Highlights from almost a decade of State Cross Country

Memorabilia from 2012

This Saturday will mark 10 years of OHSAA cross country state championships since receiving my first Fish Report press credential in 2012. Although I was a fan of the state meet long before reporting on it, watching Ohio's biggest race from inside the ropes is extra special. Whenever folks ask what's so enjoyable about covering the often-cold November races, it's not hard to explain.

For starters, I've gained so many friends in cross country over the years that going to the state meet is comparable to a family reunion. The familiar faces of media, officials, and coaches with new rosters of athletes makes me realize that the kids always grow older and eventually graduate, but the adults are simply timeless. It's funny how many friends have talked to me about retiring after the season ends, only to return the following year with another ticket to state and an accompanying smile. 

My biggest thrill always comes in front of the main grandstands. In nine years of attending at two different venues, the start line for the races is out of view from those stands. You can hear the official's starter pistol fire in the distance and then the noise crescendo begins. First, it's mumbles of anticipation from the crowd and next the faint sounds of a few hundred stampeding feet. When the runners finally emerge, that first crowd roar with ringing cow bells is almost deafening and still gives me goosebumps. I can only imagine the adrenaline pumping through those athletes. At the finish line, cheers from the grandstands continue until the last runner crosses and often times that final straggler gets a standing ovation. The entire experience is something most kids will certainly never forget.

I was a longtime face in the crowd before I began facing the crowd in 2012

Great memories from nine years of both girls and boys races are countless for me. In typical Fish Report fashion though, I'll try to recap the ones that stand out most. In no particular order, below are five of my favorite Division III moments from working the state cross country championships. Enjoy.

2020: Reaping what they sowed - I met West Liberty-Salem girls coach Ann Vogel at a state meet prior to receiving my first media pass. Between the years of 2009-2012 her teams finished 5th, 4th, 3rd, and 6th. In retrospect, Coach Vogel's program had planted the seeds of hard work and expectations that would yield the greatest, later. The key runner during that four year span was Ann's daughter, Meghan, who finished a personal best 5th at her final race in 2012. After Meghan and her five senior teammates graduated, no team qualified for state the next three years. However, the fruit of tradition in girls cross country was just getting ready to sprout. In 2016 the OHSAA expanded the field of state qualifying teams from 16 to 20 and West Liberty-Salem was back, this time finishing 20th. Then began a slow climb in the years that followed of 9th in 2017, 4th in 2018, and 2nd in 2019 behind the Minster Wildcats who had just won their fourth consecutive championship. To be the best, they would have to beat the best. In 2020 West Liberty-Salem won their first state championship in girls cross country over runner-up Minster. The Big Orange fall harvest was bountiful!

The first-ever state meet in Obetz was a first-ever experience for the Big Orange

2019: Witnessing greatness - As mentioned above, the Minster girls rattled off four consecutive state titles between 2016-2019. That streak padded the Wildcat's reign as the most successful cross country program in any division, girls or boys, in Ohio high school history. The numbers are just staggering.. 13 championships and six runner-up finishes since 1982, six consecutive and still active appearances on the podium as either champs or runner-up from 2015-2020, and that's just getting started. Most impressive to me though was being a witness to that fourth straight victory in 2019. Coming into the race, Minster had won each of their previous three titles led by 2017 individual winner and future Wisconsin Badger, Emma Watcke, who was now a high school senior in Illinois. Other key members on those three previous state teams, but gone because of graduation were Kaitlyn Albers and Madeline Magoto. Finally, current senior Gwen Meiring was a consistent scorer in all those wins, but had just returned to compete after not running the entire 2019 postseason. Simply put, I had little faith in Minster this time. After head coach Jessie Magoto stepped off the podium from receiving Minster's fourth straight state champions trophy, I expressed to her my doubts. Coach Magoto gave me a smile, a hug, and a thank you for the media coverage!

