OBETZ, Ohio -- A number of Rocky River runners competed in Saturday's OHSAA Early Season Invitational at Fortress Obetz. The Pirates logged team scores that placed them 13th on the boys' side and ninth on the girls'. [results: B | G]

River took 13th in the boys' DI race with a team total of 428 points. Junior Greg Ganor paced a Pirate quintet that came away with top-100 finishes in a field of 375 runners. Ganor finished the 5k race in 17:48.7 to take 63rd. Sophomore Grant Preto (75th), sophomore Ruairi Zuercher (96th), freshman Henry Lange (98th), and senior Jack Miller (99th) were Rocky River's other top performers.

The Pirates' ninth-place finish in the girls' DI competition was led by three-time state qualifier Sam Coleman. The senior speedster carded an 18th-place finish with a final time of 19:40.1. Rounding out River's youthful top-5 were sophomore Brianna Chaves (77th), freshman Katie Stirm (80th), freshman Jane Rathbun (81st), and sophomore Carolyn Wanosik (141st). Three-hundred-and-75 athletes competed in the race.

Fortress Obetz is the site of the OHSAA Cross Country Championships, which will be run in November.


CANNON FIRE ...

FAST COMPANY: Hilliard Davidson won the boys' DI race on Saturday. Davidson scored 65 points. ... Cincinnati Loveland won the girls' DI meet. Loveland tallied 90 points.

OPEN SEASON: Rocky River's top runners in the open division were freshman Joe Brant (eighth in the boys' race) and Grace Lavelle (23rd in the girls' race).



by Skip Snow

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