FINAL Girls XC Rankings (Team)

Team Rankings Post-States

Lancaster - There’s a new top dog in our rankings, and it is none other than your new Ohio State Champions, the Lancaster Golden Gales. They have done nothing but impress all year, and now they finally have arrived in our top spot, a change many might call long overdue. The Gales were led upfront by their superstar Marisa Heil, who finished 3rd overall, and backed up Harper Allen’s continued success with a 17th-place finish of her own. Lancaster showed on the biggest stage that they are a force to be reckoned with, and will now turn their attention to a spot at Nike Cross Nationals.
Hilliard Davidson - After an extended stay atop our rankings, their reign has come to an end. The Wildcats were unable to avenge their Regional loss at the state meet and were forced to settle for the runner-up position behind the Gales once more. It wasn’t all bad, though, as Erica Kaulen achieved her goal of a top 10 finish while Celia Schulte bounced back in a major way, taking home 16th. The Wildcats are still an extremely strong team, and we cannot forget that they’ve taken down nationally ranked teams already this year. The girls from Davidson now eye Nike Cross Regionals in hopes of earning a spot at Nike Cross Nationals.
Dublin Jerome - The Celtics finished a respectable 13th place this past Saturday, and saw themselves right in the thick of the clump of teams vying for a top 10 spot. Just 20 points separated 8th place and 15th place, meaning the Celtics were not far off a top 10 finish. The Celtics were also outdone by fellow Central Ohio team Gahanna Lincoln, but after putting together a stronger all-around season, we’ve kept the Celtics in our #3 spot. Natalie Fouts led them one final time, dropping a 17:48 en route to a top 10 finish of her own. If we see the Celtics in the national postseason this year, it will be exciting to see how they fare as a team, as well as Fouts individually.
Gahanna Lincoln - What a day for the Lady Lions! They put together an incredible day on the biggest stage and took home a 9th-place finish, the 3rd team from Central Ohio. We mentioned prior to the race that the Lions would have an outside shot at a top 10 finish, and they delivered. Ruby Lewis led the way once more with a 53rd-place finish, and a clutch performance from Olivia Smeck (63rd) gave the Lions a stronger duo upfront than expected. We are unsure if we’ll see the Lions in action again this year, but they will be back extremely strong next year.
Olentangy Liberty - It was a strong day for the Patriots, who finished 15th and as the 5th team from Central Ohio. They acted as the caboose for the aforementioned battle for a top 10 spot, finishing just 20 points away from an 8th-place finish and as the last team in the race who had a shot at cracking the top 10. Elena Aldrink dazzled once more, placing 4th individually and leading the charge for the Patriots. It’s been a very strong season for Liberty, and if they do appear at a national meet, it will be all eyes on Elena Aldrink, who will surely be a contender no matter the race.
Olentangy Orange - After controversially placing Orange as our 6th ranked team in last week's rankings despite a 4th-place regional finish, our concerns about their backend scorers proved to be justified as they finished 16th overall and as the final team from Central Ohio. Chapman and Conforti took care of business upfront as we expected, with them finishing runner-up and 11th, respectively. Unfortunately, after Conforti crossed the line in 17:52, it was an over 2-minute wait for the Pioneers’ next runner. With their back 3 scorers finishing 125th, 163rd, and 169th, Orange plummeted down the team sheet. It was an overall strong season from the Pioneers, and should their superstar duo be featured again this year, they will surely be at the front of whatever national meet they take part in.
Bishop Watterson
Teays Valley
Upper Arlington
Marysville