The 2026 Mentor Cardinal Classic brought four varsity races together on Sept. 5, with Mentor Cross Country winning both Scarlet team championships and also taking the Boys Grey title, while Kirtland Cross Country captured the Girls Grey championship.
Mentor’s boys produced the most dominant team performance of the day in the Scarlet race, placing five runners among the first 10 scorers to finish with 33 points. The Cardinals also won Boys Grey with 52 points.
On the girls’ side, Mentor scored 84 points to win the Scarlet race. Stow-Munroe Falls and Solon each finished with 89, with Stow-Munroe Falls taking second on the sixth-runner tiebreaker, 130-132.
Kirtland put together an impressive performance in Girls Grey, scoring just 32 points behind five runners among the first nine scoring positions.
Boys Scarlet: Coley wins, Mentor packs the top 10
University School’s Brennan Coley set the pace in the Boys Scarlet race, winning in 16:20.07.
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Mentor answered with remarkable depth.
Carter Schaubert finished second overall in 16:22.50, and University School’s Thomas Lodowski was third in 16:28.93. Mentor’s Gabe Tulenson followed in fourth at 16:33.69.
The Cardinals kept coming.
Corbin Ott placed eighth in 16:38.84, Vinny Klima was ninth in 16:42.56, and Shawn Castiglione finished 10th in 16:44.94. Freshmen Isaac Bogner and Brady Dennison were 12th and 13th, respectively.
That pack powered Mentor to the team championship with just 33 points, well ahead of runner-up Medina’s 83.
Top 10 runners from teams covered by OhioVarsity.com — Boys Scarlet
| Runner | School | Place | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brennan Coley | University School | 1 | 16:20.07 |
| Carter Schaubert | Mentor | 2 | 16:22.50 |
| Thomas Lodowski | University School | 3 | 16:28.93 |
| Gabe Tulenson | Mentor | 4 | 16:33.69 |
| Corbin Ott | Mentor | 8 | 16:38.84 |
| Vinny Klima | Mentor | 9 | 16:42.56 |
| Shawn Castiglione | Mentor | 10 | 16:44.94 |
| Isaac Bogner | Mentor | 12 | 16:56.54 |
| Brady Dennison | Mentor | 13 | 16:57.22 |
| Nicholas Penkowski | Mentor | 33 | 17:36.16 |
Boys Grey: Lindley leads Gilmour, Mentor wins team title
Gilmour Academy Cross Country‘s Evan Lindley was untouchable in the Boys Grey race.
The senior crossed the finish line in 16:51.26, more than 30 seconds ahead of Wickliffe Cross Country‘s Caleb Wallace, who finished second in 17:23.65.
Lake Catholic Cross Country‘s Mason Panhorst was third in 17:26.58, followed by Riverside Cross Country‘s Jensen Buck in 17:34.46.
Mentor used its depth to win the team championship with 52 points. Cody Klasch finished fifth overall in 17:39.02, and Brandon Raizis was sixth in 17:41.92. Braylon Howard and Braydon Parker also finished among the first 14.
Riverside’s Caden Rossi ran 17:44.79 for seventh, while Gilmour’s Evan Sammut finished eighth in 17:52.69.
Top 10 runners from teams covered by OhioVarsity.com — Boys Grey
| Runner | School | Place | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evan Lindley | Gilmour Academy | 1 | 16:51.26 |
| Caleb Wallace | Wickliffe | 2 | 17:23.65 |
| Mason Panhorst | Lake Catholic | 3 | 17:26.58 |
| Jensen Buck | Riverside | 4 | 17:34.46 |
| Cody Klasch | Mentor | 5 | 17:39.02 |
| Brandon Raizis | Mentor | 6 | 17:41.92 |
| Caden Rossi | Riverside | 7 | 17:44.79 |
| Evan Sammut | Gilmour Academy | 8 | 17:52.69 |
| Braylon Howard | Mentor | 13 | 17:54.76 |
| Braydon Parker | Mentor | 14 | 17:58.34 |
Girls Scarlet: Curtis wins as Mentor takes team championship
Mentor’s Carmella Curtis delivered an individual championship and helped the Cardinals complete their sweep of the Scarlet team titles.
Curtis won the race in 19:21.45, seven seconds ahead of Stow-Munroe Falls’ Maddie O’Brien.
Chardon Cross Country senior Mira Palombo finished sixth in 20:10.20, while Mentor’s BriAnn Carroll was ninth in 20:31.31.
Riverside’s Molly Fechko finished 15th in 20:43.48, and Kenston Cross Country‘s Thea Ness was 17th in 21:00.63.
Mentor finished with 84 points. Stow-Munroe Falls and Solon both scored 89, with Stow earning runner-up honors on the tiebreaker.
The Cardinals also received scoring efforts from Alaina Gvora, Delayna Sotock, and Ava Dietrich.
Top 10 runners from teams covered by OhioVarsity.com — Girls Scarlet
| Runner | School | Place | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carmella Curtis | Mentor | 1 | 19:21.45 |
| Mira Palombo | Chardon | 6 | 20:10.20 |
| BriAnn Carroll | Mentor | 9 | 20:31.31 |
| Molly Fechko | Riverside | 15 | 20:43.48 |
| Thea Ness | Kenston | 17 | 21:00.63 |
| Alaina Gvora | Mentor | 19 | 21:05.60 |
| Eleana DeWitt | Kenston | 22 | 21:21.17 |
| Delayna Sotock | Mentor | 27 | 21:29.14 |
| Ava Dietrich | Mentor | 31 | 21:39.13 |
| Isabella Walters | Kenston | 32 | 21:39.94 |
Girls Grey: Kirtland packs five into top nine scorers
Kirtland turned in one of the strongest team performances of the meet in Girls Grey.
Hudson freshman Charlee Skeen-Adrine won the individual championship in 19:38.21, but Kirtland immediately began stacking finishers behind her.
Kylie Sayle placed second overall in 20:00.34. Nadija Mrva was eighth overall in 21:21.30, followed closely by Danika Schaum, Anna Hill and Mila Delgado.
Those five gave Kirtland scoring places of 2-6-7-8-9 and a winning total of just 32 points. Hudson finished second with 63.
Beachwood Cross Country’s Hailey Flowers finished fourth overall in 20:58.90, with Cuyahoga Heights’ Joee Cichocki sixth in 21:03.18.
Gilmour Academy’s Kate Papczun placed 14th in 21:57.17, and Hawken Cross Country‘s Annalisia Honda was 17th in 22:10.07.
Top 10 runners from teams covered by OhioVarsity.com — Girls Grey
| Runner | School | Place | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kylie Sayle | Kirtland | 2 | 20:00.34 |
| Hailey Flowers | Beachwood | 4 | 20:58.90 |
| Joee Cichocki | Cuyahoga Heights | 6 | 21:03.18 |
| Nadija Mrva | Kirtland | 8 | 21:21.30 |
| Danika Schaum | Kirtland | 9 | 21:28.83 |
| Anna Hill | Kirtland | 10 | 21:34.26 |
| Mila Delgado | Kirtland | 11 | 21:40.43 |
| Kasey Flowers | Beachwood | 12 | 21:41.26 |
| Kate Papczun | Gilmour Academy | 14 | 21:57.17 |
| Annalisia Honda | Hawken | 17 | 22:10.07 |
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