It was a sea of red up front at the Greater Cleveland Conference meet Oct. 11 at Garfield Park. The Mentor boys claimed the podium and six of the top 10 finishers en route to the conference title.
Matthew Penkowski took home the top with a 15:58.53 for the first conference title in his career. Carter Schaubert (second, 16:00.69) and Michael Maynard (third, 16:09.34) rounded out the podium, and Gabe Tulenson (fourth, 16:26.73) were also in the top five.
* Kenston took the front of the field by storm at the final WRC meet. Freshmen Tyler Cingcade and Huck Rundo led the way, taking first (16:19.30) and third (16:49.44), respectively. The Bombers scored 17 team points with six runners in the top 10.
Chardon's Matthew Ghobrial was second with a 16:36.87 and Gavin Emerine was seventh (17:18.43). North's Matthew Dupnock (eighth, 17:40.09) and South's Leland Dunham (ninth, 17:42.81) also posted top 10s.
* Lake Catholic sophomore Mason Panhorst paced the area runners at the North Coast meet at NDCL, placing eighth with a 17:09.36. The Lions also had a good showing from Kyle Nedved, who was 11th with a 17:26.54.
Holy Name's Meka Balas took the individual title in 16:20.78, 24 seconds clear of three CVCA runners.
* Cardinal's Sam Gdovichin entered the NAC conference meet for the first time in his career and made an immediate splash. The senior finished third with a 17:19.71 to nab the last spot on the podium.
* Andrews Osborne's Jackson Sharpless continued a strong sophomore campaign with a fourth-place finish in the Lake Effect conference to pace the Phoenix.
* Briella Hewitt needed the right spark for her postseason push, and the Chardon senior found it at the final WRC meet. She took top honors with a 19:08.90, her best time of the season.
The Hilltoppers' success continued as they swept the podium, with Mira Palombo (second, 19:13.25) and Madisyn Frost (third, 19:56.74) to claim the team title as well. South's Tillie O'Donnell was fourth with a 19:59.73 while Riverside's Avery Horvath rounded out the top five with a 20:55.64.
* Beaumont was in a tight team battle with Holy Name, and while the Green Wave took second in the North Coast team race, the youth for the Blue Streaks fought back to keep it close mid-pack.
Josephine Holody continued to lead the way for Beaumont, taking third with a 20:15.87.
Zoey Myers and Andrea Heredia-Salinas of NDCL had a strong showing. They ere second and seventh with a 19:53.78 and 20:59.23, respectively.
* Mentor's Alaina Gvora set a PR with a 19:23.91 to take sixth place in her first GCC meet, to pace the Cardinals to a fourth-place team finish.
* Cardinal was paced by Eve Kaminski in the school's first NAC meet. She was ninth with a 21:25.15.
* Mentor Christian's Elizabeth Davis took the top honors in the Lake Effect conference with a 22:19.54. Emma Lourenco of Andrews Osborne just missed on the podium with a fourth-place finish with a 24:19.53.