The St. Mary’s boys cross country team celebrates on the podium after winning the Class A state championship Saturday at Cabell Midland. (Photo courtesy of Tracy Bertolg)
ONA – No matter the sport, you can win state championships, and St. Mary’s head cross country coach Steven Nutter knows that all too well.
During the final Class A race of the season Saturday afternoon at Cabell Midland, Coach Nutter watched as Tyler Consolidated junior Amos Kimble (16:09) won the individual title. , the Blue Devil boys defeated Charleston Catholic 61-67 to win the championship. The SMHS girls were runner-up to Braxton County, 45-61, to earn state team honors.
Junior Bryce Bills led the Pleasants County team, taking third place with a time of 16 minutes, 50 seconds, 22 ticks off Paw Paw senior Donovan Tanouye’s pace.
St. Mary’s senior Reece Westfall narrowly missed the top 10 and had to settle for second team All-State, placing 11th with a time of 17 minutes, 26 seconds.
Junior Blue Devil teammate Max Doak (13th, 17:30) followed in third place, joining sophomore Parker Burns (16th, 17:40) on Westfall’s second unit. Senior Jay Mort made the final race count with a time of 18 minutes, 54 seconds to break 19 minutes and secure 31st place.
St. Mary’s University’s Bryce Bills will compete in the state cross country race at Cabell Midland on Saturday. (Photo courtesy of Tracy Bertolg)
“They were predicted ahead of us. To be honest, we’ve been fighting all year.” Coach Nutter said runner-up Charleston (61-67) third-year student Tristan Mulner (45th place, 19:39) and 10th-year student Daniel Winland (47th place, 19:50) were on the starting line. He admitted that he had reached the goal. “It was huge for us to be on top. The Bills didn’t set a PR today. They had to wait about 30 minutes on the line and it got really hot. Today was all about position, but it was definitely the best overall race he’s run all year and it put him in a position to be successful early on.
“He came up the hill in about seventh place and when he got to the first mile he took off and just kept catching the guys in front of him. He ran the last mile really well and got ahead of everyone in third and was able to hold on. He finished third as a junior and he hurt his knee last year, so it was huge for him to come back and run his race. – Mort was our kicker. Max Doak was diagnosed with mono about six weeks ago, so it was amazing for him to go to the state tournament and do as well as he did.”
The Blue Devils had roster issues not only with the boys, but also with the girls.
“Desmond Parks was in the top seven all year, but he ended up getting pneumonia.” Mr. Nutter continued. “He was our five-man, four-man a few times and got out. We needed our guys to step up, not just today, but all season.
“We finished runner-up at LKC with them and won regionals as well. It took a complete team effort for us to win. It wasn’t just one guy. Some of the players stepped up. It went up, but guys like Max, Reese and Parker who had to do their job did their job, and Bryce and Jay just stepped up and ran the race of their lives.”
Ritchie County senior Dylan Marolepsy (4th place, 16:59) finished in the top 10 for the second time in his career. Carter Sias’ hopes of becoming a four-time first-team selection for the Dodorridge County All-Stars continued, but after finishing fourth as a freshman and sixth as a sophomore, Carter Sias is aiming for a top-five spot. He was 4 seconds behind Marolepsy’s pace.
Magnolia College senior Landen Davis was a state runner-up as a junior after finishing seventh as a sophomore, running a time of 17 minutes, 6 seconds and taking sixth place before one more He finished his Blue Eagle career with first-team honors. Silver Knight sophomore Travis Moore placed seventh, just two ticks behind Davis, and TCHS finished fifth as a team behind DCHS (100) and Magnolia (119).
The girls Class A title became much easier to win after two-time defending champion Williamstown had its classification waived by the WVSSAC.
Only the top five finishers in cross country will be counted, but Braxton County had Laura Cain (2nd place, 20:13, SR), Addison Lloyd (10th place, 21:32, JR), and Leah Payne. Thanks to this, the top six riders were able to get on the podium. (12th place, 22:05, SO), Bethany Payne (13th place, 22:19, SR), Teagan Huff (17th place, 22:47, SR), Reece Carpenter (18th place, 23:04, FR). Eagle freshman Chelsea Payne (23:58) finished 26th.
St. Mary’s sophomore Anna Bennett placed fifth with a time of 20 minutes, 41 seconds, earning her a spot on the All-State First Team, and Coach Nutter’s top finish.
