With cross country season set to start on the high school level August 18, the Wooster Daily Record takes a look into who are the top returning cross country runners in Wayne/Holmes County in 2025.
The postseason will start Oct. 18 and the season will conclude at the state finals Saturday, Nov. 1 in Columbus at Fortress Obetz and Memorial Park.
Top returning boys runners
Judah Hershberger, Dalton
Hershberger should be Dalton’s lead runner in his senior season as he’s coming off a Division III state cross country appearance last season where he placed 79th — the highest of all Dalton boy’s runners there.
Tripp Wingate, Norwayne
Wingate is coming into his senior season as a Division II state qualifier last year as a junior, where he finished 92nd overall. His best time of the season came at 15:59.80.
Luke Snyder, Rittman
With cross country across the state of Ohio expanding from three divisons to four starting this 2025-26 season, that means Rittman will be in Division IV. That said, Snyder is likely early favorite heading into this season in the Division IV state 5k race, who won the last two Division III state cross country titles during his sophomore (15:23.10 time at state) and junior (14:58.13) seasons. He also added district and regional titles to his second state title in 2024.
Snyder chasing a state title three-peat will be one of the central storylines to look out for throughout Ohio this cross country season.
Caleb Bolender and Bryen Valerio, Rittman
Bolender and Valerio both played a key part in the Rittman boys finishing ninth at the Division III state meet in the team standings. Expect them both to do the same this season as Valerio placed 61st at state last year (best time of season: 16:30.87) and Bolender was 109th (best time of season: 17:06.28).
Jackson and Jaydon Varner, Waynedale
The Varner brothers will be back at it for their senior seasons as they have both been two of the more consistent runners across Wayne/Holmes County through their prep careers. At last year’s Division III state meet, Jackson earned a state medal with All-Ohio honors placing 16th (15:53.35), while Jaydon came in at 43rd (16:22.39). For Jackson, he placed seventh at both regionals and districts, and Jaydon was 19th at regionals and eighth at districts.
Wyatt Moore, Wayndedale
Along with the Varner brothers, Lucas Miller, Nick St. John, Sabastian Schmeltzer and Noah Shaffer, Moore helped lead Waynedale to a sixth-place overall team finish at last year’s state meet. He also came in 90th as an individual.
Top returning girls runners
Lillith Dreibelbis, Norwayne
Dreibelbis will look to be Norwayne’s top runner coming into the new season as she placed 51st as a junior during last year’s Division III state meet.
Adyson Fosen and Annabelle Snyder, Rittman
As sophomores last season, both Fosen and Snyder made the podium to earn medals as All-Ohioans, with Fosen placing 15th (18:41.81) and Snyder 18th (18:49.24). As juniors, don’t be surprised to see them creep up a little higher at this year’s Division IV state meet.
Brooke Bowlby and Selah Amos, Rittman
Bowlby (41st at Div. III state meet) and Amos (85th at Div. III state meet) were a part of the Rittman girls team that went third overall in the team standings at the Division III state meet. With the majority of their group back, maybe Rittman can finish even higher come November 1.
Kaitlyn Carr, Smithville
Already a three-time state champion in track and field (two in the 1600, one in 3200), the only honor Carr is really missing is a state title in cross country. She’s come close the last two seasons, placing third at the Division III state meet in 2023 (18:02.70) and third last year (17:49.86). Carr will have another great shot at a state crown in her senior year as she’ll surely be one of the main runners to watch in Division IV.
Maryn Erdman, Smithville
Carr’s track and cross country teammate in Erdman will also be one of the runners to pay close attention to in Division IV come postseason time. A Division III track and field state champion in the 800 meters as a freshman in 2024, Erdman has made plenty of strides in cross country these past two years. As a freshman at the Division III XC meet in 2023, she placed 65th. Last year as a sophomore, she moved up to 27th to earn All-Ohio honors. She’ll look to keep making more strides as a junior and hopefully make podium.
Piper Polen, Waynedale
As a freshman, Polen was a Division III state qualifier and finished 95th at state. Her best time last season was 19:46.20.
Iriel Mena, West Holmes
In her freshman season, Mena made the Division II state meet, came in 69th and helped the West Holmes girls team come in 10th in the team standings.
jamessimpson@gannett.com
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