Cross country: Shawnee’s Williams, Wapak’s Fosnaugh off to great starts

SPENCERVILLE — Shawnee senior Noah Williams has always preferred to take over a race right from the start.

Then toward the end, Williams loves to put the race away with his sprint to the finish.

At Saturday’s Spencerville Bearcat Invitational, Williams led from start to finish in the boys’ Black Division (large schools), en route to a winning time of 16:00.70 on the 5,000-meter course at the Spencerville campus.

Williams pulled away from Wapakoneta senior Axton Fosnaugh down the stretch for the win. Fosnaugh was on Williams’ heels for most of Saturday’s race. Fosnaugh finished in 16:03.88.

However, in the final 400 meters or so, Williams turned on the afterburners to notch the win.

“It’s amazing. It’s all I’ve ever done since seventh grade – get out in front and try to keep my pace the whole race,” Williams said with a grin. “I’m trying to go for sub-16 (minutes). But at the end of the day, I’m just trying to win the race and do the best that I can.”

Williams’ personal-best time is 15:40.3, which he ran at last year’s regional meet at Tiffin and qualified for the Division I state cross country meet.

For Fosnaugh, Saturday’s race was all about keying on Williams.

“I was trying to pace with him the first and second mile,” Fosnaugh said. “On our third mile, I was trying to hit it hard and get ahead of him. I just couldn’t go faster than him. Every time I sped up, he ended up going faster than I could go.”

Fosnaugh was pleased at how he ran Saturday. His time was a personal best.

“I ran a 17-flat out here last year for third place. … I ran a 16.03 this year,” said Fosnaugh, who broke his own school record.

Last season, Fosnaugh qualified for the Division I regional meet, but did not advance to the state meet.

“Last year, I didn’t put in the training as much as I should have,” Fosnaugh said. “I played baseball during the summer. … I’ve been playing baseball my whole life. I finally quit (baseball) for track. It (track) gets me in shape for cross country.”

Close behind Fosnaugh on Saturday was Bellefontaine’s Tony Stewart in third (16:06.47). Coldwater’s Mason Ayers (fourth, 16:57.31) and Shawnee’s Carter Cleaves (fifth, 17:02.29) rounded out the top five finishers.

For Shawnee, its next three scorers behind Cleaves included Ty Schaub (15th, 17:52.64), Carson Frost (19th, 18:12.71) and Sean Alexander (32nd, 19:13.04).

In the team standings for the boys’ Black Division, Bellefontaine won the title with 36 points. Shawnee was a distant second with 71 points. Van Buren (97), South Adams (Indiana, 113) and Wapakoneta (113) rounded out the top five squads in a nine-team field. South Adams was awarded the fourth-place spot over Wapakoneta, due to the sixth-man tiebreaker.

In the girls’ Black Division, Bellefontaine’s Grace Brown led from start to finish, winning in 19:13.80. Shawnee sophomore Jenna Stump finished second in 19:49.62.

Rounding out the top five placers Saturday were Van Buren’s Lily Grady (20:07.45), Wapakoneta’s Kenzie Schneider (fourth, 20:18.95) and Benjamin Logan’s Georgia Bates (fifth, 20:33.54).

Stump realized early in Saturday’s race that she might need to adjust her race strategy.

“I tried to stay with her (Brown),” Stump said. “Then, the second mile, I saw the distance between me and the first girl. I just wanted to stay strong, but I didn’t think I could catch her. I just wanted to stay consistent and sprint at the finish.

“I’m happy with the time, because my PR (personal record) is 19:30. I got around a 19:45. So, I think that is pretty decent for this course; and I didn’t have anyone running with me.”

Jenna Stump’s sister, Molly, was one of Shawnee’s top runners on last year’s state team. Molly, along with a few other teammates, graduated after last school year.

As a team Saturday, Shawnee finished a close third (93 points), behind second place Van Buren (92). Benjamin Logan won the team title in the girls’ Black Division. There were nine teams in the Black Division.

In the girls’ Red Division (smaller schools), Riverdale junior Allison Woodruff won the race in 19:39.82. Miller City junior Andrea Pfau came in second (19:46.89).

Saturday was not the first time that Woodruff and Pfau have battled it out, either on a cross country course or on a track.

“In every race, we always run against each other. It goes back-and-forth,” Woodruff said with a grin.

Woodruff, a two-time state-qualifier in cross country, is hoping to make another return to the state meet this season. In 2022, she finished 35th overall at the state meet, and just missed earning all-Ohio honors. The top 30 placers at the state meet earn all-Ohio status.

“I want to get better than 35th (at the state meet). I want to go (to state) all four years,” Woodruff said.

Woodruff’s all-time personal best is 18:58. Along with competing in cross country during the fall, Woodruff also plays soccer.

For Pfau, cross country is a relatively new sport.

“This is my second year (for cross country),” Pfau said. “My freshman year I played volleyball. Last year was my first year of track. I’m going to try to focus on this (cross country) and see what it brings me in the future.

“After going to state in track this past year (Division III, 1,600 meters), it gives me more confidence for this cross-country season. I want to break 19 (minutes) this year. … That’s my goal.”

