Cross country: Host Ottawa-Glandorf girls run away with team title

OTTAWA — For the eight Ottawa-Glandorf seniors in the cross country program, Saturday’s Blue/Gold Invitational would be the final time they would compete on their home course at Ottawa Memorial Park.

Ottawa-Glandorf senior Madelyn Hovest saved her best for last.

At Saturday’s Blue/Gold Invitational, Hovest finished second overall in a personal-best time of 18 minutes, 57.01 seconds to help lead O-G to the team title. Tinora’s Lauren Sattler won the race in 18:49.25 on the 5,000-meter course.

O-G won Saturday’s team title with 51 points. Patrick Henry finished a distant second with 113 points. Kenton (151), St. Henry (152) and Fairview (172) rounded out the top five squads in a field of 18 full teams (with at least five runners).

“I think it (Saturday’s finishing time) was about a 10-second PR. I finally broke 19s. … I’m so excited,” Hovest said. “It (setting personal best) is like bittersweet, running this course for the final time. I’ve been running it for about six years. I felt really good today, which I’m super-happy about. I got a PR. I don’t think there’s a better way I can end my career on this course. It’s a special place for us.”

O-G head coach Holly Flueckiger praised Hovest for her dedication and commitment.

“She (Hovest) has to be happy with that (personal best). That’s what she wanted. She worked hard this week for it; and look at how she did. She finished strong. That’s what she wanted,” Flueckiger said.

Along with being a standout in cross country, Hovest is also a standout on the soccer team. In fact, after Hovest raced Saturday morning, she headed to Archbold for an afternoon soccer match.

Hovest said that she enjoys the challenge of competing in two sports in the same season.

“After about the second week of November, I start to slow down,” Hovest said with a grin. “I run all summer. I’m always running before and after soccer practice. I just got used to it. That’s what I do every single day. I’m used to it now, I guess.”

Rounding out the top five runners for the O-G girls’ team Saturday were Anna Buddelmeyer (fifth, 19:31.98), Corinne Closson (10th, 20:09.40), Brea Recker (14th, 20:31.51) and Liana Fortman (21st, 20:44.95). There were 173 competitors in the girls’ race.

For Buddelmeyer, a junior, this season has been all about keying on Hovest. Hovest and Buddelmeyer have finished close together in every race this season.

“Today, I lost Madelyn. … I didn’t do my best,” Buddelmeyer said. “But normally, I just keep Madelyn in my sight, and we work together. I think the team is doing very well this year. Everybody is pushing each other.”

Other Lima area runners who finished in the top 10 overall spots Saturday were Kenton’s Addi Manns (sixth, 19:37.95) and Miller City’s Andrea Pfau (seventh, 19:39.54).

On the boys’ side, O-G junior Ty Rosengarten made a move with about 200 meters left in Saturday’s race and went on to record the win in a new school-record time of 15:57.79. Rosengarten broke his own school record, which he set two weeks ago at the Columbus Grove Invitational (Sept. 2).

“I really didn’t separate (from the pack) until the last 200 (meters). That’s when I took off,” Rosengarten said. “I really didn’t know what to expect. I just knew the guys up front – I’ve run with them (before). I wasn’t 100 percent sure if it (the time) would be fast or slow because last year we ran this course twice (Blue/Gold Invite and WBL Championships), and I dropped 30 seconds from my home meet to WBLs. So, I didn’t know how it would be.”

Added Coach Flueckiger, “He (Rosengarten) needed that competition. He fights harder when he has that competition. At practice, he’s focusing more on what he needs to. We’re really trying to make sure that every kid is doing what they need to. He (Rosengarten) has prepared so hard this summer.”

Bryan’s Xander Fackler finished second in the boys’ race (15:59.36). Van Wert’s Owen Scott (16:02.06), Columbus Grove’s Luke Ellerbrock (16:07.52) and Tinora’s Paul Westrick (16:28.21) rounded out the top five finishers.

Scott, who has battled Rosengarten the past couple years in cross country and track, said Saturday’s race wasn’t any different.

“I want to go sub-16 (minutes). But today, my goal wasn’t exactly to get that,” Scott said. The first mile, I usually start out a little bit hot (fast). Today, I stuck on Ty Rosengarten’s hip. I sat on (stayed close to) him until the first mile. Then I kind of sprinted ahead for a little bit. I was ahead for a while. The last mile, I had more energy left, than I’ve ever had. It felt great.”

Other Lima area finishers in the top-10, included Bath’s Jacob Wireman (sixth, 16:29.60), Columbus Grove’s Evan Pitts (seventh, 16:38.04), and Van Wert’s Drew Laudick (ninth, 17:00.84).

In the boys’ team standings, Bryan edged out Columbus Grove for the team title, 66-68. Van Wert (93), O-G (112) and Holgate (172) rounded out the top five squads in the 21-team field.

The remaining three Columbus Grove scorers behind Ellerbrock and Pitts on Saturday included Levi Bryan (12th, 17:11.57), Logan Mershman (17th, 17:33.26) and Bryce Bonifas (28th, 17:58.35). There were 216 finishers in the boys’ race.

