Piqua Invite Under the Lights Invitational
Overview
Saturday, September 12th, in southwest Ohio, Piqua will host its annual night invitational, "Piqua Invite Under the Lights." Over the past few years, the meet has grown in both size and competitiveness, and this year's edition is set to be the most exciting one yet, featuring a new course. Although the field does not include any Division I programs, it features several highly ranked teams from Divisions II through IV.
State Rankings and Meet Projections
On the boys' side, there are seven state-ranked teams based on the OATCCC Week 1 poll. Versailles, West Liberty-Salem, and Oakwood are ranked first, third, and eighth, respectively, in Division III. In Division IV, Russia, Cedarville, Botkins, and Lehman Catholic are ranked second, fifth, ninth, and 17th, respectively.
According to a meet simulation, the top five teams entering the meet are: 1. Russia (104 points), 2. Versailles (106 points), 3. Unioto (108 points), 4. West Liberty-Salem (127 points), and 5. Bellbrook (169 points).
The top 10 individuals are as follows: 1. Jackson Spitzer (Versailles), 2. Asher Cole (West Liberty-Salem), 3. Samuel Phlipot (Russia), 4. Paxson Bixler (Russia), 5. Titus Young (Anna), 6. Brayan Gullett (West Liberty-Salem), 7. Jack Rosson (Butler), 8. Tony Spitzer (Versailles), 9. Corbin Scott (Unioto), and 10. Jackson Morrissey (Oakwood).
For the girls, there are eight state-ranked teams based on the OATCCC Week 1 poll. In Division II, Canal Winchester is ranked second, and Bellbrook is ranked seventh. In Division III, Oakwood ranks second, and Versailles ranks 10th. In Division IV, West Liberty-Salem is ranked fifth, Cedarville 12th, Newton 15th, and Botkins 17th.
Even with all of the state-ranked teams competing at this meet, the top three have separated themselves from the rest. The following are the top five teams based on a meet simulation: 1. Canal Winchester (78 points), 2. Bellbrook (85 points), 3. Oakwood (89 points), 4. Versailles (173 points), and 5. Troy (213 points).
The top 10 individuals based on this year's times are: 1. Michaela Flora (Newton Local), 2. Evelyn Reinoehl (Oakwood), 3. Peyton Hughey (Canal Winchester), 4. Allison High (Bellbrook), 5. Mandy Mark (Cedarville), 6. Quinn Klamorick (Canal Winchester), 7. Kareena Vandervort (Butler), 8. Lillian Stepp (Canal Winchester), 9. Isla Leichty (West Liberty-Salem), and 10. Addi Wallen (West Liberty-Salem).
Boys Team to Watch: West Liberty-Salem
Last season, the Tigers of West Liberty-Salem finished second at the Division III state meet. However, they graduated three of their top five runners from last year's state meet, leaving some big shoes to fill. This team has the talent to win behind star tandem Brayan Gullett and Asher Cole, but its success will depend heavily on the runners occupying spots three through seven. If they can step up, this team could become a legitimate state championship contender.
Girls Team to Watch: Versailles
Last week, the Lady Tigers competed at the Treaty City Invitational, which featured a true cross-country course. The meet was delayed multiple times, and the course was torn up and muddy. Despite the conditions, the Tigers placed four runners within 10 seconds of one another on their way to a convincing victory. Now that the Tigers are on a much cleaner course, it'll be fun to see how much they could shake up the rankings if they can manage the strong pack-running they are capable of.
Storylines to Look Out For: Boys - Russia vs. Versailles; Girls - Canal Winchester, Bellbrook, and Oakwood
Versailles and Russia face each other for the second time this season after meeting at the Bob Schul Invitational, where the Raiders defeated the Tigers in a tiebreaker. These teams are separated by less than 10 miles, and both sides will have plenty of motivation to win. This meet could produce a different result thanks to a deeper field near the front of the pack. That could allow Versailles' second and third runners to put more points between themselves and Russia's third and fourth runners. The key to the Tigers' success will be the performance of their fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh runners. If this meet were to come down to another tiebreaker, Russia would have a large advantage, so the back of the Versailles pack will need to step up.
Canal Winchester, Bellbrook, and Oakwood have the opportunity to propel their seasons forward with a major victory over some of the top teams in the area. Canal Winchester and Bellbrook are also in the same division, so a win could be a huge confidence boost come postseason. At the Bob Schul Invitational, Bellbrook defeated Oakwood 50-78, so it will be interesting to see if Oakwood can bounce back and close the gap with Bellbrook.
Athletes to Watch: Jackson Spitzer (Versailles) & Mandy Mark (Cedarville)
Spitzer has the opportunity to accomplish a feat thousands of high school cross-country runners dream of: breaking 15:00. Spitzer currently holds a season best of 15:13 from the Bob Schul Invitational, where he defeated the field by nearly 40 seconds. He also finds himself ranked atop the Division III individual rankings. Last season, Spitzer dropped over 30 seconds from Bob Schul to Piqua, so it will be intriguing to see what he will do.
Last year's champion, Mark, enters the meet seeded fifth. Last year, she ran 18:54.80, narrowly defeating Clair Rodgers and Michaela Flora in a thrilling finish. This year, Michaela Flora is the favorite, entering with a seed time nearly 30 seconds faster than Mark's. If Mark wants to compete with Flora, she'll need to produce a performance similar to last year's. Otherwise, Flora could pull away and avenge last season's race.
Meet Predictions
Top 5 Boys: Jackson Spitzer, Paxson Bixler, Asher Cole, Samuel Phlipot, Jack Rosson
Top 5 Boys' Teams: Versailles, Russia, West Liberty-Salem, Unioto, Oakwood
Top 5 Girls: Michaela Flora, Evelyn Reinoehl, Mandy Mark, Peyton Hughey, Allison High
Top 5 Girls' Teams: Bellbrook, Canal Winchester, Oakwood, Versailles, West Liberty-Salem
Meet Info
A new course will be used this year that includes a hill, a lap around a pond, a new entrance into the stadium, and a new starting line.
Boys
Last year's top three teams: Versailles (57 points), Unioto (103 points), and Cedarville (167 points).
Last year's individual winner: Jackson Spitzer (15:10)
Girls
Last year's top three teams: Canal Winchester (58 points), Cedarville (145 points), and Mechanicsburg (151 points).
Last year's individual winner: Mandy Mark (18:54)
Race Schedule
7:45 p.m. — JH Girls 8:15 p.m. — JH Boys 8:45 p.m.— Open Girls 9:20 p.m.— Open Boys 9:55 p.m.— Team Girls＊ 10:30 p.m.— Team Boys＊
＊Team races are limited to each team’s top seven runners and any seniors who wish to compete.
Location: Piqua Alexander Stadium, Piqua, Ohio
Sources: OATCCC Coaches Poll, Athletic.net, MileSplit Ohio, and Piqua Athletics
