Exceptional depth pushes Heath, Granville to Licking County League titles

Kurt Snyder
Newark Advocate

PATASKALA - Two of the state's best teams reside in Licking County, and it now is their time.

Domination from the Heath boys and Granville girls highlighted Saturday's Licking County League meet at Watkins Memorial as each hopes this is the beginning of a memorable postseason.

Heath, the state's third-ranked team in Division II, swept the LCL-Cardinal Division. Chandler Wilhelm (16:11.19) raced past Lakewood's David Drushal (16:17.62) during the third mile to take the overall title.

"I knew if I could stay close enough to the front pack I could use my speed at the end to get him," Wilhelm said. "It's like my 11th time or something on this course. It makes it easier because you know all of the turns, what's coming, where to pick it up and where to back it off a little bit."

Granville, the fourth-ranked team in Division I, would have matched the Bulldogs if not for the record-breaking performance of Watkins Memorial's Andrea Kuhn (18:23.90). Kuhn lowered her school record and broke the LCL record.

"I made a goal coming in that whoever I was with I was going to stick with them the whole time and not let myself back off of them," Kuhn said. "I think I did a pretty good job. There was a bit of a second where I like, 'Yeah, this is good,' but I needed to stay calm and keep in the mind-set of any second she could make another move."

Dylan Kretchmar's runner-up finish (18:38.14) led the Blue Aces, and she was followed closely by Rosie Lamb (3rd, 18:50.93) and Reilly Zink (4th, 19:04.60).

Drushal did earn the LCL-Buckeye championship. Following him were Granville's Ethan Cheney (3rd, 16:22.28) and Heath's entourage of Nick Lee (4th, 16:24.27), Xavier Foehl (6th, 16:35.62), Dylan Hammond (7th, 16:42.36) and Paul Collier (9th, 16:52.19) with Granville's Jack Burczak (5th, 16:27.17), Watkins' Bryce Small (8th, 16:48.66) and Licking Valley's Ramen Felumlee (10th, 16:58.25) mixed in.

"The whole team has impressed me, but Paul Collier at No. 5," Wilhelm said. "He really steps up. He is the hardest worker on the team. He is really competitive and wants it. He wants to be good."

Granville won the Buckeye Division title with 31 points to Lakewood's 63, and Newark Catholic finished second with 57 points to Heath's 15 in the Cardinal Division.

Northridge's Megan King repeated as the Cardinal girls champion (6th, 19:54.48). She was sandwiched by Granville's Maddie Long (5th, 19:51.75) and Jenna Unkefer (7th, 20:08.83) as the Blue Aces were missing Kylee McFarland and Alyssa Christian due to injury but expect to be full strength later in the month.

"After this one, I am thinking we are on to districts and then regionals and state already, and it's gone by so quickly," Zink said. "I am definitely feeling a lot more excited."

A pack carried Johnstown to the Cardinal girls team title. Lily Mast ran a 51-second personal best to lead the way (8th, 20:14.12), and she was followed by Northridge's Olyvia Ashbrook (9th, 20:29.41), teammate Ashley Abner (10th, 20:36.26) and Granville's Jenna Hyman (11th, 20:46.68).

"I don't know. I just wanted to run as fast as I could today," Mast said. "I was trying to make sure my teammate was staying with me. She went back a little bit, but I just kept going."

Kyra Herring (12th, 20:52.89) led Heath to a runner-up finish in the Cardinal standings. Valley edged out Watkins by a point for runner-up honors in the Buckeye.

ksnyder@newarkadvocate.com

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Twitter: @newarkurt