Townsend, Melick spark runner-up Tornadoes

GENOA — Two Columbian boys ran in the top five and two more finished in the top 15, but Genoa slipped past TC 63-65 Saturday for the win at The Battle of Turtle Creek.Eastwood held off Liberty Center 91-97 for third in the nine-team field, followed by Margaretta (123), Woodmore (138), Otsego (148), Lake (198) and Evergreen (244). Northwood and Oak Harbor did not field full teams.Noah Townsend (16:59.62) and Xaiver Melick (16:59.65) ran third and fourth for the runner-up Tornadoes.Connor Dukeshire backed them with an 11th (18:09.67), Marcelino Gallardo took 15th (18:16.98) and Landon Hinke ended 32nd (19:27.86).Nate Gaietto (46th, 20:15.77) and Kale Dom (50th, 20:53.83) also ran for Columbian. Stockaders can't catch HuronGALION — Huron battled past Old Fort 66-72 Saturday to claim the boys Tiger Division crown at the Galion Cross Country Festival.Colonel Crawford took third in the nine-team field with 83 points, followed by Northmor (96), Centerburg (119), Ridgedale (132), Collins Western Reserve (170), Mansfield Christian (184) and Wynford (266). Danbury, Lucas and Put-in-Bay did not field full teams.Cale Hull's fourth (16:58.2) fueled the runner-up Stockaders. Dalton Hessick clocked in ninth (17:36.9), Grant Miller ran 15th (18:12.5), Juke Pinkston came in 21st (18:39.5) and Isaac Gallagher ended 26th (18:54.1).Aiden Dick (27th, 18:55.6) and Brock Hull (29th, 19:01.1) also hit the course for Old Fort. Rams lead area charge at GalionGALION — Carter Pohlman and Henry Minehart ran ninth and 10th to lead Upper Sandusky to third overall Saturday in the boys Stripes Division at the Galion Cross Country Festival.Medina Highland powered past Sparta Highland 34-53 for the title in the 10-team event. Upper Sandusky scored 74 points for third, followed by Perkins (99), Shelby (121), Bellevue (133), Clyde (212), Mansfield (257), Sandusky (260) and Galion (270). Port Clinton and Clear Fork did not field full teams.Pohlman crossed the line in 17:33 for the Rams and Minehart finished in 17:36.4.Andrew Leightey (18:07.6) and Franklin Arnold (18:14.8) took 15th and 16th, and Bryce Weyand came in 31st (18:53.1).Joshua Craig (36th, 19:13.8) and Christian Miller (41st, 19:28.3) rounded out Upper Sandusky.Brock Meacham led Bellevue with a 12th (17:51.2). Elias Sponseller added a 14th (18:05.1), Grayson Kadow claimed 22nd (18:30), Owen Paynard wound up 51st (19:54.9) and Nathan Shanaman ended 59th (20:29.6).Dominic Simon (108th, 35:09.4) also competed for the Redmen.Clyde's Zachary Clapp took 32nd (18:56.9), Bentley Meade came in 52nd (19:59.1), Preston Widman added a 54th (20:07), Michael Gessner finished 58th (20;29.4) and Christopher Bulger took 69th (21:04.2).Fliers Jason Richie (74th, 21:27.2) and Travis Brennan (84th, 22:25.6) also ran. TC girls third at Turtle CreekGENOA — Four Columbian girls turned in top-15 efforts Saturday to guide the Tornadoes to third at The Battle of Turtle Creek.Liberty Center cruised to the title with 26 points, with Genoa edging TC 71-72 for second in the 10-team field.Eastwood (110) claimed fourth, followed by Woodmore (154), Margaretta (172), Otsego (174), Lake (185), Northwood (219) and Evergreen (222). Oak Harbor did not field a full team.Carmen Lewis led the TC charge with a fifth (20:37.68), Maddie Kelley claimed eighth (21:02.54), Emma Musgrave came in 11th (21:26.17), Gabriella Hohman took 14th (21:33.86) and Claire Bartolo took 35th (23:44.48).Tornadoes Anne Young (37th, 23:52.34) and Audrey Sharp (43rd, 24:29.8) also competed. Meacham, Leightey turn in top-10sGALION — Bellevue's Reese Meacham and Upper