Top area cross country runners to watch for

The high school cross country season is upon us. Area teams are set to kick off their seasons in the coming days.

Here is a list of boys and girls, in no particular order, who are some of the top area returners.

Ottawa-Glandorf: senior Ty Rosengarten and junior Cooper Fischer

At last year’s Division II state cross country meet, Rosengarten finished ninth overall with a time of 15:54.1 on the 5,000-meter course at Fortress Obetz and Memorial Park. His all-time personal best is 15:47.29. The top 30 placers at the state meet earned all-Ohio status.

Rosengarten, who has verbally committed to the University of Findlay, looks poised to make another trip to the state meet this fall. Rosengarten is coming off an impressive spring track season where he placed fifth in the 1,600 meters (4:19.53) at the Division II state track meet. He also was the anchor leg of O-G’s 3,200-meter relay that placed sixth.

Teammate Cooper Fischer will be a solid No. 2 runner behind Rosengarten this season. Fischer’s all-time personal best is 16:57.

Van Wert: seniors Owen Scott and Andrew Laudick

At last year’s Division II state cross country meet, Scott placed fifth with a time of 15:42.8. As a team, the Cougars placed 17th.

This past spring, Scott had an impressive showing at the Division II state track meet. In the 1,600, Scott placed eighth (4:20.73) and came back later that afternoon to place 10th in the 3,200 (9:40.58).

Look for Scott to be in the hunt at this fall’s state cross country meet at Fortress Obetz.

At last year’s Division II state cross country meet, Laudick finished 114th with a time of 17:23.6. At last season’s WBL Championships, Laudick placed eighth overall in a time of 16:55.75.

Bath: seniors Jacob Wireman and Everett Bensman

At last year’s Division II state cross country meet, Wireman finished 62nd with a time of 16:46.6. Look for Wireman to be in the hunt for an all-Ohio finish this fall. At last year’s state meet, Bensman finished 123rd in 17:31.3. There were 182 finishers in the D-II boys race at the state meet.

Celina: junior Colin Buening and sophomore Kaleb Dameron

At last year’s Division II state cross country meet, Buening placed 34th with a time of 16:27.1 and just missed earning all-Ohio honors. Dameron came in 116th (17:23.7) as a freshman.

Columbus Grove: sophomore Caiden Squillante, senior Levi Bryan and senior Bryce Bonifas

At last year’s Division III state cross country meet, Columbus Grove won its first-ever team state championship in boys cross country.

At the state meet, Squillante placed 60th with a time of 16:58.4 and was the third runner for Columbus Grove. The Bulldogs’ top two runners last year, Luke Ellerbrock (12th, 16:06.2) and Evan Pitts (34th, 16:38.5), were seniors.

At last year’s Division III state meet, Bryan placed 62nd with a time of 16:59.7. Bryan was the fourth runner for Columbus Grove, while Bonifas placed 92nd with a time of 17:25.5.

There were 186 finishers in the D-III boys race at the state meet.

Lincolnview: seniors Evan Johns and Kreston Tow

At last year’s Division III state meet, Johns placed 72nd with a time of 17:08.6 and was the second runner for Lincolnview.

Conner Baldauf, who was a senior last season, was Lincolnview’s top runner at the state meet with a time of 16:24.9.

At last year’s Division III state meet, Tow placed 87th with a time of 17:23.4. Tow was the third runner for the Lancers.

The Lancers placed seventh at the D-III state meet, which was the best finish for a Lincolnview boys team at the state meet in school history.

Minster senior Nick Prenger

At last year’s Division III state meet, Prenger placed 71st with a time of 17:07.9. Prenger was the third runner for Minster at Obetz. The Wildcats finished 15th as a team.

Ottawa-Glandorf senior Anna Buddelmeyer

At last year’s Division II state cross country meet, Buddelmeyer placed sixth with a time of 18:41.4 and earned all-Ohio status.

Buddelmeyer is coming off a stellar track season where she placed seventh in the 1,600 (5:02.04) and was the anchor leg of the 3,200-meter relay that placed fifth (9:31.01). Buddelmeyer hopes that momentum will carry over to another stellar performance at this fall’s state cross country meet.

Shawnee junior Jenna Stump

At last year’s Division II state meet, Stump placed 58th in a time of 19:50.2. There were 179 finishers in that race. Stump should be in the hunt for a top-30 finish at this year’s state meet.

Celina junior Jennalee Dameron

At last year’s Division II state meet, Dameron placed 34th with a time of 19:26.4 and just missed earning all-Ohio status.

Kenton junior Addi Manns

Last year, Manns finished 46th at the Division II state meet with a time of 19:38.

Minster: junior Maria Niekamp, junior Annie Hemmelgarn, and sophomore Claire Bohman

At last year’s Division III state meet, Niekamp was Minster’s third runner with a 21st place finish in a time of 19:00.2. As a team, Minster won its third consecutive state championship.

Hemmelgarn placed 44th with a time of 19:42.2, while Bohman placed 46th (19:44.7). There were 185 finishers in the D-III girls race.

Look for these three runners to lead the Wildcats this fall.

Lincolnview junior Brynleigh Moody

At last year’s Division III state meet, Moody placed 29th with a time of 19:23.1 and earned all-Ohio honors. Moody was the top runner for Lincolnview at the state meet, which placed 18th as a team.

Miller City senior Andrea Pfau

At last year’s Division III state meet, Pfau placed 99th with a time of 20:36.6.

Riverdale senior Allison Woodruff

At last year’s Division III state meet, Woodruff placed 23rd with a time of 19:14.8 and earned all-Ohio status.