finished in 39th in the field of 114, crossing the finish line with a time of 24:39.84 for the Lady Bulldogs.
