OBETZ – Even though Halloween is in the rear-view mirror, the state cross country meet is always full of the weird, wacky and unexplained.

Big Walnut runners Ethan Shultz and Grace Buskirk can certainly attest to that phenomenon, experiencing similar incidents in different ways.

Shultz was in control of the Division II boys meet on Nov. 7 at Fortress Obetz as he headed into the final stretch. Coming up the last hill, he collided with Chesterland West Geauga’s Ian Res as Res tried to avoid a cone he had knocked over.

Shultz avoided falling. But it knocked him off course, and he finished fourth among 216 runners at 15 minutes, 30.1 seconds. Res took home the individual championship at 15:22.8.

Until that point, the junior was happy with his performance.

“It kind of shook me,” Shultz said. “I’m happy with how I ran the race. I wouldn’t go back and change anything, except I don’t think I (would have given) Ian the inside when I went up the hill.”

Buskirk’s incident happened while the Division II girls race was just getting started.

She fell down after an unknown runner stepped on the heel of her foot. The senior was trampled as runners tried to jump over her.

The race was stopped and when it was restarted, Buskirk finished 24th out of 215 runners at 18:50.1.

“It’s the state meet,” Buskirk said. “Anything can happen.”

Buskirk admits the incident threw her off, but in the grand scheme, she was also happy with her performance as well as her team’s.

Golden Eagles record best-ever state finish

The Golden Eagles finished third out of 24 teams at 192 points behind Aurora (80) and Watterson (99).

It was their best finish as a team in their five appearances at state, including last year when they placed 19th.

“I was pretty sore,” said Buskirk, 51st at 19:22.3 last year. “I think I could have ran a little faster. All in all, coming off last year’s race, I’m definitely happy with that.

“Besides, our team did very well (with) third place. I could not be happier with that.”

Sophomore Lindsay Cochran (20th, 18:47.1) led Big Walnut and sophomore Emma Shultz (67th, 19:34.0), senior Leighton Coey (88th, 19:51.9) and freshman Carlie McGann (92nd, 19:53.0) also scored.

“I think being there a second year in a row really helped those girls because a lot of them had run there last year,” coach Ryan Borland said. “I think they were just a little more composed this year.”

Borland is in his second season running the girls program. He’s headed the boys program for six seasons and serves as the boys track and field coach, which won its first state title last spring.

Senior Frank Evener (45th, 16:13.2), sophomore Jalen Jones (80th, 16:31.8), senior Quincy Varughese (119th, 16:56.0) and junior Jason Shady (17:07.1) also scored for Big Walnut (247), which was sixth among 24 teams.

Bowling Green won the title with 181 points, edging Lexington (182) by a single point.

Shultz led the boys team to its first appearance at state since 1986 and fifth overall.

He didn’t start running cross country until his sophomore year. Now, Shultz is the school record holder at 15:19.0, which he set at the district meet Oct. 24.

He won championships at the OCC-Capital and regional meets as well as medalist honors at two other meets this season.

Shultz led the team to a district championship, something that hasn’t been done since 1984, according to Borland.

“The whole season, we’ve been a super tight-knit team,” Shultz said. “I think some people brush over the idea of it being a team sport. I don’t think I would be anywhere near where I am if I had a bad team.”

Big Walnut also won its first regional team title.

“Historically speaking and as a history teacher for years, it’s just kind of fun to think about all the things these guys have done that have never been done or haven’t been done in a very long time,” Borland said. “It’s pretty awesome.”

“It’s hard to fathom. I was starting the seventh grade the last time Big Walnut had a boys cross country team at the state meet. That’s a long time ago.”

Other Delaware-area runners shine at state

Olentangy Orange had the two best finishes in the Division I meets. Freshman Ellory Jepson (18:37.8) was 12th in a field of 179 runners in the girls race.

Senior Cowen Allender (15:35.8) was 11th of 178 runners in the boys race, nipping Olentangy Berlin senior Vansh Sethi (15:36.8), who was 12th, behind champion Ryne Reynolds of Morrow Little Miami (15:01.4).

Berlin (330) finished 14th and Olentangy Liberty (348) was 15th among 20 teams in the boys race. Springboro (107) took the team title.

Sophomores Micah (77th, 16:25.3) and Mason Ballinger (78th, 16:25.5) were on each other’s heels for the Bears. Juniors James O’Keefe (131st, 16:52.7) and Jishnu Pichika (160th, 17:22.7) also scored.

Juniors Aarush Talekar (47th, 16:09.6) and Connor Zimmerman (55th, 16:12.8) led the Patriots, who got points from senior Brandon Craig (116th, 16:44.1), junior Tommy Strunck (125th, 16:50.1) and sophomore William Bushbasker (137th, 16:58.1).

Delaware junior Aaron Maus (63rd, 16:17.2) also competed.

Berlin was the only team representative in the girls race. The Bears scored 381 points to place 17th of 20 teams behind champion Milford (111).

Seniors Georgia Speelman (59th, 19:29.6) and Joanna Jegan Jose (87th, 19:50.9), junior Claire Heitkamp (104th, 20:01.8), freshman Addison Friece (130th, 20:23.2) and sophomore Clara Book (147th, 20:52.1) scored for Berlin.

Olentangy senior Elena Wanek (65th, 19:34.0), Delaware freshman Brielle Nicolai (88th, 19:51.9) and Liberty junior Quinn Cachat (93rd, 19:54.3) also competed as individuals.