Boys Cross Country Regional Preview: Northeast Ohio’s best chase Boardman titles, state berths

The road to the OHSAA State Cross Country Championships runs through Boardman High School on Saturday, and several of the area’s top boys’ runners enter the regional championships with legitimate hopes of bringing home individual titles.

The area’s leading contenders — Ian Res of West Geauga, Kelan Byrne of Chagrin Falls, Vinny Klima of Mentor, Brennan Coley of University School, Sam Steimle of Grand Valley, Mitchell Creel of Independence, Corbin Ott of Mentor and Thomas Lodowski of University School — headline a collection of championship hopefuls spread across four divisions.

Res, a senior, enters the Division II race with the fastest listed time in his field at 15:20.3, but he’ll have little room for error with Nordonia’s Anderson Seredick just 1.3 seconds behind at 15:21.6.

Byrne has another major opportunity in Division III, where his 15:35.0 ranks second behind Garrettsville Garfield’s Owen Thomas (15:30.8). Woodridge’s John Brock (15:35.5) and Remington Griffiths (15:39.5) also are positioned to challenge for the championship.

In Division IV, McDonald’s Owen Cappuzello (15:24.1) and Smithville’s Nigel Wenger (15:29.7) lead the field, while Steimle (15:57.3) and Creel (16:07.7) enter among the top five, looking to break into the championship conversation.

The team competitions could be equally compelling.

Mentor Boys Cross Country enters as the overwhelming Division I favorite based on the qualifying times, while Kenston Boys Cross Country is among three teams separated by just seven projected points in Division II.

Chagrin Falls Boys Cross Country, fresh off a Division III district championship, hopes to challenge Woodridge, while Berkshire Boys Cross Country looks to build on its district runner-up finish.

Independence Boys Cross Country is positioned as one of Maplewood’s chief challengers in Division IV after a dominant postseason performance.

The four boys’ races begin at 10:40 a.m. Saturday, October 31, at Boardman High School. Regional qualifiers advance to the OHSAA State Cross Country Championships on November 7 at Fortress Obetz.

The regional fields include 920 boys’ entry records across the four divisions, including seven records Athletic.net identified as undeclared.

About the projections: Individual rankings are based on listed 5,000-meter times from the October 26 Athletic.net regional entries. Team projections use the five fastest listed runners from each school and score their positions against the full field. These are estimates, not official regional results or predictions based on identical race conditions. District courses, weather, competition, and race-day performances can all affect the actual outcome.

Division I Boys: Mentor leads field loaded with individual championship contenders

10:40 a.m. | 23 teams | 5 teams and 10 individual qualifying berths to state

Mentor enters Saturday’s Division I regional championship with perhaps the most impressive collection of qualifying times among the four boys divisions.

The Cardinals have five runners among the seven fastest in the field, giving them a commanding advantage in the projected team standings and multiple opportunities to challenge for the individual championship.

Solon senior Matthew Scipione, however, leads the regional field with a 15:36.6, 6.4 seconds ahead of Mentor senior Vinny Klima (15:43.0).

Mentor sophomore Corbin Ott ranks third at 15:47.1, followed by Massillon Jackson junior Liam Barry (15:47.4) and Mentor senior Gabe Tulenson (15:47.5).

Mentor senior Carter Schaubert (15:51.8) and junior Shawn Castiglione (15:55.7) occupy the next two positions, giving the Cardinals five runners with listed times under 16 minutes.

Perrysburg senior Noah Madden (16:02.5), Massillon Jackson senior Colin Crawford (16:04.1) and Berea-Midpark sophomore Gavin Vozar (16:06.3) round out the top 10.

Scipione enters as the individual favorite on paper, but Mentor’s pack could have a major influence on how the championship race develops.

Klima is the Cardinals’ fastest runner, although Ott and Tulenson are separated by only four-tenths of a second. Schaubert and Castiglione are close enough to keep pressure on the leaders.

