Genoa’s Gose, Woodmore’s Burner back for more
Genoa’s Carly Gose, Woodmore’s Courtney Burner and Samantha Sedlmeier, and Oak Harbor’s MaKayla Wagner are among the girls to return to their cross country teams this season.
Port Clinton’s Micheal Leone, Oak Harbor’s Konnor Fletcher and Danbury’s Kyle Mumford are back for the boys.
Girls
OAK HARBOR
Coach: Gina Warnke (17th season)
Last season: Fifth in Sandusky Bay Conference, fifth in district.
Who’s back: Juniors Taylor Dunn, MaKayla Wagner, Karissa Garza, Taylor Byington, senior Allie Kuhn.
Who’s gone: Kennedy Preston, Summer Swope.
Outlook: Warnke has her smallest team as a coach with just five runners – the minimum number to compete at meets as a team. Dunn and Wagner just missed qualifying to regionals last season and Warnke said the Rockets may have to focus on individual successes more than team goals. “Can we get individuals to make first- or second-team SBC along with individuals advancing out of districts?” Warnke said. “Showing progressions with all athletes is a major goal.”
GENOA
Coach: Brett Strickland (1st season)
Who’s back: Seniors Carly Gose, Allison Bench, sophomores Brittany Mathews, Adison Leichty.
Who’s gone: Crystal Bays, Jodi Bays
Who’s new: Freshmen Jordan Iffland, Jenna Bauman
Outlook: Gose was a regional qualifier last season. “Carly is a leader and has been working hard to become the fantastic runner she's always had the potential to be,” Strickland said. “She's training hard for a shot at going back to state her senior year.”
PORT CLINTON
Coach Del Culver (10th season)
Who’s back: Senior Katelyn Koebel, juniors Courtney Koebel, Rachel Reineck, sophomores Emma Eickert, Gabby Sharkey.
Who’s gone: Hannah Weaver
Who’s new: Freshmen Bryanna Barr, Brynn Jacoby
Outlook: Port Clinton was sixth in the Sandusky Bay Conference last season. “We have a nice core of runners that will be improved by our incoming freshmen,” Culver said.
WOODMORE
Coach: Michael Moreno (8th year)
Who’s back: Seniors Courtney Burner, Jordan Grzegorczyk, Jessica Sotak, junior Samantha Sedlmeier.
Who’s new: Junior Kate Barbee
Outlook: Woodmore was third in the Northern Buckeye Conference and second at districts last season. “We have a good team chemistry but much will depend on how they work together to shorten the gaps between them,” Moreno said. There are no freshmen on the team.
DANBURY
Coach: Jane Letterhos (2nd season)
Whos back: Sophomore Mariah Below
Whos new: Sophomores Sarah Bosetti, Sarah Reddett, freshman Bre Bonner, junior Alyson Sypherd.
Outlook: Danbury didn’t have enough runners to score as a team last season. “I am looking to see how we match up to the other teams around,” Letterhos said. “This summer the girls have been working hard and we are hoping that pays off for us. Sarah Reddett has become a strong runner this summer so I am looking for great things from her. Bre Bonner is another strong runner.”
Boys
OAK HARBOR
Coach: Eric Buckman (8th season)
Who’s back: Mark Bodi, Konnor Fletcher, Kameron Keegan, Zach Olson, Trevor Sievert.
Who’s gone: Tyler Sievert, Jake Wistinghausen, Tim Poiry, Nate Purk, Derek Rodenhauser.
Who’s new: Austin Tallman, Marcus Hartlage, Dustin Huff, Rob Harder.
Outlook: The team has to move on without Sievert, a program record-holder and state qualifier. “(Konnor) will be our top runner this year with a good core behind him,” Buckman said. “I look forward to seeing Marcus and Austin step up for us and hopefully compete in our top five.”
PORT CLINTON
Coach: Seth Benner (6th season)
Who’s back: Seniors Michael Leone, Collin Rider, sophomores Samuel Kuenzer, Amos Honeycutt
Who’s gone: Nick Reineck
Who’s new: Seniors Tristan Auxter, freshman Andrew Fillmore
Outlook: Port Clinton was third in the Sandusky Bay Conference last season. “Losing Nick will certainly be a blow to the team,” Benner said. “I am hoping that having four seniors will help keep us competitive. I look for Leone and Rider to be our leaders.”
WOODMORE
Coach: Michael Moreno (8th season)
Last season: Third in Northern Buckeye Conference, sixth at districts.
Who’s back: Seniors Nick Emerine, Grant Matwiejczyk
Who’s gone: Ryan Avers
Who’s new: Junior Jacob Murray
Outlook: Woodmore will work to decrease the gap between its top runners and the rest of an inexperienced group. Several boys didn’t return from last season. “(Runners) 3-7 need to work on staying closer to the top two runners,” Moreno said. “The inexperienced runners will have to learn quickly from the leaders to better help the team.”
GENOA
Coach: Brett Strickland (1st season)
Whos’ back: Seniors Emanuel Aranda, Todd Newmister, Anthony Lopez, junior Rob Wilson, sophomore Nick Trumbull.
Who’s new: Freshmen Sean Hoeft, Bobby Bench, Troy Manning, Dennis Diebert, sophomores Fred Diebert, Xavier Beach, junior Aaron Conley.
Outlook: “Sean Hoeft and Bobby Bench dominated the middle school NBC league last year,” Strickland said. “Those two, along with Rob Wilson, are doing a great job pushing each other. The boys team is going to be remarkably stronger this year compared to last, with the potential to get better and better over the course of the next four years.”
