Annalise Grammel’20 runs at the McGowan Invitational. (Ally Sabgir’18/Staff)

After starting the season strong, the boys and girls cross country team entered its largest meet yet, the McGowan Invitational on Saturday, September 9. The girls faced nineteen teams, while the boys opposed twenty-seven.

From the sound of the gun to the last step across the finish, the girls proved that they are a force. Sophomore Annalise Grammel and freshman Regan Cornelius dominated again, taking first and third, respectively, out of 174 runners. Both girls are establishing themselves as two of the best runners in all of central Ohio. Juniors Maddie Tuckerman and Ryan Milbourne added to the strong performance by not only finishing their first race of the season, but also posting times in the top half of runners. Sophomore Rachel Raque nabbed the last point-scoring time for the Vikes, with senior Yas Salon and freshman Bea Sull close behind.

Placing sixth overall out of twenty teams, the girls upgraded from being ineligible to place due to a lack of runners in their first meet, to taking a top position in a stacked race.

The boys event presented its own challenges, but the Vikes refused to back down. In addition to competing within Division II instead of Division III, the race itself was massive. 343 runners packed themselves as tight as sardines at the start. The course wound itself through narrow forest paths, forcing runners shoulder to shoulder and making passing problematic.

Despite these obstacles, the boys still finished fourth overall. Not only did seniors Nick Robie and Nick Watson seize eighth and eighteenth, respectively, but the rest of the five fastest Vikes—freshman Luke Nester, junior Liam McCann, and senior Chris Heermann—also placed in the top fifty. Sophomores Charlie Sabgir and Alex O’Connor, along with junior Abhi Ramesh, also took a spot in the top quarter of participants.

The Vikes continue their journey at the Galion Invitational on Saturday, September 16.