09/08/2026
Ross Girls XC Champs Again, Boys Highly Competitive At Columbus Invitational
The Fremont Ross cross country teams continued their impressive start to the season at the Columbus Grove Invitational, with the girls capturing their second championship in as many meets and the boys turning in another strong performance against a large field.
Competing in wet and muddy conditions, the Lady Giants finished first out of 26 teams in the Big School Division, continuing what has been an exceptional start to the season. After winning the Norm Bray Invitational to open the year, the girls are now 2-for-2 with two team championships.
Lily Kiser once again led the way for Ross, finishing second overall in 18:35. Julia Norris placed eighth in 20:00, while Brooklynn Eisenhauer finished 11th in 20:21. Ariana Hinojosa-Williams crossed the line 24th in 21:02, followed by Sophia Metcalf in 49th at 21:54, Kennedy Walker in 50th at 21:56, and Malaya Hughes in 61st at 22:18. The race featured 238 runners.
The Lady Giants' depth continues to be one of their greatest strengths, as six Ross runners broke 22 minutes despite the difficult course conditions.
“The girls team came in focused on the controllables—such as effort and controlling their pace—and not the uncontrollables, like the early morning bus ride at 5:45 AM or the very wet and muddy conditions of the course,” head coach Mark Sheidler said. “They dealt wonderfully with the first week of school and hot training conditions during the week.”
Sheidler was especially pleased with how well the entire lineup performed against such a large field.
“Ultimately, the girls team won the championship in the Big School Division against 26 teams, placing six runners under 22 minutes in very tough conditions,” Sheidler said. “Our top four runners placed in the top 10 percent of the field, and our fifth, sixth and seventh runners placed in the top 20 percent, which is a great winning formula in cross country.”
The Fremont Ross boys also continued their strong start, placing fifth out of 26 teams in the Big School Division.
Bentley Lopez led the Giants with an outstanding seventh-place finish in 16:20. Will Spotts followed in 20th at 17:15, Blake Henry was 35th in 17:44, LJ Gabel placed 46th in 18:04, Dane Denman finished 70th in 18:32, Colin Rich was 78th in 18:49, and Owen Ewing finished 95th in 19:17.
“The boys team came in with the same mindset and ended up fifth out of 26 teams in the Big School Division and had numerous personal records, even with the tough conditions,” Sheidler said. “Their positive energy and attitude were on point all day.”
Through two meets, the boys have now finished fourth and fifth in two large, competitive fields, and Sheidler believes the group is moving in the right direction.
“We need to get three runners under 17 minutes and the rest of our top seven runners under 18 minutes, but we are heading in that direction,” Sheidler said. “We have made a lot of progress with just two meets in.”
It has been an outstanding opening stretch for both Fremont Ross programs. The girls have established themselves as a team to watch with championships in each of their first two meets, while the boys continue to make significant progress and show the depth needed to compete in large fields.
The Giants will get another major test when they travel to Hedges-Boyer Park on Saturday, September 12, for the legendary Tiffin Cross Country Carnival, one of the premier high school cross country events of the season.
