Charlie Fondale Cambridge Bobcats Invitational
Week 7 of cross country brings in an invitational dating back at least 15 years. The Cambridge Invitational is taking place on October 3rd, 2026, with 2 high school races: HS Boys 5k (10:00am) and HS Girls 5k (10:45am). Cambridge is also hosting a middle school boys & girls 2 mile (11:30am and 12:00pm respectively), and two youth races with boys running at 12:30pm and girls running at 12:50pm. Parking costs $2, and admission into the meet is $5. Cambridge is a hilly and sunny course, and has lots of opportunities for spectators to cheer on the athletes. The race begins in a field funneling into a gradual incline, and finishes out with a steep uphill before the final stretch, testing the guts of every runner. With little to no shade cover over the course, it's a good thing the forecast is looking to be cool, only hitting a high of 68 degrees in the afternoon.
In previous years, Cambridge divided high school results based on division. However, beginning in 2025, they moved to a single-section format, meaning that all 4 divisions compete in one race. Results and more information can be found at https://www.athletic.net/CrossCountry/meet/280218/info.
Looking Back at Boys 2025, looking ahead to 2026
The 2025 Varsity boys saw upperclassmen only in their top 9, with the winner, Chase Daniels (16:45), and the third place finisher, Jakob Schmidt-Weigand, both graduating. Second place finisher Ian Putnam was only a junior, but is not attending Cambridge this year. As for top finishers who are returning, Nolan Patacca of Indian Valley finished 5th last year, and could be looking for a chance to move up this year. Luke Sheets of Crooksville only placed 10th last year, but is already matching his PR this season, putting him in the running for a high finishing spot. The top returner is senior Cade Conrad of Tuscarawas Valley, who recently reached a new PR of 16:34 and is ranked #1 coming into the race. Conrad placed 6th as a junior, and has a chance to win it for his final season.
Looking at top returners won't tell the whole story, though. Brayden Biddle placed 20th last year with a time of 18:13.10, but has now hit a new PR this season of 16:49.0. Biddle is ranked #2 for the meet in season bests. Zane Boyd had an incredible jump as well, placing 61st last year with a 19:27.50, and now coming into the 2026 season with a 16:49.8 and ranked #3, a huge improvement from his previous season.
As for team scores, last year the Dover boys dominated, winning by 63 points. This year, Dover isn't attending Cambridge, leaving the spot open for other teams to slide in. Tuscarawas Valley could be looking for that title, placing 2nd last year and just narrowly losing to Dover at the recent Tuscarawas County meet. Carrollton is also in the running, with several runners under 18 minutes in the season. Logan High School also boasts 3 runners under 18, but their next 4 runners are still in the 19s. Morgan placed 3rd last year, with front runner Carson Steimer placing 11th and ranked 5th for the season bests coming into Cambridge 2026.
Girls: Returning Champion & Tight Competition
Kali Wallace is a name that keeps reappearing at Cambridge: every single year she has raced at the Cambridge Invitational, she's won it. In 2025, her junior season, she crossed the line in 19:25.10. She was followed by Ida Estatdt of Shenandoah, who finished in 19:42.40, then Hailey Powell of Marietta in 19:44.20. All top three finishers in 2025 were juniors, but only two will be returning to Cambridge in 2026. Wallace has hit a new PR of 18:22 this season, putting her firmly in #1 in the rankings. Hailey Powell, on the other hand, has only ran a 22:13 on the season, but holds a PR of 18:53. The final top returner is Josie Eick of Tuscarawas Valley, who placed 4th last year and holds a SB of 19:45 and a PR of 18:59, putting her in the top contenders for Cambridge once again.
Looking at a couple other entries, Ashlynn Kuklica of John Glenn (who is new to Cambridge this season), holds a SB of 19:21, and a PR of 18:24, ranking her #2 for the Cambridge Invitational. Depending on how Kuklica performs this Saturday, it could be a very close match-up in the top three. Senior Erin Hogue placed 5th last year, but has moved up to potentially getting 3rd when comparing season-bests. She has ran a 19:37 on the season, and holds a PR of 18:55.
The race for the team title is going to be close- last year, Tuscarawas Valley came away securely with the win, defeating Indian Valley by 37 points. However, this year, the competition will be much closer. Indian Valley has come out ahead of TV three times this season, with the most recent at the Tuscarawas County Meet. IV beat out TV by just 2 points, so both teams are likely to be on the search for the title. Logan High School is a key contender for the meet too, placing 3rd at Pickerington North XC Classic and winning decisively by 37 points at the Patty Forgey Invitational.
Long Standing History & Upcoming Post-Season
The Cambridge Invitational is a long-standing piece of Northeast Ohio cross country, and this season is no different. A few teams have come and gone over the years, but the meet stays. This year is sure to bring heated competition between individuals and teams alike. The top 3 teams will get plaques, and the top 40 individuals in each race will receive medals. Cambridge is also the site of the East District tournament, leading many athletes to race at Cambridge to get a feel for the Districts course beforehand. Cambridge also falls towards the end of the regular season, so things are warming up as races get more serious. Every team will be racing their best on the demanding course on Saturday.