Mentor junior Drew Maynard (16:10.6) and junior Cody Klasch (16:29.8) provide additional depth, giving the Cardinals seven runners capable of contributing to a championship performance.

Solon will look to Scipione and sophomore Malachi Lane (16:24.9) to establish an early position, with junior Rajeev Patil (16:27.7), junior Oliver Patrizi (16:47.3) and junior Eshaan Bhansali (17:10.8) providing support.

Massillon Jackson appears to be Mentor’s most significant team challenger.

The Polar Bears have four runners among the top 16 listed times, led by Barry, Crawford, Nathan Huzyak (16:09.3) and Baron Memmer (16:14.4). Sophomore Tyler Brown (16:35.8) rounds out their projected scoring lineup.

Perrysburg also has enough depth to compete near the front. Madden, Lane Gazarek (16:22.5), Dominik D’Avignon (16:29.0), Jude Krall (16:29.6) and Cameron Evans (16:42.5) lead the Yellow Jackets.

Solon, Medina and Stow-Munroe Falls are among the next contenders, while St. Edward and St. Ignatius are close enough to challenge for one of the five state-qualifying team positions.

The scoring model projects Mentor with just 23 points, compared with 71 for Massillon Jackson and 115 for Perrysburg. Although actual team scoring will differ, the gap illustrates the Cardinals’ exceptional depth.

Medina, St. Edward, St. Ignatius and Stow-Munroe Falls are particularly interesting to follow because the final state-qualifying spot could be determined by small changes in their fourth and fifth runners’ finishes.

Area Runners to Watch

The following are the 20 fastest listed entrants from the Ohio Varsity area and additional nearby schools being followed for this regional preview.

Next in contention: St. Edward (207), St. Ignatius (207) and Stow-Munroe Falls (215).

Division I Boys: Top 25 Individuals

Division I Boys Entries and Results

Division II Boys: Res leads loaded championship field as Kenston targets regional crown

12:30 p.m. | 38 teams | 10 teams and 20 individual qualifying berths to state

West Geauga senior Ian Res enters Saturday’s Division II regional championship with the fastest qualifying time in a loaded field, but the Wolverines’ standout will have plenty of competition in his pursuit of a regional title.

Res leads the entries with a 15:20.3, narrowly ahead of Nordonia junior Anderson Seredick (15:21.6).

Boardman senior Dylan White is third at 15:25.3, putting three runners within five seconds of each other at the front of a field that includes several athletes capable of winning the race.

Revere junior John Owens (15:38.2) and University School senior Brennan Coley (15:38.8) round out the top five.

Nordonia senior Aiden Flynn (15:41.0), University School senior Thomas Lodowski (15:45.5), Tallmadge junior Donevan Noah (15:46.9), CVCA senior Isaac Solomon (15:49.6) and Hoover senior Alex Hobe (15:49.8) complete the top 10.

Walsh Jesuit senior Caleb Hamilton (15:49.9) is just one-tenth of a second outside the top 10, while Hoover junior Samuel Baker (15:53.8), Howland junior Ryan Barringer (15:55.3) and CVCA senior Andrew Clark (15:57.6) give the field additional depth.

Res, Seredick and White have created a particularly compelling championship matchup on paper, but Coley and Lodowski give University School two runners capable of challenging near the front.

Seredick won the Madison District individual title, while Res placed second. Their regional rematch presents an intriguing storyline, although White and several other contenders from different district meets could change the outcome.

The Division II team championship appears even more competitive.

Uniontown Lake, Kenston and Hoover are separated by just seven points in the qualifying-time projection, with Lake at 185, Kenston at 190 and Hoover at 192.

Kenston Boys Cross Country enters after winning the Madison District championship and has a lineup built around one of the region’s most balanced scoring groups.

