Girls' Cross Country Season Recap

The 2017 girls’ cross country season was one for the record books as the Trojan girls ran their way through the IVC and to Columbus for the State Cross Country Championships.

The season started with high expectations as the girls returned six lettermen from the 2016 state qualifying team. However, the girls also faced new challenges as the team moved up from Division III in 2016 to Division II in 2017. Fortunately, the move to a larger division did not intimidate the girls.  “Moving divisions made us even more determined to be the best we possibly could,” stated junior Kat Gaiser. “We did not let the label intimidate us, and we took on the challenge with full force.”

The girls showed they were up for the challenge early as they traveled to National Trail Raceway and captured first place in the OHSAA Division II-III Preseason Invitational.  The victory was the first of many as the girls would go on to win the Dover Invitational, Tuscarawas County Meet, Cambridge Invitational and IVC Championship.

The girls were all smiles after running away with the IVC title on October 14th.

Following a great regular season the Trojans entered the postseason with high hopes.  Those hopes became reality when the Trojans captured the Division II District Championship at Cambridge.  From there the girls traveled to Pickerington where they placed second and qualified for the Division II State Championships.

The state meet was highlighted by the incredible performance of junior Madisan DeBos.  Debos, who was the IVC and District individual champion, placed fourth at the state meet to capture All-Ohio honors.  Her fourth place finish was the highest individual finish ever for a Tusky Valley girls’ cross country runner. As a team, the girls showed they belonged in Division II as they placed ninth in Division II out of 20 teams at the state meet.

“This season was amazing,” said sophomore Sierra Williams.  “We accomplished so much as a team and became even closer than we already were. We were District champs and Regional runners-up. This was a huge accomplishment for our team.”

The girls placed second at Regionals to qualify for the State Cross Country Championships.

The girls now look forward to a very promising 2018 season as the Trojans will return virtually their entire team losing only senior Emma Potts to graduation.  With the core of the team returning, the Trojans will look to make their third consecutive trip the state meet. “Our team goal for next year is to win State,” said Kat Gaiser.  “We all get goose bumps thinking about how achievable that is.”

How would you summarize the 2017 season?

Kat Gaiser - Business as usual. Although we moved up to a harder division, we did not let that get in the way of our performance and the business we had to accomplish.

Sierra Williams - This season was amazing. We accomplished so much as a team and became even closer than we already were. We were district champs and Regional runners-up. This was a huge accomplishment for our team. Although we didn’t exactly reach our goal for state, we are more ready then ever for next year.

Hannah Hostetler - It was an amazing and challenging season. With new people it was interesting to see where everyone placed and how our team did in Division II compared to Division III. We all also challenged ourselves and set goals to do our best and stay ahead of our competition.

Madisan DeBos - It was a great season. We all pushed really hard and set out goals high. We didn't finish the season how we wanted to but we stepped up in Division II and made it a great season.

Kaylyn Lloyd - Fun and successful :)

What was the team’s biggest strength?  Biggest weakness?

Kat Gaiser - The biggest strength is definitely being there for one another and bonding. Not a day went by where we weren't each other's support system or we weren't cheering each other on, no matter the circumstance. The biggest weakness would be some of us not consistently hitting our weekly miles.

Sierra Williams - Our team’s biggest strength is how close we are as a unit. We push each other to our limits and enjoy time with each other. The reason we do so well is because we enjoy each other so much. Our team’s biggest weakness is having trouble with iron deficiencies.

Hannah Hostetler - Our team's biggest strength is the bond we all have for each other that pushes us to do our best for the team, encourages us to do better, and cares for everyone on the team. Our biggest weakness is keeping up with our iron intake that keeps us strong.

Madisan DeBos - Our biggest strength is how close we all are. We encourage each other and always push each other. We are friends off the course and on the course but on the course we aren't afraid to challenge one another. Our biggest weakness is some people don't get all their weekly miles in.

Kaylyn Lloyd - I think our biggest strength was our friendship and hard work. Our only weakness was the occasional ache and pain, but we all found a way to push through them.

How did moving from Division III in 2016 to Division II in 2017 affect the team?

Kat Gaiser - Moving divisions made us even more determined to be the best we possibly could. We did not let the label intimidate us, and we took on the challenge with full force.

Sierra Williams - We adjusted extremely well to changing divisions. I think it pushed us even more because we felt like we had something to prove. Next year we are definitely shooting for a higher place at state in Division ll.

Hannah Hostetler - It made our team work harder because we knew that we had new competition that we hadn't faced before.