Sandusky's Jocelyn Leightey each ran top-10 times Saturday to top area girls efforts in the Stripes Division at the Galion Cross Country Festival.Medina Highland overwhelmed Galion 40-81 for the team crown, followed by Sparta Highland (106), Shelby (112), Bellevue (118), Upper Sandusky (128), Clear Fork (133) and Clyde (158).Perkins, Mansfield, Port Clinton and Sandusky did not field full teams.Meacham led all local runners by capturing sixth (19:54.9) for Bellevue.Kameron Koch added a 15th (21:34.1) for the Lady Red, Brynlee Porter ran 23rd (22:20.8), Holly Caranfa came in 47th (24:27.3) and Brooke Webb wound up 52nd (24:51.4).Daisy Musselman (59th, 25:55.6) and Charlotte Dendinger (65th, 26:24.4) also competed for Bellevue.Leightey claimed 10th (21:10) for Upper Sandusky.Abigail Ault crossed the line 13th (21:24.7) for the Rams, Molly Minehart finished 35th (23:21.9), Madison Wengerd came in 45th (24:19.5) and Lia Wilkinson wound up 53rd (25:00.6).Caroline Coburn (75th, 28:15) and Hope Korte (76th, 28:18.6) also hit the course for the Rams.Clyde's Laney Renfro (21:42.3) and Marissa Gessner (21:42.3) took 16th and 17th. Jolene Brennan added a 43rd (23:56.1), Adysen Wettrich came in 55th (25:16.7) and Alessia Moya ended 68th (26:42.8).Fliers Bree Caudill (71st, 27:13) and Ava Distel (74th, 28:14) also competed. Tackett captures fifthGALION — Grace Tackett ran fifth Saturday to key Old Fort's girls in the Tiger Division at the Galion Cross Country Festival.Huron beat Northmor 29-47 for the crown, followed by Colonel Crawford (104), Mansfield Christian (112), Centerburg (128) and Old Fort (137).Collins Western Reserve, Ridgedale, Wynford, Danbury, Crestline and Lucas did not field full teams.Tackett crossed the line fifth in 20:22 for the Stockaders.Addison Hull added a 31st (24:51.4) for Old Fort, Alayna Hessick came in 51st (27:59.1), Kailey Haugh ended 57th (30:48.8) and Lilly Mellott finished 59th (34:50.1). Buckettes take seventh at Galion FestGALION — Angela Figueroa turned in a top-10 time Saturday to help Buckeye Central end seventh in the girls Roar Division at the Galion Cross Country Invitational.Columbus Grove beat Crestview 72-92 for the championship.Willard took third over Westside Christian Academy 110-113, with Norwalk St. Paul taking fifth over Cardington-Lincoln on a tiebreaker after both scored 134 points. Buckeye Central finished one point behind for seventh.Marion Pleasant came in eighth (162), followed by New London (190) and Chippewa (233). Bucyrus and Hardin Northern did not field full teams.Figueroa captured eighth (21:55.8) for the Buckettes.Violet Auck (23:40.9), Sophie Schoenfelt (23:48.8) and Samantha Auck (23:51.6) ran 26th through 28th, and Catherine Parsons came in 53rd (26:30.7).Lilly Stockmaster (57th, 27:28.8) and Julia Schimpf (74th, 30:53.1) also competed for Buckeye Central. BC boys end 10thGALION — Buckeye Central finished 10th Saturday in the boys Roar Division at the Galion Cross Country Festival.Columbus Grove stormed past Mount Gilead 27-75 for the championship, followed by Crestview (96), Bucyrus (104). Westside Christian Academy took fifth over New London on a tiebreaker after both scored 141 points.Cardington-Lincoln took seventh (176), Willard came in eighth (211), Hardin Northern ended ninth (216) and Buckeye Central finished 10th (247). Norwalk St. Paul, Marion Pleasant and Chippewa did not field full teams.Blaise Metzger's 25th (18:54.1) led Buckeye Central.Jeremiah Roberson added a 29th (19:13) for the Bucks, Evan Niese ended 86th (24:38.1), Keegan Durnwald came in 89th (25:34) and Zane Petrie wound up 93rd (26:51.4).