The Fairfield High School boys and girls cross country teams competed Saturday, October 3rd at Pickerington North High School’s Panther Invitational. The boys team placed third with a total of 158 points, close behind champion Newark, a Division 1 school, who won the meet with a team total of 149 points. Runner-up Unioto, a state ranked Division II school earned 154 points.
The boys team was led by sophomore, Noah Richmond, who placed 26th overall with a time of 17:18. Next in for Fairfield was junior, Wyatt Evans, 29th with a time of 17:22; sophomore, Matthew Mangus, 33rd with a time of 17:28; junior, Dillon Burley, 40th with a time of 17:42; sophomore, Andrew Davis, 45th with a time of 17:46; freshman, Austin Setty, 50th with a time of 17:50; junior, Trent Swisher, 52nd with a time of 17:51; freshman, Brandtson Duffie, 97th with a time of 18:37; Bennett Hodson, 98th with a time of 18:39; and sophomore, Nick Price, 104th with a time of 18:42. The field had a total of 260 runners.
“I know Coach Friend and the rest of the coaching staff are pleased and optimistic as we enter the upcoming post-season stage of our season,” said assistant coach Bill Mangus. “We have several runners who have shown tremendous improvement this season and we look forward to sustaining that and coming back to Pickerington North to compete in the Regional Championship.”
The Fairfield Lady Lions did not field a full team Saturday. Three runners represented the team. Coming in first was freshman, Alexis Swisher, placing 146th in 22:57; next was freshman, Megan Gragg, placing 166th in 23:35; and Meadow Cunningham placing 254th in 28:27. There was a total of 267 runners in the girls race.
Fairfield boys had five runners in the open race. Freshman, Sam Buddelmeyer, 4th in 18:46; junior, Mason Cain, 12th in 19:19; junior, Jason Moeller, 126th in 24:25; freshman, Phoenix Taylor 130th in 24:39; and freshman, Riley Friend, 147th in 28:39. There were a total of 151 runners in the boys’ reserve open race.
The Fairfield Middle School boys and girls teams traveled to Washington Court House on Saturday. The girls defeated Hillsboro, Washington, Miami Trace, Bishop Flaget, and Chillicothe to take first place. Fairfield MS boys were also victorious over Miami Trace, Chillicothe, Hillsboro, East Clinton, Greenfield McClain, and Bishop Flaget.
All Middle School and High School boys and girls teams will compete on Saturday, October 10th at the Unioto Invitational held at Unioto High School in Chillicothe.
Reach Robert Stegbauer at 937-393-3456 ext. 1679 or on Twitter @RStegbauer
