Cougar teams do well at weekend meets

Van Wert cross country news

HEBRON — The Cougar cross country teams kicked off their 2013 season in the same place they ended the season in 2012: at National Trail Raceway in Hebron. The site played host to the OHSAA Early Season High School Invitational.

As they did in 2012, the boys’ cross country team started its year off with a win in the 23-team Boys’ 5K Section B race. The race consisted of Division II and large Division III schools.  The team was led by junior Connor Holliday’s fifth-place finish. Rounding out the top seven for the Cougars were junior Jordan Butler (23rd), sophomore Cade Fleming (26th) junior Connor Shaffer (28th), senior Eric Easley (33rd) junior Daniel Perry (36th), and junior Ryan Rice (48th). Also competing in the varsity race were Nick Keber (63rd), Nick White (153rd) and Austin Taylor (188th).

In girls’ action, Van Wert competed in the Section D 5K, which boasted last year’s Division II third place team, Kettering Archbishop Alter. While the Lady Knights from Kettering took the title, Van Wert was just 9 points back of the state powerhouse. The girls’ second place finish was one of their top finishes of the past two years at any invitational.

Leading the way for the Lady Cougars was sophomore Chloee Gamble, who finished in fifth place. Junior Schelissa Williams (24th), senior Amanda Clay (26th), sophomore Megan Barnhart (29th) and senior Andi Foster (42nd) rounded out the top five scorers.

Sophomore Alicia Danylchuk (45th), junior Whitney Meyers (53rd), and senior Leah Brubaker (78th) completed the varsity squad.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the way the kids executed their individual race plans today,” said Van Wert Coach Brendon Moody. “We’ve had a tough week of training in Hocking Hills at our 32nd annual team camp and to conclude the week on such a positive note on some very tired legs speaks volumes about the heart these kids have.

The junior varsity boys won the section B open race, led by freshman Ryan Keber and the girls JV squad finished fifth in the open C/D race, led by freshman Natalie Riethman.

The Cougar squads will be back in action on Saturday morning at the Blue Jay Invitational hosted in Delphos Canal Park. Races begin at 9 a.m.