Kenston Girls Cross Country Team Makes Podium at States
A motto can be an extremely powerful motivator in sports.
Meet photos click here.
A motto can be an extremely powerful motivator in sports.
This was certainly apparent for the Kenston girls team Nov. 5 during the OHSAA Cross Country State Championships at Fortress Obetz.
The Bombers used the motto “run for each other” to develop the cohesion and unified mindset necessary to finish as the Division II runners-up on the podium — one of only two Division II teams to receive honors.
“The finish was a metaphor for the entire season,” said Kenston Girls Coach Chris Ickes. “We started pretty strong, we moved up in the middle, and we really brought it home at the end.
“Our girls sold out for each other. They very much care about each other. It is a team-first atmosphere. We saw that today with our top runners finishing outside the top 20, but still finishing right there 1, 2, 3 in order.”
Finishing first for the Bombers was Paige Masson (19:32; 24th overall), followed by Emerson Greene (19:34; 25th overall), Brianna McIvor (19:36, overall), Cecelia Paglia (20:06; 42nd overall) and Sarah Roman (21:22; 121st overall).
“It was absolutely amazing,” Masson said. “We all ran our hearts out today. We ran for each other, our team; we left absolutely everything that we trained for, and built up, out on the course today.
“I think our strategy was obviously to run our absolute best and to run for each other. You know, I was looking for my teammates in front of me. I was looking at their backs trying to get up with them. And our motto is run for each other, so I know everyone else is trying to find their teammates and stick with them.”
In addition to the Bombers girls team making the podium, individually Daniel Kearns from West Geauga, Anthony Ciecierski from NDCL, and Mila Gresh from Chagrin Falls earned all-Ohio honors. In the boys Division II race, Kearns finished sixth with a time of 15:57, while Ciecierski finished 11th with a time of 16:14. Gresh, in the girls Division II race, finished ninth with a time of 19:02.
Also running in the state championships were boys cross country teams from Chardon, Hawken, Kenston and West Geauga.
In the boys Division I race, Chardon finished 19th. Leading the Hilltoppers was Taman Choksi (16:31), Thomas Nelson (16:55), Karl Dietz (17:20), Jacob Nieset (17:21), Josh Calzada (17:23), Makoto Gumpf (17:32) and Colin Snider (18:24).
The Hawken boys finished eighth, the Kenston boys finished 11th, and the West Geauga boys finished 13th in the Division II race.
Hawken boys were led by Parker Carrus (16:53), Tommy Mooney (17:06), Sam Cohen (17:12), Logan Miller (17:22), Jeremy Hofius (17:47) and Chase Levy (18:18).
The Bombers boys were led by Kyle McMahan (17:06), Martin Weber (17:23), Sean Tobin (17:25), Guy DiFini (17:32), Christian Lioudis (17:45), Robert Phillips (17:49) and Dominic Fontana (18:05).
The Wolverines boys were led by Daniel Kerns (15:57), Matthew Dienes (16:36), John Mikes (17:47), Grant Congdon (17:55), Christopher Whiting (17:59), Adam Fousek (18:39) and Thomas Hensley (18:59).
With many underclassmen participating in state championships this year, the future looks quite bright for Geauga County’s cross country teams.
