In August, Podium Watch's preseason Division IV boys rankings put Mount Gilead No. 1 under a headline that read "New Division, Immediate Favorite."
On Saturday at Hilliard Darby, Mount Gilead scored 15.
That is the lowest score possible in cross country. It takes five runners finishing first through fifth among the scorers:
- Junior Henry Bartlett won in 15:49.8.
- Brycen Gabriel was second in 15:55.6.
- Aiden McLain was third in 16:12.7.
- Ethan Turner and Liam Stalnaker finished out the scoring five.
- Andrew Gannon and Grayson Smith followed. All seven Mount Gilead runners finished in the top nine.
That was the biggest story in Division IV on Saturday, but there were others:
- Ottawa Hills junior Natalie Nixon ran 17:15.4, the fastest Division IV girls time in the state.
- McDonald sophomore Owen Cappuzello ran 15:24.1, the fastest by a Division IV boy.
- At Rio Grande, the two co-champions were separated by one point.
At Cedarville University and Rio Grande, the top two teams share the district title.
CENTRAL -- Hilliard Darby (regional: Pickerington)
Grandview Heights, twice. Grandview Heights won two titles:
- Boys Race 2: 38 points, ahead of Northmor (44).
- Girls Race 1: 28 points.
West Jefferson senior Ethan Roberts won the boys race in 16:24.2 and advances as an individual. Grove City Christian freshman Lucy Wonder won the girls race in 18:32.0, ahead of Grandview's Julia Albright.
Two points. In Girls Race 2, Mechanicsburg beat Mount Gilead for the title, 37 to 39. Both advance. Cardington-Lincoln sophomore Mickenzie White won the race in 19:21.6, with Mount Gilead's Gwen Hershner second.
EAST -- Cambridge (regional: Pickerington)
Shenandoah, 26. Sophomore Joel Tewksbary won the boys race in 16:34.5, 1 minute, 9.1 seconds ahead of Caldwell's Zane Boyd. Shenandoah put seven runners in the top 18 and won with 26.
Bellaire's girls. Bellaire won the girls title with 33, ahead of Shadyside (74). Shadyside senior Chloe Meholovitch won the race in 18:49.8.
NORTHEAST (regional: Boardman)
The fastest small-school boy in Ohio. At Madison, McDonald sophomore Owen Cappuzello won in 15:24.1, 37 seconds ahead of Maplewood's Micah Sparks. Maplewood won the team title with 32 and put seven runners in the top 18.
Seven points, three teams. The Madison girls race had the tightest top three of any race Saturday:
| Team | Points |
|---|---|
| Kirtland | 57 |
| Maplewood | 63 |
| McDonald | 64 |
McDonald junior Naomi Sheesley won the race in 18:05.3, 43 seconds ahead of the field.
A freshman at GlenOak. South Range freshman Ryan Fieldhouse won the boys race in 17:05.6. Lake Center Christian won the team title with 67. Springfield (New Middletown) took the sixth and final spot by four points over Rootstown.
In the girls race, Springfield (New Middletown) sophomore Alexandria Fiumara won by 59.9 seconds, and Columbiana won the team title with 48.
Rittman's girls. Rittman scored 28 to win at Lorain County Community College. Rittman was one of three teams we named in August as close behind the preseason favorite, and all three won on Saturday. Kidron Central Christian freshman Gracie Steiner won the individual race in 20:12.6.
On the boys side, Independence won with 44, and Smithville junior Nigel Wenger won the race in 16:41.2.
NORTHWEST (regional: Tiffin)
Nixon's 17:15. Ottawa Hills, our preseason No. 1 in Division IV girls, won at Owens Community College with 42. Junior Natalie Nixon won the race in 17:15.4, 1 minute, 21.9 seconds ahead of Seneca East's Aubrey Ritzler. Seneca East won the boys title with 52, and Mohawk junior Kolton Wood won the boys race in 16:08.3.
Liberty Center, 19. At Leaders Farms, senior Colbie Strayer won the girls race by 1:02.2. Teammates Mya Stark and Castyn Miller finished second and third, and Liberty Center scored 19.
Tinora's title. Tinora won the Leaders Farms boys title with 43, ahead of Sherwood Fairview (89). Sherwood Fairview senior Malaki Neilson won the race in 15:56.0, and Cael Neilson finished fourth. Fayette took the ninth and final spot by two points over Holgate.
Convoy Crestview's Young. Junior Derek Young won at Columbus Grove in 15:26.2, 37.3 seconds ahead of the next finisher. Convoy Crestview, second in our preseason poll, won the team title with 40. In the girls race, Archbold won with 51, and Lincolnview freshman Maeleigh Evans won in 19:02.5.
Same time, different place. At Galion, New London's Carter Hicks and Colonel Crawford's Isaac Stirm both finished in 16:22.5. The official results give the win to Hicks. Ashland Crestview won the team title with 58.
In the girls race, Crestline won with 36, and Edison (Milan) sophomore Claire Michaelis won in 19:43.0.
SOUTHEAST -- Rio Grande (regional: Pickerington)
One point between champions. Southern (Racine) scored 54 and South Webster scored 55, and both are co-champions. South Webster freshman Luke Yarnell won the race in 16:29.5, 31.8 seconds ahead of Lynchburg-Clay's Tavion Huguely. Fairfield (Leesburg) and Belpre tied at 215, and both advance.
Templeton goes it alone. Southern (Racine) senior Edie Templeton won the girls race by 51.5 seconds in 19:55.1. She advances as an individual. Fairland (38) and West Union (48) share the team title.
SOUTHWEST (regional: Troy)
The biggest race of the day. The Division IV boys race at Cedarville University had 174 finishers and 26 scoring teams. Ansonia senior Bennett Lehman won it in 15:33.0. Legacy Christian's Stephen Wojtowicz was 3.5 seconds back. Russia sophomore Paxson Bixler, who led every Division IV boy in Ohio early this season, was third in 15:36.9.
Russia (45) and Botkins (77) are co-champions. Ansonia took the 14th and final team spot by eight points over Newton Local.
Ansonia's sweep. Ansonia sophomore Anna Yeomans won the girls race in 18:51.5, ahead of Newton Local's Michaela Flora, so Ansonia won both Division IV individual titles at Cedarville. Minster (62) and Fort Loramie (84) share the team title.
MVCA by a minute. At Voice of America, MVCA junior Jaxon League won by 57.4 seconds in 16:21.7, and MVCA won the team title with 36. St. Bernard took the fifth and final spot by six points over Cincinnati Country Day.
In the girls race, Summit Country Day won with 43, and Seven Hills senior Campbell Coyne won in 18:15.8.
Up next: Regionals, Saturday, Oct. 31. The Division IV state races at Fortress Obetz are Nov. 7: girls at 3:30 p.m., boys at 4:10 p.m.
Results are from official athletic.net postings for each OHSAA district site, pulled Oct. 24-25, 2026. Earlier marks and preseason rankings come from Podium Watch's published coverage. School names are written out in full. Podium Watch is not affiliated with the OHSAA.
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