On the Galion varsity girls cross county team, coach Cindy Conner has coached an athlete who qualified for state every year. She considers her first year as head coach a program springboard, with the girls team qualifying for the regional meet. In every year since, the Tigers have sent a team or individual to the state meet.

The girls are now tasked with replacing three seniors, but having senior Raygann Campbell — a state qualifier, first team Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference (MOAC), first team all-county and school record holder — helps fill the void. Nora Harding, also a senior, earned second team MOAC honors last season.

Returning juniors are Zoee Brissell, Grace Sparks, and Zoee Brissell, while the sophomores are second team all-conference runner Maddie Beck and Kai Benton.

The team will be aided by newcomers, including seniors Kenzie Lehman and Sadie Mosquedo, along with incoming freshmen Alayna Griffith, Kayla Halbisen, Kenzie Halbisen and Brooke North.

Conner has lofty expectations for the girls team this season.

“They have experienced, talented runners returning, and they will guide the new runners to learn the ropes and expand the things they can already accomplish,” Conner said. “Many of them have been devoted to their summer conditioning and have already set goals for themselves and their team.”

When predicting who the top Tiger runners will be this season, Conner believes only the students can determine that.

“The less they focus on who has already beaten them, and focus on who they can beat that day, the better their team will do,” she explained. “I encourage them to chase down anyone in front of them, whether it’s someone on our team or another team. If we always run in the same order, we will always get what we’ve always gotten. We also have a few runners that are new to the sport, and they are showing great potential already. I would love to see a team where deciding who will run at districts is a difficult task, because they were all top runners throughout the season.”

The City of Galion and Galion High School host the annual Galion Cross Country Festival Sept. 16. Thousands of runners from around the region convene each year at the Amann Park course on Galion’s south side to compete in various events throughout the day.

“Our program is designed to make them lifelong athletes. We want them to enjoy the run, the workout and their teammates,” Connor noted. “I have emphasized with our athletes that cross country is more than just running as fast as you can for as far as you can; cross country is a family atmosphere where we learn to get along with others, leaving a positive impact on our community and on the environment. I want the runners to graduate knowing they have made the world a better place and with the hopes of continuing to do so as adults.”

A.J. Kaufman is a correspondent for the Galion Inquirer.