Independence’s cross country program will be well represented at the Boardman Regional Meet this weekend, after strong performances at the Lorain Division IV District meet on Saturday.
The boys’ team earned a sixth-place finish, good enough to qualify as a team for regionals. The Blue Devils were led by sophomore Mitchell Creel, who placed 10th overall with a time of 18:00.56. Senior Nathan Lu followed in 18:56.67, while freshman Andrew Gibbons finished in 19:16.87. Junior William Stray (19:19.72), senior Tate McGovern (19:40.44), freshman Joey Mosgo (19:40.46), and sophomore Bryce Kwiatkowski (20:50.65) rounded out the scoring effort that propelled Independence into the next round.
On the girls’ side, freshmen Lucy Lu and Leah Creel extended their seasons by qualifying as individual regional qualifiers, each finishing among the top 10 runners not on a qualifying team. Lu crossed the line in 21:39.25 for 12th place, while Creel followed closely behind at 21:49.41 to take 15th.
Creel said the accomplishment felt rewarding after months of effort.
“I think it’s pretty exciting for me to have made it to the regional meet,” she said. “It makes me feel special to know I worked myself to another week of a great opportunity.”
Help Ohio Varsity Tell More Stories
Ohio Varsity is independently owned and provides local coverage of high school athletes, teams and communities throughout Northeast Ohio.
One-time and monthly donations available through PayPal.
While proud of advancing, Creel admitted she had higher expectations for her performance.
“Although I was happy about making it to the regional meet, I wasn’t as satisfied as I would’ve liked to be because previously in the season, I had run a faster time on that same course.”
Creel said her consistent approach to racing helped her secure a qualifying spot.
“My strategy was, as usual, to try to start off slower and build up my speed throughout the race,” she explained. “I think this helps me have a better kick and to not suffer towards the end.”
With regionals looming, Creel is focused on composure and preparation.
“Preparing for the regional meet, I’m going to try and make sure I’m calm and prepared,” she said. “I’m going to use everything I have learned through the season and push myself towards a good performance.”
Other Independence girls who competed at the district meet included Gianna Carlucci (25:05.15), Alyssa Hujarski (26:59.46), Emilia Mikolic (28:09.83), Kayla Hujarski (29:49.14), and Lauren Olexa (30:20.64).
The Independence boys and the two freshman girls will compete at the Boardman Regional Meet this Saturday, looking to extend their seasons even further with a trip to the state championships.