Sophomore Tyler Cingcade leads the Bombers with a 15:57.7, followed by sophomore Huck Rundo (16:03.1), sophomore Ian McCallin (16:03.2), senior Matthew Collins (16:13.2) and senior Porter Fontana (16:56.9).

The Bombers’ first four runners are separated by only 15.5 seconds, a potentially valuable advantage in a regional championship where every position could matter.

Kenston also has freshman Will Thomas (17:03.0) and sophomore Henry Myles (17:14.7) available to provide additional scoring depth.

Uniontown Lake is similarly balanced, with Andrew Vensel (16:03.1), Brycen Vensel (16:09.6), Mason DeBois (16:18.8), Nolan Brasko (16:22.1) and Brady Norcia (16:30.5) leading the way.

Hoover counters with two runners who have broken 15:55 in Hobe and Baker, along with Zach Renner (16:08.0), Broderick Grimm (16:46.0) and Jacob Plazak (16:46.3).

CVCA and Shaker Heights also have the depth to contend for prominent finishes, while Salem, Hudson and Nordonia are within reach of the top five.

University School enters with an impressive front-running combination in Coley and Lodowski. Sophomore Luke Chao (16:33.1), junior Luke D’Cruz (16:48.2) and senior Emmett Coggin (17:37.9) round out the Preppers’ projected scoring group.

Orange junior Griffin Berlin also is among the region’s leading individual contenders at 15:59.0.

Berlin ranks 17th in the overall field, and freshman Bennett Johnson (16:49.2) provides the Lions with another runner capable of a strong finish.

West Geauga will look to Res to establish a strong early position, while senior Joey Lubanovich (16:44.8), sophomore Charlie Allin (17:03.1), senior Mason Starr (17:07.4) and freshman Scotty Renninger (18:03.2) attempt to move the Wolverines up the team standings.

Chardon junior Matthew Ghobrial (16:25.8) is among the top 50 runners in the field based on listed times, while Riverside sophomore Caden Rossi (17:06.6) enters after recording a strong performance at the Madison District.

Other area contenders include Geneva’s John D’Alessandro (16:52.3), Mayfield’s Owen Kerns (17:00.2), Willoughby South’s Leland Dunham (17:03.5) and Hawken’s Maximilian Moore (17:05.6).

With 10 teams advancing, Division II provides the largest boys team qualification field at Boardman. The battle for the championship could involve three or more schools, while the race for the final state berths may extend well beyond the projected top 10.

Division II Boys: Projected Top 5 Teams

Next in contention: Salem (323), Hudson (346), and Nordonia (348). All are within reach of prominent regional finishes.

Division II Boys: Top 25 Individuals

Division II Boys Entries and Results

Division III Boys: Byrne targets regional crown as Chagrin Falls, Berkshire chase Woodridge

2:20 p.m. | 26 teams | 7 teams and 14 individual qualifying berths to state

Chagrin Falls senior Kelan Byrne enters Saturday’s Division III boys regional championship within striking distance of the fastest runner in the field, giving the Tigers’ standout an opportunity to add another significant accomplishment to his cross country career.

Byrne’s listed time of 15:35.0 ranks second in the regional, just 4.2 seconds behind Garrettsville Garfield junior Owen Thomas (15:30.8).

Woodridge senior John Brock is third at 15:35.5, followed by Garrettsville Garfield freshman Lucas Thomas (15:36.9) and Woodridge junior Remington Griffiths (15:39.5).

Those five runners are separated by just 8.7 seconds, making the Division III individual championship one of the more intriguing races on Saturday’s schedule.

Canton South junior Logan Howard (15:47.4), Keystone junior Jamie Yuronich (15:47.7), Northwest senior Luca Novakovic (15:58.8), Woodridge junior Eli White (16:03.9) and Conneaut junior Ethan Van Norman (16:13.3) round out the top 10.

Byrne, Thomas, Brock, Lucas Thomas and Griffiths have all posted times under 15:40, establishing a tightly grouped championship field.

