Unbeaten and Unstoppable: Ross Girls XC Continue Historic Run; Boys Win Second In A Row

The Fremont Ross cross country program continues to make its mark this fall.

Both the Little Giant boys and girls captured Large School Division championships at the Black Knight Invitational, hosted by Van Buren at Owens Community College in Findlay. For the boys, it marked their second consecutive invitational victory. For the girls, it continued an unprecedented run — they remain undefeated and have yet to lose an invitational this season.

After battling heat, humidity, rain and wind throughout much of the season, the Little Giants finally had ideal racing conditions — and they took full advantage.

The Ross boys put together one of their strongest performances of the season, scoring just 32 points and producing an impressive collection of personal records.

Bentley Lopez led the way with a runner-up finish in a personal-record 16:09, while Will Spotts placed fourth with a PR of 16:50. Blake Henry also turned in a PR, finishing sixth in 17:12, and LJ Gabel crossed the line eighth in 17:26.

Colin Rich tied his PR with a 17:42 to finish 13th, giving Ross five runners across the line in the top 13.

The depth continued behind them. Andrew Tooman finished 18th in 18:28, Dane Denman was 22nd in 18:35, Owen Ewing recorded a PR of 18:43 to finish 26th, and Collinn Ollom added another PR with an 18:59 to place 29th.

Also competing for the Little Giants were Jackson Ingersoll (20:16, 42nd), Colton Wensinger (20:38, 44th, PR), AJ Rich (21:14, 46th), Aiden Benson (22:04, 53rd, PR), Paton Gibbs (22:05, 54th, PR), Mason Wolf (22:10, 56th, PR) and Jesus Sierra (25:21, tied PR).

“The boys really stepped it up today,” Head Coach Mark Sheidler said. “We had Bentley Lopez and Will Spotts both running in the 16s, Blake Henry, LJ Gabel and Colin Rich in the 17s, and another four runners finishing in the 18s. The boys scored an outstanding 32 points, and their pack running is getting stronger each week.”

Girls Continue an Unprecedented Undefeated Run

What the Fremont Ross girls are accomplishing this season has been nothing short of remarkable.

Once again, the Little Giants entered an invitational and left as champions, scoring 36 points to remain undefeated on the season.

The trio of Lily Kiser, Julia Norris and Brooklynn Eisenhauer was dominant at the front of the field.

Kiser finished runner-up in 18:21, Norris placed third with a personal-record 19:07, and Eisenhauer followed immediately behind in fourth with a PR of 19:18. That gave Ross three of the first four finishers.

But the strength of this team continues to go well beyond the front three.

Malaya Hughes delivered one of the biggest performances of the day, placing 13th and dropping her personal record all the way from 21:20 to 20:39. Ariana Hinojosa-Williams was right behind in 14th with a PR of 20:43, while Kennedy Walker finished 15th in 20:46.

“Malaya Hughes had a massive PR today, dropping from a 21:20 down to a 20:39,” Sheidler said. “She is typically our seventh runner but stepped up as our fourth today, which perfectly showcases the depth of this girls team. Kennedy Walker and Ariana Hinojosa also delivered another tremendous performance for us.”

Sophia Metcalf finished 27th in 22:42, followed by Kailani Long (22:47, 29th), Lillyn Gabel (24:24, 37th), Avery Hirt (25:22, 40th), Emilia Burns (27:31, 55th, PR) and Bryley Howey (28:56, 59th, PR).

“Our girls ran a remarkably similar race to capture their victory with 36 points,” Sheidler said. “Having Lily Kiser finish second, Julia Norris third and Brooklynn Eisenhauer fourth gives us a phenomenal 1-3 punch at the front, and our 4-6 runners continue to improve and close in on that 20-minute barrier.”

Two Teams, Two Championships

It was another statement day for a Fremont Ross cross country program that continues to gain momentum as the postseason approaches.

The boys have now captured back-to-back invitational championships, while the girls’ incredible season continues without a blemish. The Ross girls remain undefeated and have won every invitational they have competed in this season.

For Sheidler, the results continue to come back to the same message his runners hear every day.

“We constantly preach that consistency is key,” Sheidler said. “Our athletes continue to bring consistent effort and focus on the things we can control, and when you do that, good things happen. Excellent pack running carried us today, and we just need to keep building that strength as we move forward.”

On a perfect day for racing, the Little Giants delivered a nearly perfect result — two teams, two championships and plenty of momentum moving forward.