OBETZ—Several Chagrin Valley Conference athletes made their mark at the 2025 OHSAA State Cross Country Championships on Saturday at Fortress Obetz, led by West Geauga junior Ian Res, who earned first-team All-Ohio honors with a sixth-place finish in the Division II boys’ race.
Res clocked in at 15:37.06, improving on last year’s showing and finishing among the state’s elite. His teammate Jacob Williams, a senior, also represented the Wolverines, finishing 89th in 16:47.35. Madison senior Owen Bottar capped his high school career in 103rd place with a time of 16:52.87.
In the Division III boys competition, Chagrin Falls junior Kelan Byrne earned first-team All-Ohio honors, placing 19th in 15:53.31, while sophomore James Marcin claimed second-team All-Ohio recognition with a 32nd-place finish in 16:16.12.
The Tigers placed 10th overall as a team with 270 points, thanks to strong pack running from Zach Huey (88th, 16:53.84), TJ Mitchell (125th, 17:13.03), Peter Mitchell (132nd, 17:19.11), Alec Gresh (136th, 17:23.86), and Michael Hanley (145th, 17:28.32).
Orange also cracked the top 25 with 540 points, led by Griffin Berlin (89th, 16:53.92) and Ishan Bhatt (112th, 17:07.94). Other Lion finishers included Calvin Schroer (177th, 18:02.57), Chase Lepene (181st, 18:10.75), Sam Melvey (192nd, 18:25.30), Landon Bell (193rd, 18:25.35), and Spencer Wolinetz (197th, 18:29.69).
Edgewood’s boys placed 22nd with 550 points, led by Garret Tracy (66th, 16:42.19) and followed by Carter Cline (159th, 17:39.25), Robert Knox (164th, 17:43.27), Reece Kovach (167th, 17:45.82), Elliott Tobie (204th, 19:07.57), Marcus Lebzelter (206th, 19:09.99), and John Cline (211th, 19:53.49).
Jefferson Area was represented by Luke Sly (51st, 16:31.84) and Cody Weber (107th, 17:04.99).
In the Division III girls’ race, Chagrin Falls sophomore Gabby Byrne led all CVC competitors with a 30th-place finish in 19:03.65, earning second-team All-Ohio honors. Teammate Lindsay Fisher, a freshman, placed 59th in 19:52.17, and the Tigers finished 19th overall with 414 points. Other finishers for Chagrin Falls included Mackenzie Verderber (135th, 21:04.69), Claire Hoelzel (166th, 21:48.31), Darcy Osborn (205th, 23:14.70), Clara Zabik (207th, 23:31.79), and Sophia Link (215th, 26:13.70).
Orange sophomore Marina Campbell also secured second-team All-Ohio honors, placing 33rd in 19:10.50. For Beachwood, senior Alexandra Kheyfets finished 51st (19:42.19), and sophomore Meena Abdul-Basser ran 89th (20:20.39). Crestwood’s Madie Grace Gonczy (52nd, 19:43.89) and Piper Seibold (68th, 19:58.44) also had strong performances, while Jefferson’s Grace Dzura, a freshman, finished 38th (19:22.41) to earn second-team All-Ohio honors.
In Division IV, Kirtland senior Izzie Copeland capped a stellar career with a seventh-place finish (18:43.89), earning first-team All-Ohio honors. She led the Hornets to a 10th-place team finish with 281 points.
Also scoring for Kirtland were Kylie Sayle (75th, 20:25.17), Nadija Mrva (93rd, 20:38.31), Anna Hill (109th, 20:55.08), Danika Schaum (146th, 21:38.89), Megan Urbanick (166th, 22:06.06), and Sarah Zivko (175th, 22:35.14).
In the Division IV boys’ race, Kirtland’s Joey Ciavarelli finished 117th in 17:32.52, representing the Hornets.
The CVC placed several runners among the state’s best, with first-team honors going to Ian Res (West Geauga), Kelan Byrne (Chagrin Falls), and Izzie Copeland (Kirtland), while six more earned second-team recognition — a strong showing for one of the state’s most competitive leagues.