For Van Wert, Rylan Miller (15th, 17:21.35), John Kramer (16th, 17:23.21) and Johan Gemmer (50th, 18:24.91) rounded out the five scorers behind Scott and Laudick.

The rest of O-G’s scorers behind Rosengarten included Cooper Fischer (11th, 17:10.68), Jordan Croy (19th, 17:40.94), Isaac Macke (34th, 18:06.49) and Connor Johnson (47th, 18:20.64).

This year’s O-G Blue/Gold Invitational featured just one division. In previous years, the Blue/Gold Invitational was divided up into two divisions.

Results

Boys

Team Scores: 1. Bryan 66, 2. Columbus Grove 68, 3. Van Wert 93, 4. Ottawa-Glandorf 112, 5. Holgate 172, 6. Fairview 180, 7. Tinora 215, 8. Wauseon 226, 9. Bath 237, 10. St. Henry 275, 11. Paulding 337, 12. Napoleon 347, 13. Hicksville 354, 14. Leipsic 375, 15. Kenton 384, 16. Wayne Trace 435, 17. Ayersville 452, 18. Patrick Henry 486, 19. Spencerville 500, 20. Elida 578, 21. LCC 659.

Race Winner/Area Finishers in the Top 50: 1. Ty Rosengarten (O-G) 15:57.79, 3. Owen Scott (VW) 16:02.06, 4. Luke Ellerbrock (CG) 16:07.52, 6. Jacob Wireman (Ba) 16:29.60, 7. Evan Pitts (CG) 16:38.04, 9. Drew Laudick (VW) 17:00.84, 11. Cooper Fischer (O-G) 17:10.68, 12. Levi Bryan (CG) 17:11.57, 14. Michael Rindler (SH) 17:15.47, 15. Collin Heitmeyer (K) 17:17.70, 16. Rylan Miller (VW) 17:21.35, 17. John Kramer (VW) 17:23.21, 18. Logan Mershman (CG) 17:33.26, 20. Wyatt German (Ot) 17:38.07, 21. Levi Fenzil (Bluffton) 17:40.46, 22. Jordan Croy (O-G) 17:40.95, 29. Ethan Rall (K) 17:54.73, 31. Bryce Bonifas (CG) 17:58.35, 33. Braylon Best (CG) 18:00.49, 34. Landen Jones (Ba) 18:02.22, 37. Isaac Macke (O-G) 18:06.49, 39. Riley Kemper (Ot) 18:09.19, 42. Calvin Miller (Miller City) 18:11.54, 43. Caiden Squillante (CG) 18:12.31, 49. Mitchell Adams (Spencerville) 18:19.81.

Boys race finishers Team scores

Girls

Team Scores: 1. Ottawa-Glandorf 51, 2. Patrick Henry 113, 3. Kenton 151, 4. St. Henry 152, 5. Fairview 172, 6. Bryan 180, 7. Tinora 215, 8. Napoleon 221, 9. Van Wert 224, 10. Columbus Grove 242, 11. Holgate 300, 12. Miller City 309, 13. Bluffton 314, 14. Wauseon 351, 15. Elida 390, 16. Ayersville 406, 17. Pandora-Gilboa 425, 18. Paulding 439.

Race Winner/Area Finishers in the Top 50: 1. Lauren Sattler (Tin) 18:49.25, 2. Madelyn Hovest (O-G) 18:57.01, 5. Anna Buddelmeyer (O-G) 19:31.98, 6. Addi Manns (K) 19:37.95, 7. Andrea Pfau (MC) 19:39.54, 10. Corinne Closson (O-G) 20:09.40, 11. Leah Harder (K) 20:17.25, 14. Brea Recker (O-G) 20:31.51, 17. Sarah Kamphaus (CG) 20:36.74, 18. Andrea Burgei (K) 20:40.12, 19. Lily Montgomery (CG) 20:40.84, 20. Rileigh Baumer (SH) 20:44.95, 21. Liana Fortman (O-G) 20:44.95, 22. Marissa Ledley (K) 20:47.77, 26. June Essinger (Bluffton) 20:55.76, 27. Alanna Mescher (SH) 21:03.05, 28. Ally Heath (SH) 21:06.23, 29. Emily Durham (Elida) 21:18.86, 31. Savannah Knueven (P-G) 21:27.33, 32. Alyssa Knittle (VW) 21:31.51, 33. Morgan Maag (O-G) 21:35.50, 35. Mya Knapke (SH) 21:38.51, 37. Harmony Schuerman (VW) 21:41.37, 39. Kayla Dancs (E) 21:44.25, 45. Rose Turnwald (O-G) 22:02.76, 46. Noelle Byrum (VW) 22:03.39, 47. Delaney Buxton (K) 22:08.41, 48. Catherine Post (SH) 22:09.18, 49. Sara Schroeder (O-G) 22:02.76 22:11.64.

Girls race finishers Team scores

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