Following two successful races, Jonathan Alder traveled to Westerville North for the 27th annual Westerville North XC Classic.

    The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey left its mark on Ohio, dropping loads of rain on Westerville. Throughout the course on Saturday, there was standing water up to the runners’ ankles.

    Despite these conditions, the girls team ran to another victory. Freshman Morgan Hicks ran to a 3rd place finish and 1st place in Division 2, running an impressive 19:46.

    Freshman Maddie Davis placed 2nd in Division 2, running a 20:38. Not far behind, junior Ashlyn McDaniel and freshman Avery Pierce placed 4th and 5th, respectively. Freshman Avery Hecht rounded out the girls top five.

    Following the team’s impressive performance, the girls moved into 17th place in the state for Division 2. The top 16 teams qualify for states.

    On the boys side, sophomore Luke Malone placed 8th, running a 17:18. Sophomore Gavin Frick and senior Jase Headings finished not far behind, placing 13th and 15th, respectively.

    Rounding out the top five were sophomores Zach Hicks and Michael Gray, who placed 20th and 27th, respectively. The boys team placed 2nd in a very competitive field.

    Following Saturday’s meet, the boys team moved into 5th place in the district, just behind 2016 state qualifiers Eastmoor Academy, who the team beat on Saturday.

    The team runs next on Saturday, September 9 at Watkins Memorial High School.