“I really just want the kids to run well,” said Whip, who took over the Warriors’ strong running tradition from Tracy Cleland. “Being their senior year I hope they leave it all on the course.”
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In addition to chasing the Division II field at the state cross country championships at National Trail Raceway in Hebron, Blazer is in pursuit of Dave Balch’s school-record 16:02 set in 2001. Blazer’s personal record is 16:07 set earlier this year at the Greenville Treaty Invitational.
“I know Drew really wants to get on the podium. It’s been his dream for a long time,” Whip said.
As for Carpenter, her PR of 19:11 set at last year’s Central Buckeye Conference meet is one second behind Whip’s 19:10 established as a junior at the district meet in 1984.
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“Kassidy is at the point where there is no pressure,” Whip said of surviving the stressful conditions at a wet and windy regional meet last Saturday. “I think she put forth everything she had into that race.”
Temperatures in the high 40s with a 10-mph breeze are predicted for the state meet.
Also competing at state on Saturday:
Tecumseh: Senior Kylee Mastin (D-I) is the Arrows' first girls state qualifier since 2011 graduate Jasmine Redman participated three straight seasons. Mastin wants to chase down her PR in her final high school meet. Her best time is 18:55.
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Shawnee: The girls make their annual trip after qualifying for a sixth consecutive season. The Braves were ranked No. 10 in the state's D-II poll entering last Saturday's regional meet but sprinted past No. 6 Cincinnati Indian Hill and No. 9 Tippecanoe to grab one of the three qualifying spots. Shawnee scored 77 points to finish second, six points behind regional-champ Oakwood.
Sophomore Audrey DeSantis and senior Olivia Warax are in the running for podium finishes. They are joined by senior Caylee Hirtzinger, sophomores Tessa Holcomb and Abigail Klemmensen as the top five runners, with senior Madi Canley and junior Tori Malicki rounding out the Braves’ lineup.
Sophomore Jordyn Dillavou represents the boys team after finishing 13th at regional.
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Greenon: Junior Gavin Patrick (D-II) returns to state for the third straight season, the last two as an individual. His freshman year Gavin was a member of the Knights' first state qualifying team. Patrick has competed in D-III the last two seasons.
Catholic Central: Senior Addie Engel enters undefeated in D-III, including district and regional championships. Engel makes her fourth state appearance with a career-best finish of sixth last season. Twin sister Bridget, making her second straight appearance, finished second in the league, district and regional. The duo have also qualified for state in both swimming and track, too.
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Cedarville: The Indians boys – coming off their first district title – qualified for the D-III meet for the second straight season after making their debut last year. Seniors Isaiah Estepp and Jeffrey Salisbury, juniors Payton Herron, Trent Koning and Ethan Wallis, sophomore Drew Mason and freshman Caleb Sultan make up the Indians' roster.
The girls team is represented by junior Ellyn Coe, the first state qualifier in program history. Coe also helped the Indians’ team to their first regional appearance in school history.
West Liberty-Salem: The Big Orange are ready to make a run at the girls program's all-time best finish of third in 2011. No. 2 West Liberty-Salem has been ranked among the D-III's best in the state all season with No. 1 and defending state champ Minster and No. 3 Fort Loramie.
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The girls, making their fourth straight trip and ninth overall, are powered by seniors Grace Adams and Lydia Moell, juniors Katelyn Stapleton and Madison Bahan, sophomores Megan Adams and Mandilyn Weaver and freshman Maggie Davis. Adams and Moell have competed at state all four seasons.
The Big Orange boys team returns for a second straight season, this time moving up to D-II. Seniors Noah Smith, Cade Clerico and Gavin Harrison, junior Hayden Kennedy, sophomores Dylan Lauck and Tate Yoder and freshman Andrew Kimball comprise the top seven. Lauck (third), Yoder (seventh) and Smith (ninth) rank among the program’s top 10 career best times.
The boys team has been ranked as high as No. 5 in the D-II sate poll despite being the fourth smallest school in the division.
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