BAY VILLAGE, Ohio -- The Rocky River Boys' Cross Country team is the 2020 Great Lakes Conference champion. Toppling a fourth-ranked (Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches) Bay Rockets team and seven others on a brilliant autumn morning at Cahoon Park, Pirate runners posted five top-16 finishes en route to a winning score of 54 points at the GLC Championships on Saturday. The Pirate girls' team took second in a field of nine teams. [Results: Boys | Girls]

Leading the way to the Double-R boys' second GLC title (2017) were seniors Luke Kishna (seventh place) and Seth Williams (ninth) and sophomore Greg Ganor (eighth). Kishna (final time of 16:48.1) and Williams (16:54.7) were split by their speedy understudy (16:51.0), and that trio was followed by sophomore Luke Dorenkott (14th) and junior Jack Miller (16th). The bold maroon-clad runners' combined assault on the wire was impressive, and it showed in a score that edged the Rockets (62 points) who boasted the meet's top two finishers (senior Will Warren, Jude Ault). 

With his top-7 finish, Kishna earned a First-Team All-GLC award for a second straight year.

The Rocky River girls' team was led by a pair of All-GLC First Team honorees, junior Samantha Coleman -- who took fist place with a time of 19:44.4, and Carolyn Wanosik -- who finished as runner-up with a time of 19:52.8. Those two were followed by freshman Brianna Chaves (eighth), senior Alison Ritvo (10th), and senior Marcella Pfaff (16th). That combined River quintet posted an tremendous score of 37 points, a total only to be eclipsed by a big day for the Rocket girls. Bay runners clocked finishing positions 3-though-6 on the way to a score of 30.

Coleman's victory marked her third individual conference crown. She won the GLC title event in 2018 and 2019.

The three-time-GLC champ Rocky River girls have now finished as league runner-up in two straight years.


CANNON FIRE ...

OPEN SEASON: In Saturday's GLC open race, River runners took first (sophomore Isaac Linville) and second (junior Sam Buehrle) on the boys' side. In the girls' race, top Pirate performers included freshman Reagan Connelly (second place), sophomore Natalie Swallow (fifth), and freshman Evelyn Lundin (sixth).

YOUNG BUCS: In Saturday's GLC Middle School Championships -- also held at Cahoon Park -- River runners Joe Brant (second place) and Simon Baum (third) paced a runner-up finish for the boys' team. The Pirates -- led by Katie Strim (second) and Rose Murray (fourth) -- won the event on the girls' side.

by Skip Snow