A New View from No. 1: Mentor, Russia and Ottawa Hills Rise to the Top

The September 17 OATCCC coaches poll recognizes three new division leaders, while established favorites keep building their championship cases.

There is a good moment in every cross country season when a team realizes people beyond its own tent are paying attention.

For Mentor's boys, Russia's boys and Ottawa Hills' girls, this week's recognition comes with a No. 1 beside the school name.

Mentor climbs from fourth to first in Division I. Russia moves into the top spot in Division IV after two weeks as the runner up. Ottawa Hills returns to first in Division IV girls, bringing a preseason favorite back to the top of the conversation.

Those are achievements worth enjoying. A team ranking recognizes the whole group, from its first runner through its scoring five and beyond.

They join Hoover, Woodridge, Milford, Bishop Watterson and Huron atop the September 17 OATCCC coaches poll. Some have held first for weeks. Others have climbed back into it. All eight have given the championship discussion a place to start.

To take a closer look at these teams, Podium Watch also scored mock meets using the top 24 from each division and their supplied Athletic.net season best 5K times. Those results help illustrate the runners, depth and different strengths behind the rankings.

Explore the complete mock meets and individual results.

The poll remains the starting point for this story. The mock meets combine times from different courses and dates, so they are supporting context rather than actual race results or championship predictions. Five runners score, sixth and seventh displace, and identical marks share points. Full methodology and provisional D3 roster notes accompany the results.

Here is a closer look at the teams setting the pace in all eight divisions.

Boys D1: Mentor's big move belongs to the whole pack

Mentor has reached No. 1 with the kind of lineup that makes cross country feel especially like a team sport.

There is no long wait between its leading runners. Gabe Tulenson has a listed best of 15:47.5. Corbin Ott follows at 15:49.0 and Carter Schaubert at 15:53.3. Vinny Klima and Shawn Castiglione complete a scoring five separated by just 29.5 seconds.

One jersey, then another, then another. A satisfying sight from the team tent.

Mentor began fifth in preseason, remained there in Week 1 and moved to fourth last week. Now its 236 poll points put it first, ahead of Springboro's 235 and Mason's 218. Four first place votes accompany that climb.

The best illustration of the group working together comes from an actual race. At the September 5 Cardinal Classic, Mentor placed seven runners in the first 13, defeated Medina 33 to 83 and packed its scoring five into 22.44 seconds. Schaubert led the way that day. MileSplit race results

The mock meet adds another impressive number: 63 points, with all five scorers in the first 27 places. That is the lowest score in the selected D1 field and strong evidence of the depth behind Mentor's rise.

Springboro remains a major contender, receiving eight first place votes, while preseason leader Mason stays third. Gahanna Lincoln's climb from 13th in preseason to fourth also deserves recognition.

Thomas Worthington finishes second in the model, supported by three bests below 16 minutes. There is plenty of talent across this division. This week, Mentor gets its turn at the top, with a pack capable of making the most of it.

Girls D1: Milford keeps giving the coaches a reason to believe

Four polls. Four appearances at No. 1.

While other divisions have passed the lead around, Milford has kept its name at the top of Division I girls. That consistency is one of the season's strongest ranking stories, even if staying first rarely attracts as much attention as getting there.

Milford leads the latest poll with 235 points and seven first place votes. Upper Arlington follows with 229 and Jackson with 216. In a division full of strong teams, the coaches continue to put Milford first.

Elle Campbell gives that lineup an outstanding starting point. Her listed 18:17.6 is second among runners in the selected mock field. Maren Barnett's 19:10.7 and Katie Reckman's 19:34.2 provide support behind her, with Lauren Johnson and Nora Lindley completing the scoring five.

Lindley's 20:13.1 is worth noticing. The work at that end of a lineup can decide whether an excellent individual performance becomes an excellent team result. Milford has contributors across all five positions.

The mock meet places Milford second with 149 points, behind Jackson's 124.5 and ahead of Upper Arlington's 165. That adds detail to an already compelling leading group rather than changing what Milford has earned in the poll.

Jackson deserves plenty of attention, too. Bryn Ball and Abby Parsons have bests within four seconds of each other, helping a team that has climbed from sixth in preseason to third. Upper Arlington's rise from tenth to second is another significant accomplishment, with Beth Baker and Josie Cox providing a fast opening pair.

Oak Hills and Hilliard Davidson complete the poll's top five. Milford continues to lead them all, and its combination gives the title conversation a strong foundation.

Boys D2: Hoover is building something the coaches can agree on

Hoover's support at the top is growing.

Last week, nine coaches placed it first. This week, 11 do. With 287 poll points, Hoover leads Bowling Green's 255 and Toledo St. Francis' 230, holding No. 1 for a second consecutive week.

That is a substantial vote of confidence in a division that began with CVCA first in preseason and Bowling Green first in Week 1.

