Cross country: Host Ottawa-Glandorf boys, girls win team titles

OTTAWA – The Ottawa-Glandorf cross country program has been competitive over the years.

However, the one thing that has eluded the Ottawa-Glandorf cross country program for a long time is a Western Buckeye League title.

For the O-G boys cross country program, 1985 was the last time the boys won a WBL title. The O-G girls cross country program has never won a WBL title.

This season, the Titans are hoping to make history.

At Saturday’s Ottawa-Glandorf Blue/Gold Invitational, the O-G teams swept team titles.

In the girls Blue Division, O-G ran away with the team title. The Titans scored 43 points, while Kenton was a distant second place with 114 points.

Napoleon (127), St. Marys (141) and Van Wert (152) rounded out the top five squads in a field of 12 full teams.

Senior Alexa Fortman led the Titans with a fifth-place finish in a time of 20 minutes, 14.12 seconds on the 5,000-meter course at Memorial Park. Fortman was leading the race at the two-mile mark.

Bryan’s Kate Thormeier won the Blue Division race in 19:42.10. Kenton’s Addi Manns placed third (19:51.08).

Fortman’s teammates were not far behind.

Olivia Fenbert (sixth, 20:32.85), Madelyn Hovest (eighth, 20:49.36), Corinne Closson (ninth, 20:53.63) and Rose Turnwald (15th, 21:42.07) rounded out the top five runners for the Titans.

Fortman said she probably got out too fast in Saturday’s race.

“Honestly, I just pushed really hard. It’s our home course; and I just wanted to see what I could do,” Fortman said. “I was trying a little different strategy. But at the end of the day, I just have to learn to be happy with what God provided for that day. Today wasn’t my day to get a PR. So, I just have to keep pushing and keep working for that next race.”

Fortman is optimistic about her team’s chances of winning its first ever WBL title this season. O-G will host the WBL Championships on Oct. 15 at Memorial Park.

“I think that everyone has that common goal of keep pushing, and keep getting better,” Fortman said. “We have goals for ourselves at the league and postseason, to be at the top. We’re constantly pushing each other, especially at this meet. … It’s our home course.”

Fortman’s personal best is 19:01, which she clocked at the Columbus Grove Invitational this season (Sept. 3).

On the boys side, O-G slipped past Bluffton 92-97, to win the Blue Division.

Archbold (124), Van Wert (127) and Bath (129) rounded out the top five squads. There were 16 teams in the Blue Division.

Sophomore Ty Rosengarten led O-G on Saturday with a ninth-place finish in 16:50.81.

Rosengarten’s personal best was at the Columbus Grove Invitational this season, where he clocked a 16:23.

“The first two miles felt good,” Rosengarten said in reference to Saturday’s race. “The last mile hurt a little bit. … But that’s the sport.”

Bryan’s Xander Fackler pulled away from the pack, late in Saturday’s race, en route to a winning time of 16:00.46. Bluffton’s duo of Landon Armstrong (16:12.79) and Erik Nygaard (16:16.82) placed third and fourth, respectively. Spencerville’s Lanny Oakman was sixth (16:40.98).

Rosengarten said the O-G boys team has high aspirations for this season.

“We want to win the WBL. … We can win districts, too,” Rosengarten said. “We don’t know our ceiling, but we’re going to find out. I think that qualifying for state as a team is possible.”

Rounding out the top five runners for O-G on Saturday were Cooper Fischer (17th, 17:28.21), Ty Buckland (18th, 17:28.94), Isaac Macke (20th, 17:51.34) and Hunter Stechschulte (28th, 18:27.09).

O-G head coach Holly Flueckiger said she was not surprised at how well her teams performed Saturday.

“We have depth, which I’m really proud of. Another thing, we’ve been working hard all week,” she said. “We’ve been focusing a lot on positive body language. We saw it today. They wore their throwback uniforms. … We’re trying to keep them positive, and do fun things with them. They want to do well. I’m very proud of them. I’m not surprised (at how they performed). I know that they really want it.”

Flueckiger is optimistic on her program’s chances of competing for WBL titles in October.

“I’d be thrilled,” Flueckiger said. “They know it, but they’re going to continue to work hard and get better. We just have to run each race, and it will all fall into place.”

In the girls Gold Division, Patrick Henry notched the team title with 32 points. St. Henry (76), Wayne Trace (94), Holgate (96) and Fairview (100) were the top five squads in the seven-team field.

Patrick Henry’s Emily Gillson won the Gold Division race in 19:46.04. Teammate Mia Amador was second (20:06.61).

Miller City sophomore Andrea Pfau finished third Saturday (20:08.72), which was a new personal best.

“It was more (competitive) than last week, for sure,” Pfau said in reference to the Spencerville Bearcat Invitational. “I just think I need to push more. I kind of relaxed a little bit in the third mile.”

At last week’s Bearcat Invitational, Pfau won the small-school race in 20:10.9.

In the boys Gold Division, Fairview won the team title (38). Holgate (43), Hicksville (63), Leipsic (127) and Wayne Trace (144) rounded out the top five teams. There were nine full teams figured into the team scoring. Kalida’s Collin Heitmeyer (17:33.61) finished second behind race winner Jack Westrick (17:21.06) from Holgate.

Mark Altstaetter wrote his story for The Lima News. Reach The Lima News sports department at 567-242-0451.