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Erin Gyurke finishes 16th at state cross country meet
Clay sophomore Erin Gyurke finished 16th at the girls Division I state cross country meet. Her time of 18:36.79 was just over 32 seconds behind champion Claudia Saunders, a senior from Cincinnati Princeton.
Saunders, the 2010 seventh place finisher, finished her career with a four-second win over Elyse Bierut (Sr., Rocky River) to bring home her first state crown. Rocker River Magnificat, the 2010 team champion, couldn’t defend its title as Brunswick won the closest team competition of the day (five points) over Beavercreek. Led by senior Loren McDaniel (23rd place), Brunswick took home its first state title after finishing fifth in 2010.
In the last race of the day, Clay senior Thomas Gibbons was 66th in the D-I boys race, finishing in 16:27.78.
Reynoldsburg senior Tsehaye Hiluf beat Sam Wharton (Jr., Tipp City Tippecanoe) by three seconds to claim the boys D-I individual title. Hiluf was the only top 15 finisher to return from last year’s top 15. Led by Adam Davidson (Jr., ninth place) and John Sotos (Jr., 27th place), Dublin Coffman also brought home its schools first team state title in cross country, beating Cleveland St. Ignatius by 19 points. The Wildcats were runner’s-up in 1997
Gibbons finished his career with first team all-league honors three times (twice in the Toledo City League, once in the Three Rivers Athletic Conference). This season, he has been dominant, finishing fourth at districts and in the top five in two major meets — the Clay Eagle Invite and Cardinal Stritch Invite.
Gyurke has now qualified for the state tournament twice. She finished fourth at this year’s regional meet in Tiffin, running a time of 18:49.
Gyurke, despite an injury, has been dominant from the midway point of the season, finishing in the top 10 at the Clay Eagle and Cardinal Stritch invitationals before coming in second at districts. On top of that, she finished third at the TRAC championships, and, last season, finished second at the TCL championships as a freshman, earning her all-league honors both times.
At the state meet, six new individual champions and five new team champions were crowned at National Trail Raceway in Hebron. After a chilly morning, the sun came out and made for almost perfect running weather for the more than 850 individual runners. This was the first year the state cross country meet was held at National Trail Raceway after its 26-year stint at Scioto Downs.
After the presentation of the D-II girls’ awards, the OHSAA and the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches held a special presentation to honor Lexington cross country runner Sami Stoner, who inherited Stargardt disease, a juvenile form of macular degeneration that robs children and teens of their central vision.
Despite losing some of her vision, Stoner still participates in cross country with her guide dog, Chloe. Dale Gabor, the director of cross country and track and field for the OHSAA, presented Stoner with a gold medal for the heart and dedication she has displayed over the season and thanked her for being such an inspiration to other teenagers with challenges.
Rudnicki in state final
East Toledo resident Angela Rudnicki, a senior goalkeeper, plays for the St. Ursula Academy (15-6) soccer team that reached the Division II state championship Saturday.
The state semifinal Thursday night in Tiffin was a battle between two teams that dropped from D-I to D-II this year. The Arrow’s opponent, Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit (19-1) was the D-I state champion last year, includes several Big Ten recruits, and is ranked No. 2 in the nation this year. However, SUA defeated Walsh Jesuit 1-0 on penalty kicks Thursday night to advance.
Last year, Walsh Jesuit won its fifth girls soccer state championship in school history, having also won in 2006, 2004, 2001 and 2000, to give the Warriors the most state championships in Ohio high school soccer. It was the Warriors’ 10th appearance in the state tournament in the past 12 years.
Rudnicki, the SUA back-up keeper, has three victories in goal this season, including a shutout. Sophomore Sydney Yeager has been the starter most of the season.
SUA opened tournament play at Lake Community Stadium, defeating Eastwood 6-0, Maumee 1-0, Bowling Green 5-0, Akron Archbishop Hoban 1-0, and Bellville Clear Fork 5-2 to advance.
In the Three Rivers Athletic Conference, SUA finished tied for third at 4-2-1 behind champion Central Catholic (6-0-1) and runner-up Notre Dame (5-0-2). Clay was fifth at 3-3-1. Clay tied with Findlay at 4-0-1 to win the junior varsity championship.
All-star volleyball game
Local volleyball players participated in the Fostoria Athletic Boosters’ 18th Annual All-Star Volleyball Match Nov. 13. Thirty-eight schools representing 10 conferences sent 64 senior players to the event.
Local players for the West Red team were Woodmore’s Andrea Bouldin and from Eastwood, Northern Buckeye Conference Player of the Year Courtney Rolf and Brittney Firsdon. Playing for the East Gold team was Meredith Morgan of Gibsonburg, and that team was under the helm of Gibsonburg coach Krista Markel.
All-star soccer game
The Northwest Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association will hold the 10th annual Northwest District Senior All-Star Game Nov. 20 at Findlay High School. The game matches the top senior girls and boys players from Ohio's Northwest District.
The seniors taking place in the matches have all received all-district honors for their play on the field this past season. This year's match will take place on Sunday, November 20th, at Findlay High School in Findlay, Ohio. The Girls game will begin at noon and the boys game at approximately 2 p.m.
Sports announcements
Northwood t-ball, baseball, and softball registration for the 2012 season will be Nov. 13 and Nov. 20 from 1:30-3 p.m. at the Josie Reinhart Community Center at the corner of Oram and Wales Road, and Nov. 14-18 at the municipal office from 8 a.m.-4:15 p.m. Deadline is Nov. 20 at 3 p.m. Parents must accompany children and non-returnable copies of birth certificates are required. The non-refundable fee due at registration is $30 or $45 for two more participants. Low-income families may obtain a fee waiver. Umpires and coaches must also register during this time. Information is available at municipal building or call Sandra Welch at 419-693-9327.
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