Cross Country
Lakota West Cross Country: Boys Runner-up at GMC Championships, Girls Place 5th
West Chester, OH (October 13, 2018)
The Lakota West Cross Country teams started “Championship Month” in grand fashion at the Greater Miami Conference Championships at Voice of America Park on Saturday morning. With a little rain the night before and temperatures dropping into the the upper 30’s overnight, the course was in ideal condition. In the boy’s races, 44 out of 45 Lakota West runners ran their fastest race of the year. In the girls’ races 22 out of 26 Lakota West CC Athletes ran their best times of the year.
Sophomore Coleman Cronk led the boys team to a GMC Runner-Up finish in the varsity race with a time of 15:58 (1st team GMC), the 4th fastest career time in Lakota West history. It was the highest GMC finish by the boys team since 2011 and only the second time in school history the team had placed four runners on 1st team All-GMC. Sophomore Zach Beneteau (1st team, 16:24), Senior Alex Kelker (1st team GMC, 16:26), Junior John Doyle (1st team GMC, 16:55), and Sophomore Carter Rust (2nd team GMC,17:00) rounded out the scoring for the Firebirds. Junior Tyler Kovac (17:06), and Sophomore Zach Plotkin (17:28) rounded out the top 7 for West. Alex Kelker graduates as a two-time All-GMC winner. The Mason Comets (#1 state OATCCC ranked) won the GMC meet scoring 23 points to the Firebirds 59. Middletown Senior Conant Smith won the race with his first sub-15 time of his career (14:56.10) and ranks as the current season best time in the state of Ohio and the 17th best in the United States this season. First Year Lakota West Head Coach Sean Hart was named Co-GMC Boys Coach of the Year along with Mason Coach Tom Rapp.
In the JV Race, Sophomore Ethan Vaught (17:18), Senior Mitchell Marshall (17:20), Junior Prabh Singh (17:37), Senior Tony Amsbaugh (17:45), and Junior Luke Wilson 17:49 were the top finishers for West CC Athletes.
Senior Hannah Reisenberg (2nd team GMC, 20:21) led the way as the girls repeated their 2017 finish with a 5th place overall in the GMC Team scoring. Senior Lexi Isles (2nd team GMC, 20:55), Sophomore Sophie Rosales (21:18), Senior Olivia Risner (21:20), and Senior Audrey Rust (21:21) all scored. Freshman Katelyn Benoit (21:39), and Freshman Kassie Martin (21:49) continue to run well. Seniors Hannah Reisenberg and Lexi Iles join an elite group of Firebirds who have earned ALL-GMC THREE times in their career. The Lakota East Thunderhawks (#3 state ranked OATCCC) won the GMC meet beating rival Mason Comets (#5 state ranked OATCCC) 30-32. It was the first time Mason had lost the meet since 2009 (Sycamore). Mason Junior Maddie Ullom won the race with an 18:10.
Freshman Gwyn Barnhorst (21:34), Junior Anna Huston (21:48), Junior Americus Land (22:45), Sophomore Annika Kinley 22:52), and Freshman Grace Wheeler were the top finishers in the Open Race.
Thursday JV Runners will compete in the District JV Race at Lakota Plains Junior High. Action starts at 5:00 PM.
Next Saturday both varsity teams will be back in action at the District Meet @ Voice of America Park in West Chester. The girls will race at 10:00 AM and the Boys at 11:00 AM. Congratulations to all West CC Athletes and good luck next week at Districts.