Otsego, Eastwood defend NBC cross country titles

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GRAND RAPIDS — Otsego boys and Eastwood girls defended their 2021 cross country championships, taking the 2022 title at Mary Jane Thurstin Park Saturday.

For Eastwood, it is their third championship in seven years and Otsego has won the title four of the last seven years.

In the boys race, Otsego scored 25 points, followed by Genoa (52), Eastwood (114), Woodmore (125), Elmwood (126), Rossford (146), Lake (155) and Fostoria (190).

Otsego had the fastest four runners, all earning first team All-NBC in Wesley Kellermeier (17:29.46), Joseph Brewster (17:50.66), and Nathan Strahm (18:14.39). Lake’s Micah Balsmayer (17:38.58) is also first team.

Among NBC runners, Brewster had the fastest time during the season, running a 17:03.5 at an event in Kalida, Ohio.

Elmwood’s Jakob Zibbel (18:18.13) and Otsego’s Ben Nusbaum (18:22.3) are also first team.

Second team runners are Kaden McWatters (Genoa), 18:23.35; Connor McClellan (Lake), 18:33; Jack Seeger (Otsego), 18:34.96; Alex Shinaver (Genoa), 18:37.65; Toby Karl (Genoa), 18:41.38; John Stewart (Eastwood), 18:51.02; and C. Carroll-Schramm (Eastwood), 19:01.1.

Honorable mention All-NBC are Ian Clark (Rossford), 19:12.27; James Huston (Genoa), 19:14.83; Jayce Ramirez (Fostoria), 19:15.44; R.J. Aposti (Otsego), 19:17.52; Jacob Reinhart (Elmwood), 19:18.53; Myles Byrd (Woodmore), 19:22.8; and Gavin Minich (Eastwood), 19:27.25.

In the girls race, Eastwood scored 23 points, followed by Woodmore (40), Genoa (86), Elmwood (124), Otsego (136) and Lake (146).

Eastwood’s Haley Sponaugle had the fastest time in 19:33.81 and four Eastwood runners and three Woodmore runners comprise the first team.

Sponaugle’s fastest time this season was at Leaders Farms in Napoleon, finishing in 19:08.74.

Runners from Eastwood joining Sponaugle on the All-NBC first team are Leah Emch (19:57.99), Talia Baum (20:23.53) and Z Ramsey (20:32.14).

From Woodmore are Olivia Vogelpohl (20:10.7), Emma Hammer (21:02.52) and Jordan Beam (21:02.52).

Second team selections are Tabitha Balsmeyer (Lake), 21:23.72; Caydie Buchanan (Woodmore), 21:34.76; Cameron Sechkar (Eastwood), 21:46.35; Emily Payne (Eastwood), 21:48.03; Maggie Ramsey (Eastwood), 22:15.25; and Josie Lesniewicz (Genoa), 22:40.02.

HM All-NBC girls harriers are Madi Hammer (Woodmore), 22:55.21; Emerson Sheets (Eastwood), 23:05.53; Abbie Ellison (Elmwood), 23:13.46; Katelyn Bachmayer (Genoa), 23:20.45; Celeste Ellerbrock (Otsego), 23:33.24; Lillian Runion (Woodmore), 23:40.58; and Danica Beasley (Elmwood), 23:47.53.

Perrysburg boys finish second at NLL

OTTAWA LAKE, Mich. — Perrysburg boys cross country placed second at the Northern Lakes League championships Saturday at Whiteford Valley Golf Club.

Anthony Clark led the Jackets with a third-place finish in 15:59. Joining Clark on the first team All-NLL was Andrew Beeks (fifth, 16:14). On the second team All-NLL were Ethan Laeng (eighth, 16:22) and Brody Bauman (13th, 16:40). Carter Fry finished third team All-NLL (16th, 16:43).

The Jackets return to action Saturday at the Division I district championship held at Leaders Farms with the race scheduled to begin at noon.

Eastwood 10, Genoa 0

Eastwood girls soccer finishes the regular season unbeaten with a 10-0 win over Northern Buckeye Conference foe Genoa Saturday. The Eagles scored six goals in the first half alone.

Eastwood, the NBC outright champions and ranked 13th in the state, enters the Division III tournament with a 14-0-2 record, including 9-0-1 in the conference. Genoa finishes 6-8-2 and 4-5-1.

Senior Grace Kingery and junior Delaine Zura led the Eagles with two goals apiece.

Junior Reilly Might, sophomore Sam Brooks, and freshmen Kenna Nelson, Grace Abbey, Mylah Shoemaker and Karly Wasserman scored one goal apiece for the Eagles.

Senior Hannah Montag and freshman Piper Sutton had three assists apiece. Senior Emma Downs, Zura and junior Abby Rothenbuhler had one assist each.

In goal, sophomore Jordan Jensen had five saves and Rothenbuhler had two saves.

That is what coach Julie Cross likes about this is that multiple players contribute, where last year’s NBC championship team was led by a talented senior class that had won four straight NBC titles before this year.

“It’s a totally different mindset and I think they have all bought in that any day it can be a different person who is making the difference or multiple different people, whether it’s a big defensive play or the person scoring the goal or the person putting the assist in,” Cross said.

“They’ve totally bought in on that. They really don’t care about individual stats, they don’t’ care who scores the goal, and I think as a team that is huge.

“The senior class, my three captains, have kind of set that standard of we are all in it together. At any given moment, someone can be the difference-maker. It changes and depends on the day who it is.”

Otsego 7, Rossford 2

Andrea Grandmaison, Markel Aranbarri and Travis Merrill scored two goals apiece as Otsego closed the regular season with a 7-2 boys soccer win over Rossford on Senior Day Saturday.

Noah Downard added a goal as the Knights finish the season 9-7 overall and 6-4 in the Northern Buckeye Conference. Rossford finishes 2-13 and 2-8.

Otsego will host Port Clinton on Monday at 4:30 p.m. to open the Division II tournament. An Otsego win will give them the program its first ever 10-win season and first tournament win in nearly a decade.

Maumee Valley 4, Bowling Green 0

Bowling Green boys soccer lost its final regular season game of the year to Maumee Valley Country Day, 4-0, on Saturday at Bobcat Stadium.

Scoring two goals apiece for Maumee Valley were Asa Karns and Vukasin Tomic.

BG finishes the regular season 8-7-2, while Maumee Valley is 10-6-1.

Leading the Bobcats’ offense on the pitch was Mathias Drumm with 42 points on 16 goals and 10 assists.

Tomas Meek had 11 goals and eight assists, Cole Ash had nine goals and four assists, Jack Hover had five goals and three assists, and Jonas Kendrick scored five goals with one assist.

BG goalkeeper Max Haynes made 42 saves.

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