PLYMOUTH — Jay Follett wasn’t ready to make any bold predictions, but Plymouth’s girls cross country coach couldn’t help but be excited.
The Big Red are finally feeling better.
Plymouth qualified for this weekend’s Division III regional meet at Youngstown Boardman High School by virtue of a third-place finish at last week’s district meet at Galion’s Amanns Reservoir Park.
That Plymouth qualified for the regional meet doesn’t come as a complete surprise. After all, the Big Red returned everyone from last year’s district championship team.
But things haven’t gone exactly according to plan this fall. Plymouth has battled injury all season long.
“We were really dinged up for a while,” Follett said, “but we are finally starting to come around a little bit.”
Plymouth lost junior Halei Lunceford, the team’s No. 3 runner, to a preseason leg injury. Fellow junior Leah Eldridge, who has bounced between No. 4 and No. 5, lost consciousness before an exhibition race at National Trail Raceway in Hebron, the site of the state tournament.
“It has been a challenge for us,” Follett said. “We’ve been dealing with injuries all year.”
Both Lunceford and Eldridge competed at last week’s district tournament in Galion. Lunceford was 22nd and Eldridge was 25th, helping Plymouth to a third-place finish behind New London and Sandusky St. Mary Central Catholic.
Sophomore Kendall Sanders was fourth in 21:10 while fellow sophomore Hailey Barber was sixth in 21:32.
“Kendall was unbelievable,” Follett said. “She ran without spikes at Galion because she doesn’t like them. We’re going to try to convince her to run with them at Boardman this weekend.”
To advance to next week’s state meet, Plymouth would have to finish in the top four at Youngstown. Follett isn’t ruling anything out.
“It would be tough, but they have surprised me before,” Follett said. “It’s all about position, not time. Boardman is a notoriously tough course, but you never know what’s going to happen.”
The Plymouth girls will have plenty of company in Youngstown. The Crestview boys team finished fourth in Galion last weekend. Junior A.J. Trent led the way with a fifth-place finish (17:14). Fellow junior Alex Rowe was eights (17:29) and junior Brennen Nalley was 17th (18:11).
Crestview junior Emily Funk 22:18) qualified individually, as did Mansfield Christian Claire Reynolds (21:51) and St. Peter’s senior Sean Stockmaster (17:58).
Like Plymouth, Lexington has seen its share of bad luck this fall. Lady Lex lost sophomore Dominique Clairmonte to a stress fracture in early September. Clairmonte and seniors Lillian Freundlich and Susan Fain made up one of the state’s most formidable trios.
“Losing Dominique was tough for the girls mentally,” Lex coach Denise Benson said. “We had to adjust our goals.”
Despite the loss, Lady Lex should still be in the hunt for a regional title this weekend at Tiffin’s Hedges Boyer Park after thundering to the Division II title in Galion last week. Freundlich won in 18:49 while emerging freshman Mackenna Curtis-Collins was second in 19:16. Fain was third in 19:20, while freshman Whitney Wendling was fifth in 20:09 and sophomore Emily Taylor was eighth in 20:16. Sophomore Ashley Basham was ninth in 20:25 and sophomore Abby Miller was 20th in 20:54.
“The girls were a little disappointed that their times weren’t faster,” Benson said. “Galion is one of the fastest courses, but it was rainy and muddy and cold.”
The Lexington girls were ranked fourth in Division II in the final Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches state poll and have finished second at state in two of the past three years, including last year.
“There is a lot of pressure on these girls, but they have responded well,” Benson said. “I was thrilled with the way they performed at Galion.”
The same goes for Lexington’s boys team. The Minutemen also claimed a district title last week in Galion. Junior Zane Sturtz won a district championship in 16:28 while sophomore Nick Stricklen was second in 16:33. Junior Quinton Glenn (17:19) was eighth and junior Mitch Bastin 917:37) was 15th. Junior Kyle Frye (18:01) was 23rd while seniors Austin O’Diam (18:11) was 28th and senior Dustin Lumadue (18:13) was 30th.
The Minutemen will have their hands full Saturday in Tiffin. Bay, Defiance and Van Wert will all be gunning for a regional title. Bay was second in the final OATCCC poll, while Defiance was third and Van Wert was fifth. Lexington was 10th.
The top four teams at Saturday’s regional qualify for the state meet.
“Those schools are the front-runners for the top three spots, but we have a legitimate shot at No. 4,” Benson said. “We have to do our job, though.”
Ontario’s Brett Cortelletti will join the Lexington boys in the Division II race. The junior was third at the Galion district in 16:43.
The Shelby girls also qualified for the Division II regional after placing fourth at district. Senior Jordie Garrett led the Whippets, finishing 10th in 20:27. Sophomore Kaitlyn Evans (20:46) was 17th and freshman Macy Lynch (20:51) was 18th. Sophomore Haley Evans (21:17, 29th), sophomore Dani Hoffman (21:46, 37th), senior Miranda Shaffer (21:58, 40th) and senior Macie Korbas (22:53, 53rd) rounded out the field for the Whippets.
The area’s lone Division I qualifier is Mansfield Senior’s Matt Brown. The senior was 15th at district in 16:58.
Follow Curt Conrad on Twitter @curtjconrad.
