SAYBROOK TOWNSHIP—Jefferson senior Luke Sly blazed past the competition to win the 2025 War on the Shore cross country meet, clocking in at 17:28.9 to secure the boys’ individual title.
Sly’s victory set the tone for the Falcons, who surged to a third-place team finish. He had plenty of backup, too—teammate Cody Weber crossed the line in third place with a 17:36, while Preston Hitchcock added an 11th-place finish in 18:59.
Just behind Sly, Madison senior Owen Bottar claimed the runner-up spot with a strong 17:32 effort.
The Chagrin Valley Conference produced plenty of firepower in the top 20. Edgewood’s Garret Tracy raced to fifth in 18:11.6, while Geneva’s Joalexander Sanchez grabbed 13th in 19:07.4. Conneaut’s Hamilton Spero rounded out the CVC standouts in 19th with a time of 20:01.7.
Grand Valley’s John Cline (10th, 18:47.9), Carter Cline (14th, 19:15.2), and Reece Kovach (16th, 19:28.1) also delivered clutch performances for their squads.
On the girls’ side, Jefferson freshman Grace Dzura turned heads as the top CVC finisher, charging to a fourth-place finish in 22:05.8. She was joined in the top 20 by teammate Mara Gilman, who finished 12th in 24:44.4.
Conneaut’s Anna Ring broke into the top 10 with an eighth-place finish in 23:46.8, while Geneva showcased its depth with three runners in the top 20: Taylor Noce (14th, 25:08.9), Riley Andrusis (16th, 25:22.8), and Grace Andrus (19th, 25:37.7).
Madison’s Molly Canfield snagged 17th in 25:27.6, and Lakeside’s AnnaMae Walter closed out the CVC contingent with a 20th-place finish in 25:51.9.
