Barber trims District I field at Terra CC

10/22/2006

FREMONT - Ottawa Hills girls cross country coach Nancy Baumbarger tried to convince Hollis Barber to run cross country when she was a freshman.

Barber, a senior and a standout field hockey player, passed on the invitation to run until this fall in a limited number of races that didn't present a scheduling conflict with field hockey.

Running in only her second cross country event, Barber shocked the Division III District I field yesterday by winning the race at Terra Community College with a time of 20:45.38. She held off Mohawk's Annette Daniel (20:50.25) and Lakota's Carly Reese (20:52.77).

"I would have been happy had I just placed in the top five," Barber said. "

The Toledo Christian boys team, paced by Tyler Boris, who finished second in the meet for the second year in a row, repeated as champions. Boris completed the race in a time of 17:14.37 while Andrew Kelleher (18:09.00, ninth), Joel Curcio (18:13.12, 10th), Matthew Curcio (18:13.62, 11th) and Lance Wood (18:29.78, 15th) ran well as a group to help the Eagles' score of 47 points. Hopewell-Loudon was second with 89 points, followed by Gibsonburg (103), Liberty-Benton (131) and Woodmore (159).

Margaretta's Deven Siesel won the race with a time of 17:13.12 while Gibsonburg's Jordan Kirwen (17:20.55, third), Tiffin Calvert's Zach Szablewski (17:39.52, fourth) and Hopewell-Loudon's Eric Hohman (17:41.91, fifth) also placed in the top five.

Lakota's girls led by Reese and Julia Windom (21:00.73, fourth), claimed the District I girls team championship with 52 points, followed by Mohawk (65), Tiffin Calvert (100), Carey (114) and Hopewell-Loudon (126).

"We ran a solid race," Lakota coach Don Windom said. "We knew Mohawk was a team we needed to beat."

Old Fort's boys team, paced by Jackson Stults (17:44.79, fourth), Wesley Brown (18:27.79, eighth) and Josh Ortiz (18:29.93, ninth), claimed the District II championship with 46 points. Sandusky St. Mary's Central Catholic finished runner-up with 54 points, followed by Monroeville (90), Lakota (107) and Elmwood (112).

Monroeville's Jared Simon topped the District II competition with a time of 17:29.38 while Lakota's Jordan Allison had (17:37.27, second) and Bryce Tiell (17:40.91, third), and Elmwood's Ryan Green (17:49.29, fifth).

Defending District II girls champ Liberty-Benton ran away from the field as Keesha Brooks led the way with 20:05.12. Anna Farmer (20:37.88, third), Brynn Chaskel (21:10.71, eighth) and Tracy Newcomer (21:19.34, ninth) helped Liberty-Benton score 33 points. Old Fort finished second with 81, followed by Gibsonburg (83), Elmwood (148) and Fremont St. Joseph (152).

Old Fort's Becky Miller finished runner-up with a time of 20:18.05. Gibsonburg's Ashley Fisher ran fourth (20:45.80) and Woodmore's Lynne Schroeder placed fifth (20:46.05).

- Donald Emmons

OTTAWA - The Wauseon girls claimed three of the top nine places to win Division II.

Sophomore Holly Baird won the individual title with a time of 19:08.10 to lead the Indians to a 52-71 victory over Defiance. Napoleon, fourth also advances

In the boys race Bryan and Defiance finished second and third behind champ Lima Shawnee.

Division III races

OTTAWA - The Delta boys and Ayersville girls took team titles in Division III at Ottawa.

Delta's J.D. Wilcox, Nick Thomas and Brian Timpe each finished in the top nine as the Panthers won District 1 with 68 points, 27 ahead of Coldwater.

Fayette's Nathan Stoltzfus posted a time of 17:05.50 to win the District 2 race, with Lima Central Catholic the team titlist.

Ayersville's Audra Brown, Caitlin Rohn and Kimber Brown swept the top three places as the Pilots scored 20 points in the District 1 girls race, 47 less than

Pettisville.

In the District 2 race Fayette's Danielle Wyse placed second with a time of 20:31.00 to lead the Eagles to second behind Coldwater.