Hawken’s Gilson, Kenston boys win at Boardman

Kenston’s pack running was on full display at the Boardman Spartan Invitational Sept. 19, where Hawken’s Ella Gilson picked up a victory on the course where she is the two-time defending regional champion.

The Bombers placed first in the Division I boys race with 127 points, with all five of their scoring runners finishing within the top 40. Garrett McConnell led the pack in 16 minutes, 34 seconds, as a 35-second spread separated him and Kenston’s fifth man, Braden Hunt. Uniontown Lake’s Nathan Moore won the boys race in 15 minutes, 48 seconds.

Mentor’s boys team put together a strong effort to place fourth. Joshua Risko finished 26th in 16 minutes, 54 seconds to lead the Cardinals. A 22-second spread separated Mentor’s first and fifth man.

Kenston’s girls team finished behind first-place Shaker Heights by one point, 86-87, in the girls team standings. Cece Paglia led the Bombers in seventh in 19 minutes, 31 seconds.

Mentor finished third with 98 points as Savannah Dennison notched a third-place finish in 19 minutes, 7 seconds. Chardon was fourth with 151 points behind Andi Mann, who placed fourth in 19 minutes, 13 seconds.

Stow-Munroe Falls’ Jayla Atkinson won the race in 18 minutes, 54 seconds. Riverside’s Cheyenne Durda placed fifth in 19 minutes, 24 seconds.

Gilson won the D-II girls race in 18 minutes, 52 seconds — a 19-second gap ahead of the runner-up, Marlington’s Bella Graham. Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary won the team title with 55 points, 22 ahead of secondplace Woodridge.

Beaumont placed ninth, Lake Catholic was 16th and NDCL finished 17th.

The Lions led area teams with a fourth-place result in the D-II boys race. Michael Welsh Jr. led the pack in fifth in 16 minutes, 42 seconds. Woodridge’s Ryan Champa won the race in 16 minutes, 10 seconds to lead his team to the team title with 58 points. Alex Mohr finished 22nd in 17 minutes, 27 seconds to lead Lake Catholic to a fifth-place result.

The meet ran its D-III races on Sept. 17, when Gilmour’s girls team placed second with 50 behind Maplewood’s 41.

Amy Weybrecht led the Lancers’ pack in 19 minutes, 39 seconds to place second, continuing the strong start to her freshman season. Caitrina Barton was third in 19 minutes, 50 seconds and Mary Lombardo took 10th in 20 minutes, 53 seconds.

Maplewood’s Caleigh Richards won the race in 19 minutes, 12 seconds. Kirtland’s Reilly Greenlee finished 18th in 21 minutes, 29 seconds as the Hornets finished 12th in the team standings.

Canton Central Catholic won the boys team title with 50 points and McDonald’s Brody Rupe finished first in 16 minutes, 29 seconds.

Ian McGreal placed 45th in 18 minutes, 55 seconds as Kirtland was 12th. Gilmour’s Scott Vergilli was 57th in 19 minutes, 18 seconds for the 17th-place Lancers.