Alex Hobe and Samuel Baker give Hoover two runners with bests below 16 minutes, at 15:49.8 and 15:53.8. Zach Renner adds 16:08.0. Having three runners that close to the front gives the rest of the lineup something valuable to build on.

Broderick Grimm and Jacob Plazak deserve their share of the credit. Their fourth and fifth marks help Hoover lead the mock meet with 161.5 points, ahead of St. Francis at 176.5. In the scoring, their contributions extend an advantage that is much smaller through the opening three runners.

This is why the names farther down a team's results sheet belong in the story. They are helping turn fast times into first place.

St. Francis is having a notable week itself, jumping from tenth to third in the poll and earning the remaining first place vote. Brennan Higgins, Spencer Frangou and Will Dwyer form a leading trio capable of keeping that momentum going.

Bowling Green remains second in the coaches' assessment, led in the supplied times by Sam Wiles and Lloyd Waldron. Uniontown Lake climbs from 15th to seventh and finishes third in the model, with only 2.5 seconds between its fifth and seventh bests.

There are several encouraging stories here. Hoover's is the clearest at the top: growing recognition for a lineup whose contributions extend through the full scoring five.

Girls D2: Watterson's return to the top has staying power

Bishop Watterson began the season with every first place vote. After dropping to fifth in Week 1, it returned to No. 1 last week and has now kept the position.

That makes this more than a preseason expectation. Watterson has worked its way back into the leading spot in the published rankings and remains there with 280 poll points and five first place votes.

Kaitlyn Van Zandt's 18:21.7 gives the team a runner capable of scoring near the front of a strong field. Campbell Retzke and Karine Bhowmick follow at 19:03.5 and 19:20.0, creating a formidable opening three.

Berkley LaCount and Emma Drab complete the scoring group. Together, Watterson's first five have a faster combined listed time than Avon's, showing the overall speed available in the lineup.

The mock scoring puts the two teams almost together: Avon 142, Watterson 143. One point is an invitation to watch a matchup, not a reason to turn either team's season into a verdict.

Watterson gains places early. Avon answers with a tightly grouped scoring five and strong depth beyond it. Those different strengths make both teams interesting contenders.

Avon's own recognition is growing, moving from fourth to second in the poll and collecting seven first place votes. Ava Melott leads its supplied lineup, with Madison Colaizzi, Molly Pomfrey and sixth runner Lauren Kershaw making valuable contributions to the model.

Granville sits third in the poll, followed by Canal Winchester and Big Walnut. Aurora, sixth, also merits attention with Audrey Miller leading at 17:42.8. Her 17:49.60 at Pat Ritchie on September 12 is another strong performance recorded by MileSplit.

Watterson leads a talented division. Its front group gives it every reason to embrace that position.

Boys D3: Woodridge's strength keeps coming after the first two

All 12 coaches put Woodridge first this week.

That is about as clear as a poll can be. With 288 points, Woodridge leads Versailles and Fairless, continuing a season that began at No. 1 and has returned there for the last two polls.

The lineup makes the enthusiasm easy to understand. John Brock and Remington Griffiths have listed bests of 15:35.5 and 15:39.5. That is a terrific opening pair before Eli White, Tyler Souza and Devin Pietrowski get involved.

In the mock meet, those five occupy fourth, fifth, 19th, 20th and 24th. Woodridge scores 72, the best total in the selected field. Even sixth runner Nathan Adams is close behind, with a 16:44.9 best just one second from Pietrowski's mark.

There is something especially impressive about a team that keeps supplying names after you think you have identified its main strength.

Versailles deserves recognition for climbing from seventh in preseason to second, including a turn at No. 1 in Week 1. Fairless has advanced from ninth to third, moving up two spots this week.

Both have exceptional leaders. Brice Fuller ran 14:54.1 for Fairless at Wooster, while Jackson Spitzer ran 14:54.9 for Versailles at Piqua on September 12. Different races, two performances worth celebrating. MileSplit weekly results

Fairless and Versailles follow Woodridge in the model with 134.5 and 157 points. West Liberty Salem remains fourth in the poll and the model, with Asher Cole and Brayan Gullett giving it a strong pair of its own.

Woodridge leads this group through contributions across the lineup. The unanimous ranking recognizes a team with much more to offer than two fast runners.

Girls D3: Huron's leading trio gives the whole team a lift

Huron took over first place in Week 1 and has stayed there ever since.

Three consecutive polls at the top is an accomplishment worth pausing on. The latest gives Huron 286 points and ten first place votes, ahead of Oakwood's 278 and Minerva's 262.

A look at the runners explains why Huron continues to attract that support. Rylie Towns, Laney Schlessman and Andrea Lesnak have season bests between 18:50.0 and 19:06.2. All three place in the first ten of the selected mock field.

Claire Putman and Sasha Fry complete the five with bests less than a second apart, at 20:14.1 and 20:14.8.