Woodridge also has White among the top 10, making the Bulldogs the team to beat.

Woodridge’s five fastest runners produce a projected team score of just 55 points, significantly ahead of Chagrin Falls at 164.

Brock, Griffiths and White anchor the Bulldogs, with Tyler Souza (16:32.4) and Devin Pietrowski (16:39.7) providing a strong fourth and fifth combination. Nathan Adams (16:41.6) supplies additional depth.

Chagrin Falls Boys Cross Country, however, enters with momentum after winning the Division III Madison District championship.

Byrne leads the Tigers, while junior TJ Mitchell (16:26.4) and freshman Jameson Byrne (16:32.5) give Chagrin Falls three runners among the top 17 listed times.

Michael Hanley (17:03.5) and Nathan Nelson (17:34.1) round out the team’s projected scoring group.

The Tigers’ ability to move their fourth and fifth runners forward could be the determining factor in whether they challenge Woodridge or focus on securing a strong runner-up finish.

Berkshire Boys Cross Country also enters with state aspirations.

The Badgers finished second at the Madison District and rank third in the regional projections with 187 points.

Senior Danny Auth leads Berkshire at 16:41.9, followed by Aiden Hollingsworth (16:47.7), Ben Townsend (16:51.2), Evan Tromba (16:59.1) and Tripp Wadsworth (17:05.4).

Just 23.5 seconds separate Berkshire’s five fastest runners, giving the Badgers one of the most tightly packed scoring groups among the contenders.

That depth could prove valuable against Marlington, Norwayne, Edgewood and Gilmour Academy, all of which are positioned to compete for state berths.

Gilmour Academy’s Evan Lindley (16:18.2) ranks 13th among the listed times and gives the Lancers a strong front-running presence.

The Lancers also will rely on Evan Sammut (16:55.0), Kevin Shank (17:15.2), and their remaining scoring runners in an attempt to advance as a team.

Jefferson junior Cody Weber (16:27.4) ranks 15th in the regional field, while Lutheran West junior Jacob Vonhof (16:43.8), NDCL senior Kyle Nedved (16:46.0) and Wickliffe junior Caleb Wallace (16:46.9) are among the next area contenders.

Lake Catholic junior Mason Panhorst (16:40.5) also enters with a strong qualifying time.

The top seven teams will advance to state, and the projected separation among Norwayne, Edgewood, and Gilmour Academy is extremely small.

Norwayne ranks fifth with 323 projected points, followed by Edgewood at 328 and Gilmour Academy at 330. Garrettsville Garfield also is within reach at 344.

Those narrow margins suggest the final team qualifying positions could change significantly based on how each school’s fourth and fifth runners perform.

Division III Boys: Projected Top 5 Teams

Next in contention: Edgewood (328), Gilmour Academy (330) and Garrettsville Garfield (344). Seven teams advance to state.

Division III Boys: Top 25 Individuals

Division III Boys Entries and Results

Division IV Boys: Creel, Steimle lead area contenders as Independence challenges Maplewood

4:10 p.m. | 21 teams | 5 teams and 10 individual qualifying berths to state

Independence enters Saturday’s Division IV regional championship with an opportunity to extend an outstanding season and potentially challenge for a regional team title.

The Blue Devils enter as the projected runner-up to Maplewood, but their depth and recent championship experience could make them a formidable contender.

Junior Mitchell Creel leads the Blue Devils with a listed time of 16:07.7, fifth fastest in the regional field.

McDonald senior Owen Cappuzello owns the top qualifying time at 15:24.1, followed by Smithville junior Nigel Wenger (15:29.7).

Maplewood sophomore Micah Sparks ranks third at 15:53.9, while Grand Valley senior Sam Steimle (15:57.3) and Creel complete the top five.

Black River junior Connor Rhein (16:22.5), Dalton junior Holden Himes (16:25.9), Maplewood junior Nick Blair (16:40.6), South Range’s Ryan Fieldhouse (16:41.1) and Mineral Ridge’s Bryce Garland (16:41.8) complete the top 10.

