Tallmadge and Wadsworth earn top 5 finishes at OHSAA high school state cross country meet
OBETZ - Tallmadge and Wadsworth girls cross country do not have quite the profile of powerhouse programs from Greater Akron.
Based on results Saturday from the OHSAA state meet at Fortress Obetz, that could be about to change.
In just its second trip to state in school history, Tallmadge finished fourth in the Division II girls team race with 171 points. Minerva won with 144 points.
In the Division I girls race, Wadsworth took fifth place with 197 points. Perrysburg won the title with 102 points.
"We knew we were a top-five team," said Tallmadge coach Jeremy Huth. "I'm just so proud that they got down here and battled. All five of our girls ran phenomenal today."
Huth said freshman Makayla Martuccio was disappointed not to earn All-Ohio honors, but Huth was not. Martuccio finished 35th in 19:27.2.
"She carried the team the entire season," Huth said. "I'm glad she's not down here by herself, because that's a lot of nerves."
Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy and St. Vincent-St. Mary girls each celebrated their return to state. CVCA finished ninth with 231 points, while STVM took 15th with 334.
CVCA's Jayna Cooley (26th, 19:19.57) and STVM's Anne Rea (27th, 19:19.68) each earned All-Ohio honors.
Tallmadge got more good news in the Division II boys race, as both Joe Naiman and Colin Adams earned podium finishes. Naiman took 12th in 16:00.5, while Adams was 19th in 16:08.09.
"It's awesome," Naiman said. "For the first mile, I stayed with [Woodridge's] Sam [Su]. He was a little further back and moved his way up. With about 200 to go, my legs started to lock up, but I still had a pretty good race."
Norton's Ryan Ehrler (32nd, 16:25.98) and STVM's Kyle Hammer (33rd, 16:26.35) just missed earning All-Ohio honors.
In Division I, Wadsworth coach Zach Humrichouser said his girls team's rise was remarkable, given the Grizzlies didn't advance to regional last year.
"It is a our best finish since the state teams that won back-to-back in 1979-80," Humrichouser said. "To just see these girls persevere through all that adversity is a testament to their character.
The race also provided some redemption for Wadsworth senior Kailyn Biecker, who stumbled the last two years after an All-Ohio finish as a freshman. Biecker earned All-Ohio honors by finishing 27th in 18:45.44.
Elsewhere in Division I, Stow's Jayla Atkinson finally earned an elusive podium finish. She took 14th in 18:27.85 to become Stow's first top 20 finisher since Katie Betts in 2009.
"I feels good that all my hard work has paid off," Atkinson said. "The state meet was all I was working for this year, so I'm glad with the result."
"It's been a long time since we had someone on the podium," said Stow coach Aaron Morris. "It's a lot more competitive now. She got the job done."
The Division I boys race proved tough for Greater Akron. Hudson finished 16th with 329 points, as Bradley Schuster led the Explorers by taking 39th in 16:01.5.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Wadsworth and Stow's Jayla Atkinson shine at OHSAA state meet