Huron leads the mock meet with 108 points, followed by Oakwood at 168 and Minerva at 186. Both the poll and this comparison recognize Huron's strength through the leading group and the runners completing its score.

Oakwood remains a worthy contender. The preseason No. 1 receives two first place votes this week, with Evelyn Reinoehl's 18:44.6 leading its supplied lineup. Bella Fulton and Sylvia Gallagher-Yerman help form a tightly spaced supporting group.

Minerva has held third in every posted poll. Tateum Richard, Addison Keyser and Charlie Galley all have bests below 20 minutes, giving that consistency a strong individual foundation.

Ottawa Glandorf is fourth in the poll and brings a first five spread of just 47.4 seconds to the model. Woodridge completes the coaches' top five, while Salem moves up to sixth.

Berkshire and Crestwood also perform well in the mock comparison, adding depth to an interesting division. Huron sets the current standard, with a trio near the front and two closely matched scorers ready to finish what they start.

Boys D4: Russia's climb reaches No. 1

From fifth in preseason to first in the state coaches poll. That is a September worth recognizing.

Russia spent the previous two polls in second before moving to the top this week with 274 points. The Raiders now lead a talented Division IV group that includes Tinora, Maplewood, Mount Gilead and Botkins.

The climb comes with plenty to like in the lineup. Samuel Philpot and Paxson Bixler have almost identical bests, 15:57.3 and 15:57.5. Two runners below 16 minutes give Russia a powerful start and two names to follow near the front of a competitive race.

Evan Smith adds 16:31.5 and Owen Sargent 16:48.4. Those four make a strong foundation, with Francis Phlipot completing the supplied scoring five. Eli Schmitmeyer and Abe Hoehne add depth behind them.

The recognition belongs to that whole group.

The mock meet offers another encouraging detail: Russia has the fastest combined first five time among itself, Tinora and Mount Gilead. Its opening pair earns third and fourth individually in the selected field, and the team finishes with 108 points.

Tinora scores 103 and Mount Gilead 115, putting all three within 12 points. That close comparison gives extra context to the quality at the top, while Russia holds the leading position in the coaches poll.

Tinora has four bests between 16:23.0 and 16:40.1. Mount Gilead's first five fit inside 33.4 seconds. Maplewood, third in the poll, has Micah Sparks leading at 16:09.3, while Botkins remains fifth.

There are several strong title contenders here. This week is Russia's moment at No. 1, earned through a steady climb and supported by a lineup with speed, depth and plenty to look forward to.

Girls D4: Ottawa Hills is back where it started

Ottawa Hills opened the preseason poll at No. 1. This week, it returns to that spot with another reason for its runners to feel good about the direction of the season.

After Minster led Week 1 and Liberty Center led Week 2, Ottawa Hills moves back to first with 282 poll points and eight first place votes. That is up from five first place votes a week ago.

Natalie Nixon gives the team an outstanding leader. Her 17:55.3 is the fastest mark in the selected D4 mock field, providing a one point start to the team score.

Piper Padgett and Molly Mullan make that start more valuable. Their 19:22.5 and 19:36.6 bests earn eighth and 14th in the model, putting three Ottawa Hills runners near the front.

Emily Chen and Sofia Elfituri complete the scoring five. The result is 114 points, the best total in the mock meet and another illustration of the strength behind Ottawa Hills' return to the top.

Liberty Center remains second in the poll with 280 points and four first place votes. Colbie Strayer leads its supplied lineup at 18:44.6, with Mya Stark and Castyn Miller also below 20 minutes. Its 146 points in the model support its place among the leading contenders.

Rittman sits third in both comparisons, with Annabelle Snyder leading a scoring five separated by 1:40.2. Minster and Grandview Heights complete the poll's top five, separated by a single voting point.

Those teams make this a lively division, but Ottawa Hills has the spotlight this week. A fast individual leader, two more strong runners close to the front and contributions through the fifth position have put it atop both the poll and the mock meet. That is a good week by either measure.

Eight leaders, plenty of reasons to pay attention

Mentor's pack. Russia's climb. Ottawa Hills' return. Milford's four polls at No. 1. Hoover's growing support, Watterson's return to the lead, Woodridge's unanimous ranking and Huron's three weeks on top.

Those are the stories the latest coaches poll gives us, and each one belongs to a group of runners building something together.

The mock meets add another way to appreciate the work. They show how a leading pair starts a score, how a compact pack collects places and how runners beyond the first five can contribute. They also highlight the strength of contenders such as Jackson, Avon, Springboro, Tinora and Oakwood.

Nobody gets a championship trophy for a September ranking. But that does not make the recognition any less worth celebrating. These teams have reached the part of the season when their names belong near the front of the conversation.

See the full mock meets, find the runners behind the team scores and follow their next results.

The top spot is a good place to be. Watching these teams build from here should be even better.