Rounding out the top five finishers in the Red Division were Parkway’s Paige Williamson (20:37.25), Triad’s Shalyn Smiles (20:47.83) and Riverdale’s Annalease Woodruff (20:55.28).”

In the team standings for the girls’ Red Division, St. Henry won with 26 points. Parkway (38), Russia (66) and Waynesfield-Goshen (109) rounded out the small field of teams in the Red Division.

In the boys’ Red Division, Russia won the team title with 47 points. Riverdale (88), St. Henry (97), Triad (101) and Parkway (144) rounded out the top five schools. There were 12 teams in the Red Division.

Triad’s Wyatt Robison won the Red Division race (17:24.28). Riverdale’s Andrew Woodruff (second, 17:36.90), St. Henry’s Michael Rindler (third, 17:37.65), Russia’s Samuel Phlipot (fourth, 17:37.66) and Ottoville’s Wyatt German (fifth, 17:41.19) were the next four placers in the Red Division.

Results

Girls

Red Division

Team scores: 1. St Henry 26, 2. Parkway 38, 3. Russia 66, 4. Waynesfield-Goshen 109

Race winner and area finishers in the top 25

1. Allison Woodruff (Riverdale) 19:39.82, 2. Andrea Pfau (Miller City) 19:46.89, 3. Paige Williamson (Parkway) 20:37.25, 6. Rileigh Baumer (St. Henry) 20:55.50, 7. Ariyah Pfenning (New Knoxville) 20:56.48, 8. Alanna Mescher (St. Henry) 20:59.21, 9. Ally Heath (St. Henry) 21:00.88, 10. Christina Tong (Parkway) 21:07.86, 12. Amanda Barrett (Parkway) 21:46.65, 13. Mya Knapke (St. Henry) 21:56.90, 14. Catherine Post (St. Henry) 22:06.83, 15. Evie Gast (St. Henry) 22:06.85, 17. Jordyn Schaefer (Parkway) 22:13.44, 18. Kara Fullenkamp (Parkway) 22:45.40, 21. Anna Lammers (Miller City) 22:40.67, 25. Anna Brodman (Waynesfield-Goshen) 23:00.21

Black Division

Team Scores: 1. Benjamin Logan 64, 2. Van Buren 92, 3. Shawnee 93, 4. South Adams 125, 5. Decatur Bellmont 131, 6. Bellefontaine 132, 7. Coldwater 141, 8. Wapakoneta 170, 9. Bluffton 199

Race Winner and area finishers in the top 25

1. Grace Brown (Bellefontaine) 19:13.80, 2. Jenna Stump (Shawnee) 19:49.62, 4. Kenzie Schneider (Wapakoneta) 20:18.95, 7. Audrey Alig (Coldwater) 20:51.00, 9. Lillith Lautzenheiser (Wapakoneta) 21:07.79, 10. June Essinger (Bluffton) 21:13, 12. Emily Durham (Elida), 21:45.53, 18. Kayla Dancs (Elida) 22:09.11, 19. Breann Mathewson (Coldwater) 22:21.18, 20. Tayma Jmiai (Shawnee) 22:21.33, 23. Gwyn Owens (Shawnee) 22:44.03

Boys

Red Division

Team scores: 1. Russia 47. 2. Riverdale 88, 3. St. Henry 97. 4. Triad 101, 5. Parkway 144, 6. Hicksville 152, 7. Leipsic 163, 8. Wayne Trace 182. 9. Spencerville 203. 10. Waynesfield-Goshen 215, 11. Allen East 301, 12. Lima Central Catholic 341

Race winner and area finishers in the top 25

1. Wyatt Robinson (Triad) 17:24.28, 3. Michael Rindler (St. Henry) 17:37.65, 5. Wyatt German (Ottoville) 17:41.19, 8. Mitchell Adams (Spencerville) 17:51.64, 12. Calvin Miller (Miller City) 18:11.26, 13. Tyler Bowen (Parkway) 18:12.20, 14. Noah Dotson (Waynesfield-Goshen) 18:15.44, 18. Diego Baldzo (Leipsic) 18:36.05, 20. Michael Kunkler (St. Henry) 18:38.21, 23. Ryan Mestemaker (St. Henry) 18:54.36, 24. Jacob Walther (Leipsic) 18:55.13, 25. Zach Heath (St. Henry) 18:57.61

Black Division

Team scores: 1. Bellefontaine 36, 2. Shawnee 71, 3. Van Buren 97, 4. South Adams 113, 5. Wapakoneta 113, 6. Coldwater 121, 7. Benjamin Logan 143, 8. Elida 246, 9. Bath 270

Race winner and area finishers in the top 25

1. Noah Williams (Shawnee) 16:00.70, 2. Axton Fosnaugh (Wapakoneta) 16:03.88, 4. Mason Ayers (Coldwater) 16:57.31, 5. Carter Cleaves (Shawnee) 17:02.29, 13. Cash Schadl (Wapakoneta) 17:43.57, 15. Ty Schaub (Shawnee) 17:52.64, 18. Josh Schoen (Coldwater) 18:00.69, 19. Carson Frost (Shawnee) 18:12.71, 21. Levi Fenzil (Bluffton) 18:25.19, 25. Noah Obringer (Coldwater) 18:38.97

Complete results

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