DANBURY
Coach: Jane Letterhos (2nd season)
Whos back: Junior Kyle Mumford
Whos new: Freshman Ryan Gwin
Outlook: Danbury also lacked enough runners to score as a team last season. “Ryan is a strong and effective runner who will individually excel,” Letterhos said. “Kyle is also strong and will be able to compete individually.”
Girls
OAK HARBOR
Coach: Gina Warnke (17th season)
Last season: Fifth in Sandusky Bay Conference, fifth in district.
Who’s back: Juniors Taylor Dunn, MaKayla Wagner, Karissa Garza, Taylor Byington, senior Allie Kuhn.
Who’s gone: Kennedy Preston, Summer Swope.
Outlook: Warnke has her smallest team as a coach with just five runners – the minimum number to compete at meets as a team. Dunn and Wagner just missed qualifying to regionals last season and Warnke said the Rockets may have to focus on individual successes more than team goals. “Can we get individuals to make first- or second-team SBC along with individuals advancing out of districts?” Warnke said. “Showing progressions with all athletes is a major goal.”
GENOA
Coach: Brett Strickland (1st season)
Who’s back: Seniors Carly Gose, Allison Bench, sophomores Brittany Mathews, Adison Leichty.
Who’s gone: Crystal Bays, Jodi Bays
Who’s new: Freshmen Jordan Iffland, Jenna Bauman
Outlook: Gose was a regional qualifier last season. “Carly is a leader and has been working hard to become the fantastic runner she's always had the potential to be,” Strickland said. “She's training hard for a shot at going back to state her senior year.”
PORT CLINTON
Coach Del Culver (10th season)
Who’s back: Senior Katelyn Koebel, juniors Courtney Koebel, Rachel Reineck, sophomores Emma Eickert, Gabby Sharkey.
Who’s gone: Hannah Weaver
Who’s new: Freshmen Bryanna Barr, Brynn Jacoby
Outlook: Port Clinton was sixth in the Sandusky Bay Conference last season. “We have a nice core of runners that will be improved by our incoming freshmen,” Culver said.
WOODMORE
Coach: Michael Moreno (8th year)
Who’s back: Seniors Courtney Burner, Jordan Grzegorczyk, Jessica Sotak, junior Samantha Sedlmeier.
Who’s new: Junior Kate Barbee
Outlook: Woodmore was third in the Northern Buckeye Conference and second at districts last season. “We have a good team chemistry but much will depend on how they work together to shorten the gaps between them,” Moreno said. There are no freshmen on the team.
DANBURY
Coach: Jane Letterhos (2nd season)
Whos back: Sophomore Mariah Below
Whos new: Sophomores Sarah Bosetti, Sarah Reddett, freshman Bre Bonner, junior Alyson Sypherd.
Outlook: Danbury didn’t have enough runners to score as a team last season. “I am looking to see how we match up to the other teams around,” Letterhos said. “This summer the girls have been working hard and we are hoping that pays off for us. Sarah Reddett has become a strong runner this summer so I am looking for great things from her. Bre Bonner is another strong runner.”
Boys
OAK HARBOR
Coach: Eric Buckman (8th season)
Who’s back: Mark Bodi, Konnor Fletcher, Kameron Keegan, Zach Olson, Trevor Sievert.
Who’s gone: Tyler Sievert, Jake Wistinghausen, Tim Poiry, Nate Purk, Derek Rodenhauser.
Who’s new: Austin Tallman, Marcus Hartlage, Dustin Huff, Rob Harder.
Outlook: The team has to move on without Sievert, a program record-holder and state qualifier. “(Konnor) will be our top runner this year with a good core behind him,” Buckman said. “I look forward to seeing Marcus and Austin step up for us and hopefully compete in our top five.”
PORT CLINTON
Coach: Seth Benner (6th season)
Who’s back: Seniors Michael Leone, Collin Rider, sophomores Samuel Kuenzer, Amos Honeycutt
Who’s gone: Nick Reineck
Who’s new: Seniors Tristan Auxter, freshman Andrew Fillmore
Outlook: Port Clinton was third in the Sandusky Bay Conference last season. “Losing Nick will certainly be a blow to the team,” Benner said. “I am hoping that having four seniors will help keep us competitive. I look for Leone and Rider to be our leaders.”
WOODMORE
Coach: Michael Moreno (8th season)
Last season: Third in Northern Buckeye Conference, sixth at districts.
Who’s back: Seniors Nick Emerine, Grant Matwiejczyk
Who’s gone: Ryan Avers
Who’s new: Junior Jacob Murray
Outlook: Woodmore will work to decrease the gap between its top runners and the rest of an inexperienced group. Several boys didn’t return from last season. “(Runners) 3-7 need to work on staying closer to the top two runners,” Moreno said. “The inexperienced runners will have to learn quickly from the leaders to better help the team.”
GENOA
Coach: Brett Strickland (1st season)
Whos’ back: Seniors Emanuel Aranda, Todd Newmister, Anthony Lopez, junior Rob Wilson, sophomore Nick Trumbull.
Who’s new: Freshmen Sean Hoeft, Bobby Bench, Troy Manning, Dennis Diebert, sophomores Fred Diebert, Xavier Beach, junior Aaron Conley.
Outlook: “Sean Hoeft and Bobby Bench dominated the middle school NBC league last year,” Strickland said. “Those two, along with Rob Wilson, are doing a great job pushing each other. The boys team is going to be remarkably stronger this year compared to last, with the potential to get better and better over the course of the next four years.”
DANBURY
Coach: Jane Letterhos (2nd season)
Whos back: Junior Kyle Mumford
Whos new: Freshman Ryan Gwin
Outlook: Danbury also lacked enough runners to score as a team last season. “Ryan is a strong and effective runner who will individually excel,” Letterhos said. “Kyle is also strong and will be able to compete individually.”