Cross Country

Each week just seems to keep getting better and better for the cross country program. This time, both the boys and girls varsity teams earned district championships.

The boys took to the district course at Medina as the defending champions and the favorites to repeat and they did not disappoint, winning their fourth straight district championship. Tim Diemer '19 took the lead in the last 150 meters to claim the individual crown in a season-best time of 16:37. Tyler Clark '19 was less than four seconds behind to capture second, while Connor Gerspacher '19 seized fourth in a career-best time of 16:52. Victory was assured when Bryson Simpson '20 and Cole Durdella '20 ran to 15^th and 16^th, respectively, in career-best times. Garret Tomasek '20 also ran a PR in placing 62^nd and Anthony Gillespie '20 crossed in 81^st in a season-best time. The team victory was the 13^th district title in school history, and done in emphatic fashion as the boys' 36 points was 44 points ahead of second-place Mapleton and 60 points ahead of Elyria Catholic in third.

 

In the girls race, the Lancers were also looking to defend their title from last year. At the finish, it was clear Gilmour had won another emphatic victory, scoring 30 points, which was 38 points ahead of second-place Independence and 100 ahead of third-place Smithville. Katie Engle '19 capped her great week (she committed to NCAA Division I University of Cincinnati) by leading wire-to-wire to win the individual title for the second year in a row. She won by nearly a minute and a half, crossing the line in 18:55. Alannah Barton '19 continued her impressive senior campaign, finishing in fourth, with her sister Caitrina Barton '21 in sixth. Mary Lombardo '22 finished 11^th and Sophia Garofalo '21 took 13^th to complete the scoring. Jorja Hlifka '20 took home 16^th and Mia Polisena '22 finished in 52^nd to help the Lancers win their 12^th district title for the girls in the last 14 seasons.

 

Weekend Plans: The Lancers travel to Boardman for the regional championship on Saturday, Oct. 27. The boys run at 11 a.m. followed by the girls race at 12:30 p.m.