Heading into Saturday, the lone Conference Championship win for the high school girls was in 2015. The team consisted of Alder Cross Country legend and captain Delaney Geighty and eventual 2x state champion Aziza Ayoub.

Senior Ashlyn McDaniel was also on that team and was one of the team’s two freshman.

Fast forward to 2018 and for a second straight year, it was a race between the Alder Pioneers and the Shawnee Braves, the team who defeated them in 2017.

Sophomore Maddie Davis crossed the line first for the team and led the way for the team’s redemption.

Sophomore Morgan Hicks, seniors Maddy Killian and Ashlyn McDaniel, and freshman Reggan Gray rounded out the team’s top 5 and also aided to the team’s performance. Davis, Hicks, Killian, and McDaniel were named to the Conference’s first team, a honor given to each of the divisions top 8 finishers.

The girls ended up defeating Shawnee by 14 points and winning their second Conference Championship in the last four years.

Junior Gavin Frick finished first for the high school boys, becoming the first individual Conference Champion in Jonathan Alder history and was named CBC Boys Runner of the Year.

Juniors Luke Malone and Michael Gray followed and also were named to the Conference’s first team. Junior Zach Hicks was named the second team. Freshmen Colyn McDaniel and Grant Welsch and sophomore Brady Corbitt received special mentions.

The boys came up short on defending their title, losing to Shawnee by 9 points. Despite not completing their goal of defending their title, the boys are optimistic after running close to 60 miles on the week.

The teams will now look forward further into the postseason at the District Championship at Hilliard Darby on October 20th.