Madisan DeBos - I don't believe it affected the team. We had a saying, “see different, be different” and that's how we looked at this situation. We saw Division II as different but in a  positive way and therefore we were different and we stepped up the plate and ended being runner ups at regionals.

Kaylyn Lloyd - Because we moved to Division II we had to race against harder teams . However, we took the challenge head on and ended up doing really well despite racing against a harder division.

What was your most memorable moment from the 2017 season?

Kat Gaiser - On the course: making it to Regionals as a team and knowing that every race was a step closer to our goals. Off the course: spaghetti dinners and cross camp in Virginia.

Sierra Williams - My most memorable moment was getting runners-up at regionals and making it to state as an individual for the second year in a row along with my teammates Kat and Madi.

Hannah Hostetler - My most memorable moment from the 2017 season is running my very first race and coming up on my second mile marker and shouting that I didn't think I could keep going to Lauren Stotzer and she encouraged me to keep running.

Madisan DeBos - Finishing fourth at the state meet.

Kaylyn Lloyd - The most memorable moments came from our long runs on the trails. We had a lot of laughs!

What was the best thing about being a member of this year’s team?

Kat Gaiser - The best thing about being a member of this team is that I get to have amazing bonds with some of the strongest girls I know. Coming to practice after school, I always knew I had a support system looking out for me.

Sierra Williams - The best part was being a part of something so amazing because we really are a family. I loved getting to experience the fun times and the sad times with them by my side.

Hannah Hostetler - The best thing about being a member of this year's team is all the inside jokes with everyone and becoming closer with our senior Emma Potts during her last season.

Madisan DeBos - Getting to form forever friendships with my team. I love being close to all the girls on the team.

Kaylyn Lloyd - The best part was how close we all got throughout the season. Additionally, everyone was super encouraging and even on our hardest workouts,we pushed ourselves and each other.

What was your favorite course to run on this season and why?

Kat Gaiser - My favorite course was possibly Dover, even though I didn't set a personal record there. It is a challenging course that makes you move to mental toughness and not just physical strength. The only way to get through that course is to be confident in your training and know that you can beat the person in front of you because you are stronger than them in many ways.

Sierra Williams - My favorite course was Pickerington because I ran my personal best there.

Hannah Hostetler - Pickerington because the course was spread out in a way that it did not seem like a long course and there were many breaks through the woods, like the end where as you leave the woods it's a sprint to the finish.

Madisan DeBos - My favorite course to run on this season was Dover because we spend our summer running hills and our whole team is very strong.

Kaylyn Lloyd - My favorite course is our home course because of the beautiful trails and hills.

What is one quality you think a runner must have to achieve success?

Kat Gaiser - Mental toughness. You could be the worst or best runner on the planet, but it all comes down to how mentally tough and determined you are.

Sierra Williams - A runner must have extreme endurance and a strong mental health to get through our workouts and continue to be great.

Hannah Hostetler - Passion.

Madisan DeBos - Determination and being able to push yourself through any amount of pain.

Kaylyn Lloyd - To be a runner, you need to be mentally strong. Additionally, you have to be ready to push yourself harder than you ever thought possible in races and workouts.

The team returns virtually the entire roster next season, what are your goals for next year and what do you have to do to achieve them?

Kat Gaiser - Our team goal for next year is to win State; we all get goose bumps thinking about how achievable that is. My personal goal is to run in the 18:30s. To achieve both these goals, it is going to take a lot of hard work in the summer and it's also going to be the fact of consistently hitting weekly miles. We also can't forget to take our Iron!! That is a key element to feeling well while running.

Sierra Williams - Our biggest goal for next season is to place much higher at state. We will achieve this goal by putting even more miles in over the summer so that we are conditioned and more ready at the start of the season.

Hannah Hostetler - My personal goal next year is to decrease my time and move up in our top five. To achieve this I need to continue to train hard and make sure that I keep my iron intake up so that it doesn't start to wear on me like last season.

Madisan DeBos - Our team goal is top three next year and we have to get our miles in during the summer and train hard to achieve it.

Boys' Cross Country Season Recap

The 2017 boys’ cross country season was a struggle as the team entered the season with just three returning lettermen and not a lot of cross country experience.  The Trojan boys worked hard during the season but the results they were looking for often seemed to elude them. “We didn’t really place at meets but our ability to pack up and run with each other was good,” said junior Michael Leshon. 

The boys' team huddles before placing fourth at the Tuscarawas County meet.

While the team didn’t necessarily get rewarded with strong team results, they did show significant improvement as individual runners throughout the season.  Senior Justin Merrick stated, “The 2017 season was a good season all-around with many teammates getting big personal records.”

