LEXINGTON — The bump in competition has brought out the best in Lexington’s Chance Basilone.
The area’s boys cross country Runner of the Year, Basilone earned All-Ohio honors last month at Fortress Obetz when he finished 27th in the Division I race at the state cross country championships. The junior crossed the finish line in 15 minutes, 50.0 seconds.
As a freshman in 2021, Basilone was a member of Lexington’s Division II state qualifying team. He finished 97th in 17:10.1, helping the Minutemen to a 10th-place finish in the team standings.
Lexington made the jump to Division I in 2022. Basilone was the top finisher for the Minutemen at the Division I regional meet at Tiffin that year, placing 10th, but only the top eight finishers advanced to state.
The Ohio Cardinal Conference champion, Basilone left nothing to chance this fall. He placed fourth at the Owens Community College district meet in 16:00.40 then finished third at the Tiffin regional in 15:42.00 to punch his ticket to the state meet.
Basilone is joined on the all-area team by five other state qualifiers. Here’s the rest of the all-area team:
K’Tyo Hendershott, Ashland: A senior, Hendershott jump-started his postseason run with a fifth-place finish at the Ohio Cardinal Conference meet. He was sixth at the Owens Community College district in 16:13.78 and punched his ticket to the Division I state meet with a seventh-place showing at the Tiffin regional (15:54.60). Hendershott placed 95th at state in 16:37.9.
Xavier Trent, Ontario: Just a sophomore, Trent placed 46th in The Division II state meet in 16:38.3. A Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference first-teamer, Trent won the Galion district title in 16:41.70 and was sixth at the Tiffin regional in 16:34.30.
Marshall Moore, Shelby: A senior, Moore helped the Whippets qualify for the Division II state meet as a team. He finished fifth at the Galion district (17:06.90) and was 16th at the Tiffin regional (17:03.80). Moore was Shelby’s top finisher at the state meet, placing 66th in 16:50.4.
Dean Morrison, Ontario: A junior, Morrison joined teammate Xavier Trent at the state meet and finished 69th in 16:53.7. The Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference first-teamer was second to Trent at the Galion district (16:56.60) and was 11th at the Tiffin regional (16:40.00).
Isaik Schoch, Mapleton: A senior, Schoch capped his high school cross country career with a 19th-place finish and All-Ohio honors at the Division III state meet (16:17.9). The Firelands Conference champ, Schoch was fourth at the Lorain Community College district (17:02.30) and fourth at the Youngstown Boardman regional (16:39.60).
Latrell Hughes, Lexington: A sophomore, Hughes was an Ohio Cardinal Conference first-teamer and placed 10th at the Owens Community College district in 16:25.24. He was 23rd at the Tiffin regional in 16:27.00.