Hayden Maus made history Saturday at Tiffin Hedges Boyer Park, becoming just the third Bellefontaine Chieftain runner to finish a race in under 16 minutes.
His impressive time of 15:51 earned him a seventh-place finish out of 250 runners and helped propel the Bellefontaine boys cross country team to a strong ninth-place team finish in a highly competitive Division II race featuring 36 teams on a regional course at the Tiffin Invitational.
Maus now joins Aaron Augustus and Nate Orndorf as the only Chieftains to break the 16-minute barrier, placing him third on the alltime list for Bellefontaine cross country.
Other standout performances for the Chiefs included Jake Moreland, who placed 30th with a time of 16:45, and Oliver Grandstaff, who finished 82nd in 17:49. Will Myers ran a personal best, finishing 86th in 17:55, while Elias Abrego turned in a season-best time of 18:03, placing 91st.
Landon Gerwels also set a personal best with a time of 18:29, finishing 120th, and Brenden Murray rounded out the Chiefs’ efforts, recording a personal best of 20:03 for 182nd place.
“Hayden is inching toward that top spot in the regional,” said BHS head coach coach Ben Davis. “Jake is stamping himself a phenomenal sophomore year. Our three to six pack is tightening up the gap. All runners took advantage of the cool weather PRing.”
Bellefontaine’s ninth-place finish was a strong showing in one of the most competitive Division II races of the season.
Lady Raiders race to fifth-place finish
The Benjamin Logan girls varsity cross country team finished fifth Saturday out of 12 teams at the Spencerville Invitational.
The Raiders scored 119 points, just one point behind fourth-place Decatur Bellmont. Lima Shawnee took the team title with 78 points, followed by Wapakoneta (84) and Coldwater (103) in second and third, respectively.
Leading the way for Ben Logan was Estella Wenger, who finished 20th out of 94 runners, completing the 3.1-mile flat course in a time of 22:58. Close behind were Lucy Wenger, finishing 22nd with a time of 23:13, and Nora Elliott, who set a personal record with a time of 23:21 to take 23rd place.
Other top finishers for the Raiders included Gwendolyn Smith, who also set a personal record with her 24th place finish at 23:28, and Elliott Butler, who clocked in at 23:52 for 30th place. Lottie Bowden (23:53, 31st) and Lauren Kennedy (24:09, 38th) each set personal records to round out the team’s scoring.
Several other Lady Raiders set personal bests, including Molly Siefring
(25:53, 54th), Mallory Chapman (27:50, 69th), Montana Coleman (29:11, 81st), and Shelby Watkins (34:17, 91st).
The Raiders will compete again on Saturday, Sept. 14, at the Triad Invitational.
IL girls finish 11th at Seneca Stars and Stripes
The Indian Lake girls cross country team finished 11th and saw one of their runners medal Saturday at the Seneca East Stars and Stripes Invitational.
Leading the way for the Lakers was Reagan Rash, who secured a medal with a seventh-place finish, completing the course in 20:07. Evie Wagner crossed the line in 43rd place with a time of 21:50, while Alicia Brielmaier set a personal record, finishing 72nd in 23:13. Kayleigh Taylor (90th, 23:37) and Haley Metzger (94th, 23:45) also set personal records to round out the team’s performance.
On the boys side, Indian Lake did not have enough runners for a team score, but several athletes turned in strong individual performances. Will Faler led the way with a personal record of 19:26, finishing 93rd. Titus Kelly followed in 114th place with a time of 19:54, Cason Lacher placed 123rd in 20:07, and Caleb Altstaetter crossed the line in 194th with a time of 22:26.
See photos from the race and more sports coverage in Monday’s Examiner online edition.