Lancer boys 2nd, girls 4th at CG meet

Van Wert independent sports

COLUMBUS GROVE — The Lancer cross country teams competed in the Columbus Grove Invitational on Saturday.  Both teams ran very well, with the boys’ team taking home the runner-up trophy, losing by only one point to Carey, 89-90.  The girls team also ran well and placed fourth overall. There were over 20 schools in each of the races for the Lancers.

The boys were led by two strong races from Karter Tow and Austin Elick. Tow placed seventh overall (17:04), and with a nearly identical time Elick placed eighth (17:04). Tracey West was 16th (17:27), Alek Bowersock was 29th (17:49), and Jacob Keysor placed 32nd (17:55).

Rounding out the varsity spots were two freshmen: Devon Bill in 49th place (18:20) and Joe Sadowski placing fourth in the JV race in a time of 18:54.

“The boys ran well today; we had great conditions on a fast course, so we expected to run some quick times,” said Lincolnview Head Coach Matt Langdon. “They put the work into the course, ran a smart race, and finished strong.

“It’s always tough to lose by one, but it just reminds us how good the competition can be and that we still need to keep working hard to reach our season goals,” Coach Langdon added. “We have to guard against becoming satisfied; there is a long way to go.”

The girls were led by Rylee Byrne, who placed 19th overall in a time of 21:22.  She was followed by freshman Tori Snyder, who placed 26th (21:59); Alena Looser, who was 27th (22:03); Abbie Enyart, 51st (23:21); and Madeline Snyder, 56th (23:33). Rounding out the varsity were Miah Katalenas, 98th (25:25), and Ryanne Ducheney (26:26).

“The girls took another step forward today; we were able to get one of our top five girls back from injury, which made a significant difference in our team score,” Coach Langdon noted. “We still have a lot of work to do, but I think the girls realize that they can be successful as a team if everyone races with urgency. We still need to get healthy, but this was a positive day for us.”