ASHLAND — Caleb Brown’s closest competition was motorized.
Shelby’s incomparable distance ace established a new personal record of 15 minutes, 9.4 seconds to easily win the Division II/III race at the Ashland Cross Country Invitational at Freer Field on Saturday.
A senior, Brown finished more than a minute ahead of runner-up Max Gucker of Cloverleaf (16:15.3). The only company he had on the course was the four-wheeler driver and spotter who led the field around the course.
“I probably got within 50 meters (of the four-wheeler),” Brown joked. “I was closing down and then they took off.”
All joking aside, Brown said his target is to run a sub-15 minute race.
“I came up a little bit short,” Brown said. “I went sub-15 in a road race, our home 5K, but my goal is to go sub-15 before the postseason and go from there.”
Having competition would certainly help. Brown had taken a comfortable lead by the time he reached the one-mile marker.
“It may be a lot easier when there is someone pushing right beside you,” he said. “Hopefully later in the season I can get some of that. Hopefully someone will want to go sub-15 with me.”
The Whippets had a score of 83 and finished second behind team champ Fredericktown (80). Crestview (110) was fourth.
Mansfield Christian’s Clay Reynolds finished fifth individually in 16:41.4. Crestview’s Leo Ringler (16:54.6) was sixth, while Plymouth’s Levi Robinson (17:11.1) was seventh. Shelby’s Caden Payne (17:18.8) was eighth and Crestview’s Ian Trent (17:25.9) was 10th.
In the Division I boys race, host Ashland dominated with a team score of 48. Avon (147) finished a distant second.
The Arrows were led by the duo of Dylan Hickey (16:31.0), and Kaden Mendenhall (16:31.1). Cohan Robinson (16:53.4) was 11th, while Joshua Hawley (17:03.6) was 13th and Mason Smith (17:16.2) was 15th.
In girls action, Ontario freshman Brienne Trumpower won her first varsity race in 19:19.1 and the Warriors easily won with a team score of 37. Fredericktown (101) was a distant second.
“It feels good,” Trumpower said. “I’m usually behind my teammate, Grace (Maurer), but today she was working on pacing one of our teammates, so it gave me a chance to win my first race.”
Trumpower’s older sister, Carolina, was fourth in 19:56.8. Ariah Reuer (20:11.6) was fifth, while Maurer (21:00.4) was 10th and Madison Genders (21:47.7) was 18th.
Shelby’s Kayla Gonzales (20:12.3) was sixth. Hillsdale’s Ava Carnegie (21:00.5) was 11th and Loudonville’s Catlyn Kauffman (21:14.7) was 15th.
In the Division I girls race, Madison’s Adrianna Russell was 17th in 20:38.9, while teammate Emily Atwell was 26th in 21:04.8.
Ashland had a pair of top 25 finishers in Danielle Honaker (20:47.8, 20th) and Chloe Smith (20.54.8, 23rd).