Hoisting hardware never gets old, no matter how many times you do it

2018: Worth the wait - After a boys state title in 2016 that included rising sophomore stars Jake Rethman and Joe Ballas, Ft. Loramie's highly anticipated return to state in 2017 left some novice folks disappointed when the team finished just 7th. Maybe that's why voting pollsters only ranked the Redskins #4 coming into the 2018 state meet. If head coach Dennis Prenger's team was anxious to prove critics wrong, they had to wait an extra week. Two days prior to Saturday's races, central Ohio was drenched with flooding rain and National Trail Raceway in Hebron postponed the event one week until November 10th. The course was now drier and chillier, and all grown up seniors Jake and Joe left fans no doubt they hadn't lost a step. Joe finished 3rd overall and Jake, the future Toledo Rocket commit, finished 5th as both boys earned All-Ohio recognition and led the Redskins to their second title in three years. Also coming up big for Ft. Loramie as the team's #3 and #4 runners, were freshman twin brothers Colten and Colin Gasson. By the way, those same brothers are now seniors and will lead the Redskins in Obetz at state this Saturday!

Neither rain nor naysayers could stop Ft. Loramie from their 2018 championship

2014: The final showdown - Individual rivalries between two dominating leaders that are fortunate enough to compete against each other for an extended period of time are pretty unique. Great rivals also tend to bring out the best in their opponent. That was Brittany Atkinson of Liberty Center and Sarah Kanney of Coldwater. I got the privilege of following their biggest moments at state and interviewing both on several occasions. Brittany won an individual state title as a freshman, Sarah won as a sophomore, and Brittany won again as a junior in 2013. Their team rivalry during that three year stretch was also fierce with Liberty Center claiming three consecutive state championships and Coldwater getting 2nd-place twice along with 3rd-place once. The 2014 final showdown between the two seniors created a definite buzz across Ohio. This time the talk amongst lots of fans and media was about the last head to head battle between the two stars. In the end, Sarah won by five seconds and Brittany finished runner-up, as the girls ended their high school careers tied with two individual titles each. Appropriately, both would later become successful teammates as Ohio State Buckeyes! 

These two rivals were sweet off the course but relentless when it came time to run

2012: Star-studded cast - It couldn't get any bigger than my first assignment at the 2012 state championships. I walked into National Trail Raceway with Fish Report's first press pass and no clue how to act. The day started with the Division III boys and included an elite list of senior college commits. Favorites were Oregon bound Sam Prakel of Versailles, Michigan bound Cory Glines of St. Thomas Aquinas, Oklahoma bound Kyle Polman of Independence, and Akron bound Clayton Murphy of Tri-Village. Sam would end up capping his high school career with his second straight individual title in a D3 course record of 15:16, while Cory finished second, Kyle third, and the future Olympic bronze medalist, Clayton, settled for fourth. It was some kind of show. Because I wasn't so sure the OHSAA would ever give me a press pass again, I pulled out my video camera and waited for the boys to catch their breath. Recorded interviews with Sam, Cory, and Clayton were used the following week on our sports talk show Fish Report LIVE! A couple races later and feeling confident, I also did one more video interview after the Division I boys race with Stanford University bound Sam Wharton who had just won an individual title for Tippecanoe in a course record at the time for all divisions of 15:09. I might have been a rookie reporter, but after that I was hooked!

My first gig at the state championships was one for the record books

Bonus moment.. 2015: Cheering quietly -  My final memory doesn't include any championship titles, but it's #1 on my list of state meet moments because I'm a biased father who loves his daughter. When my middle child, Anna, made the varsity girls cross country team as a freshman I was one proud poppa. When her Russia Raiders team qualified for state that same year I was their biggest fan. However, I knew that covering the 2015 race meant I would need to subdue my emotions on the course (nothing is more annoying than a media guy cheering when he should be working). I briefly thought about taking a vacation day from reporting and considered just being a dad, however, I also knew I'd have a better view of the action than my wife and Russia fans outside the fence. I diligently worked the race with my camera just like years past, but also found time to secretly smile as my daughter fulfilled her childhood dream of running at state. It was a dream come true for me too and, fortunately, we did all over again the next two years!

Anna's mom behind the fence (white coat) cheered louder than I did in 2015