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2011 OHSAA
State Cross Country Championships Coverage

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2011 OHSAA State Cross Country Championships Coverage

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Championship Recap & Results

National Trail Raceway, Hebron
November 5, 2011

Results  Note to Media: Complete Results in AP Format are posted in the AP Marketplace.

New Course, New Champions
Eleven new champions crowned at first state cross country meet at National Trail Raceway

HEBRON, Ohio � Six new individual champions and five new team champions were crowned Saturday at the 2011 OHSAA Cross Country State Championships at National Trail Raceway in Hebron. After a chilly morning, the sun came out and made for almost perfect running weather for the more than 850 individual runners. This was the first year the state cross country meet was held at National Trail Raceway after its 26-year stint at Scioto Downs.

After the presentation of the Division II girls awards, the OHSAA and the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches (OATCCC) held a special presentation to honor Lexington High School cross country runner Sami Stoner, who inherited Stargardt disease, a juvenile form of macular degeneration that robs children and teens of their central vision. Despite losing some of her vision, Stoner still participates on her school�s cross country team with her guide dog, Chloe. Dale Gabor, the director of cross country and track and field for the OHSAA, presented Stoner with a gold medal for the heart and dedication she has displayed over the season and thanked her for being such an inspiration to other teenagers with challenges.

In the first race of the morning, Liberty Center freshman Brittany Atkinson beat out Coldwater sophomore Christina Seas by two seconds to claim the Division III state title in what ended up to be the closest race of the day. Atkinson is the first freshman to win an individual state title since 2005 and did it in a race that featured eight non-seniors in the top 10 finishers. Defending state champion, Tammy Berger (Sr., Versailles), ended her career with a fifth place finish. Atkinson also led another upset helping Liberty Center claim the team crown, breaking the streak of Minster (eighth place), which had previously won three consecutive state titles. The Tigers beat second-place Coldwater by 17 points.
 

The Division II girls race also saw a battle of underclassmen as London sophomore Sarra Taylor beat out Cuyahoga Falls Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy freshman Samantha Bockoven by nine seconds. Led by junior Marissa Rossetti (eighth place) and senior Tessa Weigand (18th place), the Irish from Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary took home their third straight team state title, beating out Chillicothe Zane Trace by 11 points.
 

Claudia Saunders (Sr., Cincinnati Princeton), the 2010 seventh place finisher, finished her career with a four-second win over Elyse Bierut (Sr., Rocky River) to bring home her first Division I state crown. Rocker River Magnificat, the 2010 team champion, couldn�t defend its title as Brunswick won the closest team competition of the day (five points) over Beavercreek. Led by senior Loren McDaniel (23rd place), Brunswick took home its first state title after finishing fifth in 2010.
 

On the boys side, Versailles junior Samuel Prakel, the 2010 seventh-place finisher, defeated Independence senior Ryan Polman for the Division III individual state title. Polman and his brother Kyle (ninth place) led the 2010 champion Blue Devils to a second-place team finish behind McDonald. McDonald took home its sixth team title (82, 83, 99, 01, 04, 11) and was led by junior Patrick Kunkel (14th place) and senior Kyle Joynes (17th place).
 

Division II 2010 runner-up Steven Weaver (Sr., Napoleon) claimed the 2011 individual state title over Defiance junior Abel Flores. Chillicothe Unioto senior Adrian Ross also repeated his 2010 third-place finish. In the team competition, Springfield Shawnee won its first state title after finishing 14th in last year�s championship. Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary took home the runner-up trophy for the second consecutive year and fourth time overall.
 

In the last race of the day, Reynoldsburg senior Tsehaye Hiluf beat Sam Wharton (Jr., Tipp City Tippecanoe) by three seconds to claim the boys Division I individual title. Hiluf was the only top 15 finisher to return from last year�s top 15. Led by Adam Davidson (Jr., ninth place) and John Sotos (Jr., 27th place), Dublin Coffman also brought home its schools first team state title in cross country, beating Cleveland St. Ignatius by 19 points. The Wildcats were runner�s-up in 1997.
 

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