Cappuzello and Wenger are the clear individual favorites based on their listed times, but Sparks, Steimle and Creel could challenge if the championship develops into a tactical race.

Steimle is one of only four Division IV runners with a qualifying time under 16 minutes, giving Grand Valley a strong individual contender.

Creel enters after helping Independence claim the Division IV Lorain District championship, continuing a season in which the Blue Devils have emerged as a force in small-school cross country.

Independence also captured the Chagrin Valley Conference Metro Division championship on October 17 with just 16 points, sweeping the first five finishing positions.

Creel leads the regional lineup, followed by junior Jayden Musni (16:56.5), Archer Dlugolinski (17:04.1), Andrew Gibbons (17:25.6) and Liam Polter (17:44.5).

The Blue Devils also have William Stray (18:03.6) and Finn McGovern (18:07.4) among their listed entrants.

Independence’s projected 129 points place it second behind Maplewood’s 73.

Maplewood’s strength begins with Sparks and Blair, followed by Tyler McPeak (16:56.7), Ethan Nevinski (16:59.0), and additional depth in the scoring lineup.

The Rockets enter with the best team projection, but Independence is positioned to challenge if its supporting runners can gain places in the middle of the field.

Kidron Central Christian, Rittman and Lake Center Christian round out the projected top five, with Black River and Badger close enough to contend for state-qualifying spots.

The individual qualifying race also will feature several athletes from area programs.

Cardinal’s Gage Wagamon enters with a 17:04.4, ranking 21st overall, while Andrews Osborne Academy’s Jackson Sharpless (17:24.7) is among the next contenders.

Lake Ridge Academy’s Daniel Anastasoaie (16:56.0) ranks 14th overall, with a listed time that places him within reach of the leading group.

Rootstown’s Tycho Smolk (18:14.0) and Grant Stevenson (18:22.8), along with Cuyahoga Heights’ Zhou Wei Ni (18:39.0), are among the additional runners representing the area.

With only five teams advancing to state, the competition is particularly demanding.

Maplewood and Independence have separated themselves from much of the field in the projections, but just 36 points separate Kidron Central Christian, Rittman, Lake Center Christian, Black River, and Badger.

That leaves the final three state-qualifying team positions potentially wide open.

Division IV Boys: Projected Top 5 Teams

Next in contention: Black River (265), Badger (268), and McDonald (300).

Division IV Boys: Top 25 Individuals

Division IV Boys Entries and Results

Boardman Regional: Spectator Information

The 2026 OHSAA Northeast Regional Cross Country Championships will be held Saturday, October 31, at Boardman High School, located at 7777 Glenwood Avenue in Youngstown.

Spectators traveling to the meet should review the admission and parking procedures before arriving to avoid unnecessary delays.

Parking and campus access

Spectator vehicles should enter the Boardman High School campus through one of two entrances:

• The main entrance off Glenwood Avenue.

• Nisonger Drive off Market Street (Route 7).

Admissions personnel will meet each vehicle upon arrival. Spectators should have their payment or prepaid admission QR code ready.

Admission prices

• Admission prices are established by the OHSAA rather than Boardman High School.
• Adult admission is available through pre-purchased QR code tickets or cash payment at the entrance.
• Important change for 2026: Student tickets must be purchased onsite, either with cash or through a QR code supplied at the venue.
• Boardman officials strongly encourage students to pay $5 in cash to help speed up the entrance process. Using an onsite QR code will require spectators to pull over and complete the purchase before entering.
• Spectators using prepaid QR codes should have them saved on their phones or printed in advance.
• Those paying with cash are encouraged to bring exact change, although change will be available.

Complete regional race schedule

All eight championship races will be contested over 5,000 meters.

Meet Information and Results: 2026 OHSAA Regional — Northeast — Youngstown (Boardman)