While the boys did not experience the same success as their female counterparts, the 2017 cross country season was still a rewarding one.  “The best thing about being a member of this year's team was the camaraderie with my teammates,” stated Senior Justin Merrick.

The highlight of the boys’ season came when they placed 4th at the Tuscarawas County meet.

How would you summarize the 2017 season?

Corey Keim - It was rather normal. Everyone did what they were supposed to do and did it without many complaints.

Justin Merrick - The 2017 season was a good season all-around with many teammates getting big personal records.

Brock Haas - It was fun and it conditioned me well for basketball.

Tyler Stump - I thought the 2017 season went quite well for the boys because of the shortage of runners, while the girls had a tremendous season.

Michael Leshon - It was very rewarding for the girls at least.

Corey Keim - Our biggest strength was working as a pack. Our biggest weakness was that we didn't have our full team together.

Justin Merrick - Our team's biggest strength was that we had five runners below 20 minutes. The biggest weakness was that we didn't have a strong front runner.

Brock Haas - Our strength was getting along without fights and our weakness was not having natural born distance runners,

Tyler Stump - Our biggest strength as a team was our team unity and our biggest weakness is our lack or runners.

Michael Leshon - We didn't really place at meets but our ability to pack up and run with each other was good. Our weakness is not having a lot of guys to be able to place.

What was your most memorable moment from the 2017 season (on or off the course)?

Corey Keim - The most memorable part of the season was when we rigged up the broken tent.

Justin Merrick - My most memorable moment from the 2017 season was Cross Camp.

Brock Haas - Finishing as a pack at Dover.

Tyler Stump - Getting a PR (personal record)  at Cambridge.

Michael Leshon - PRing at Districts.

What was the best thing about being a member of this year’s team?

Corey Keim - The best part was being able to all push each other each race.

Justin Merrick - The best thing about being a member of this year's team was the camaraderie with my teammates.

Brock Haas - Getting conditioned well.

Tyler Stump - Getting to go on vacation with the team.

Michael Leshon - Lettering.

What is one quality you think a runner must have to achieve success?

Corey Keim - Work ethic is essential to improve.

Justin Merrick - One quality that I think a runner must have to achieve success is great work ethic.

Brock Haas - Strength and a strong mind.

Tyler Stump - Determination

Michael Leshon - Mental strength

What was your favorite course to run on this season and why?

Corey Keim - The district course (Cambridge)  for multiple reasons, but mainly because of the uphill finish.

Justin Merrick - My favorite course to run on this season was the North Canton course because it was relatively faster than the other courses.

Brock Haas - Hoover (North Canton)  because it was short and fast.

Tyler Stump - Cambridge cause I PR'd (personal record) there twice.

Michael Leshon - Malone because it was a quick course.

Coach DeBos’ Comments on the 2017 Season  

This was a very successful season of hard-working, friendly, close knit group of runners that I have had the privilege to coach!  My success is measured in the number of lives I've touched and the number of lives that have touched me so this has been a very successful season for me. I love all of our traditions. Some of which the kids came up with, from Cross camp in Virginia, to senior barn signing party, spaghetti dinners at runners homes, and Cross Giving. Our motto this year was “See Different, Be Different.”

Season Results

2017 Cross Country Awards

Madisan DeBos First Team All-Ohioan District Runner of the Year IVC Runner of the Year First Team IVC First Team Tuscarawas County North Canton Invite Champion Cambridge Invitational Champion Dover Invitational Champion Tuscarawas County Champion District Champion	Kathryn Gaiser Individual State Qualifier First Team IVC First Team Tuscarawas County Academic All County Academic All District Academic All-Ohioan	Sierra Williams Individual State Qualifier First Team IVC First Team Tuscarawas County Academic All County Academic All District Academic All-Ohioan
Kaylyn Lloyd First Team IVC First Team Tuscarawas County Academic All County Academic All District Academic All-Ohioan	Emma Potts Honorable Mention IVC Honorable Mention All County Academic All County Academic All District Academic All-Ohioan	Emma Edinger Second Team IVC Second Team All County
Hannah Hostetler Second Team IVC Second Team All County Academic All County Academic All District Academic All-Ohioan	Lauren Stotzer Academic All County	Amanda Ackerman Academic All County
Emma Armstong Honorable Mention All County Academic All County	Justin Merrick Honorable Mention All County Academic All County	Tyler Stump Honorable Mention All County
Brock Haas Academic All County	Corey Keim Academic All County	Sandy DeBos Eastern District Coach of the Year IVC Coach of the Year