Senior Natalie Bartrug (seventh, 20:57) earned a spot on the first unit, leaving freshman teammate Mariah Whitlock (19th, 23:05) with plenty of room on the second team.
SMHS sophomore Maddie Smith (22nd place, 23:22) and junior Savannah Byrd (24th place, 23:28) scored. The Blue Devils were followed by Sidney Gerlach (30th, 24:28, SO) and Brooklyn Davis (32nd, 24:44, SO).
“This year’s game was the first time we had an incomplete team since Dave Davis and I took over nine years ago.” Coach Nutter also acknowledged this. “We had an incomplete team in Ripley five weeks ago, fought back from those injuries and were able to get seven girls healthy in the end and ultimately take home the runner-up spot. This is the first time for women since 2019.
“That was a huge accomplishment. We have a great senior leader in Natalie Bartrug and Anna Bennett has been great all year. Her training has been really great and her dedication is amazing. To lead the way and have all the other freshmen and sophomores step up and do what they did was very special for our program.”
Also earning All-State honors for the Mid-Ohio Valley’s top teams were Ritchie County’s Bentley Williams (4th place, 20:35, JR) and Dodorridge County’s Katherine Cottrill (6th place, 20:45) , SR), Ravenswood junior Riley Sotomayor (8th 9:22pm).
Second-place team podium finishes included Wood County Christian freshman Elliot Hundley (14th place, 22:19), Red Devil’s Gwyn Gorrell (15th place, 22:34, SO), and Bulldog junior Caitlin Hundley (15th place, 22:34, SO). Key (16th place, 22 minutes 36 seconds) won the race.
Three other boys also made the second team – Doddridge County’s Samuel Golla (17th, 17:47, SO) and Tyler Consolidated’s Brody Nice (18th, 17:51) 2nd, SO), Riley Dennis of Magnolia (19th, 17:52, JR).
The Doddridge County boys team includes Corey Swentzel (23rd place, 18:16, SO), Gunnar Kimball (26th place, 18:24, SR), and Jerrod Trent (50th place, 20:05, JR) and Colton Key (56th place, 20:05). 26th place, France) and Jacob Burke (62nd place, 20:47, JR).
Davis and Dennis are joined by Blue Eagles teammates Parker Verkau (27th, 18:26, JR), Corey Trott (35th, 19:17, SR), and Alex Jaeger (63rd, 21st) minutes 12 seconds, JR), Nicholas Matheny (75th, 23:36, JR).
Following Kimble, Moore, and Nice, the Silver Knights will be joined by Malachi Davis (66th FR, 21:38), Jonathan Cross (67th SO, 21:52), and Trey Meyer (71st FR, 22:29). seconds) has been added.
Ravenswood sophomore Gavin Wilburn (21st, 18:12) placed eighth, also joined by Mason Kearns (34th, 19:15, France) and Linkin Andric (51st, 20). He narrowly missed out on All-State second team honors for the Red Devils. :11, SO), Isaiah Nesselrode (57th, 20:30, FR), Cole McGosky (61st, 20:46, FR), and Brady Donahue (76th, 23:45, FR) participated. .
Wood County Christian is represented by Core Navarro (22nd, 18:14, SO), Jimmy Erlandson (28th, 18:29, JR), Holden Mizell (30th, 18:35, JR) ) was.
Also, Wirt County’s Matthew Burris (25th, 18:23, JR), Byron Long (33rd, 19:06, JR), Sam Williams (59th, 20:46, FR), Trevor Starcher (73rd, 22 minutes) also finished from the same area. :39, SR).
The Bulldog girls only had two finishers on their way to third place: Taylor Bodkin (44th place, 26:42, SO) and Josie Barr (53rd place, 28:55, FR).
Ravenswood’s girls team includes Kadi Price (39th, 26:01, SR), Riley Curfman (42nd, 26:17, JR), and Mackenzie Nesselrode (43rd, 26:18, SR). ) and Sono Kanazawa (47th place, 27 seconds) also finished. 27th place, SR) and Alexis McVeigh (48th place, 27 minutes 28 seconds, France)
Other area finishers for girls include Amber Perkins of Wood County Christian (25th, 23:58, JR), Lily Haught of Tyler Consolidated (27th, 24:10, JR), Wirt County Megan Cutlip (28th, 24:11, SR), Silver Knight’s Andy Fiber (34th, 25:19, FR), Tigers’ Lily Cross (36th, 25:22, JR), Zoe York (59th, 29:57, FR) and Calhoun County’s Gabi Smith (46th, 27:10), SO).
