For the past eleven weeks, our runners had gotten used to the general consistency of the meets. There were the normal pre-race jitters, the adrenaline as the finish line came into view, and the feeling known as a “runner’s high,” to which they had become mildly accustomed. But new stakes were presented on October 8th and 15th. Not only would they have to get through the usual 3.1 miles, filled with sharp turns and grass-to-pavement transitions, but something new was waiting for them at the finish line: a potential trophy.
On October 8th, the team traveled back to Cambridge, Ohio to compete in OVACs. Considered the most important meet of the entire season, Linsly’s runners made sure to be at the pinnacle of their season’s success. All crowded in the backyard of the Cambridge High School campus, 55 schools from all over the state came to compete, and Linsly was ready for whatever came at them. Additionally, on October 15th, the team returned to Buckeye Local High School for the OVCCL Final, their last meet of the season.
Both of our teams did exceptionally well. At OVACs, the boys’ varsity team placed 3rd in the 3A division, with Micah Kramer, who ran a 18:22, placed 9th in the top 10. The other top two runners for the boys’ team were Andrew Heath and Darrian Bertram, who completed the race in 19:00 and 19:32, respectively. The boys also placed 4th overall at OVCCLs, with their top three runners being Micah Kramer in 14th, Andrew Heath in 19th, and Darrian Bertram in 24th.
The girls’ team also had a lot of successes to celebrate. At OVACs, the team placed 4th in the 3A division, with Olivia Rosenthal, Ava Bartlett, and Ilayna Murray being the top 3 runners. At OVVCLs, the team placed 5th overall, with Olivia and Ilyana placing in the top 20 (12th and 15th place) and Ava not far behind at 21st place.
It was a fantastic end to an already amazing season, and Linsly looks forward to seeing what our runners have in store for next year. Congratulations, Cadets!
