Manchester senior Ryan Butcher-Raines completed his stellar high school cross-country career last weekend by competing in the OHSAA State Meet. (Photo provided)

Manchester senior Ryan Butcher-Raines completed his stellar high school cross-country career last weekend by competing in the OHSAA State Meet. (Photo provided)

<p>The West Union girls cross-country squad was honored with a pep rally at school on October 31 before leaving for their first-ever appearance in the OHSAA State Cross-Country Meet. (Photo courtesy of West Union Athletics)</p>

The West Union girls cross-country squad was honored with a pep rally at school on October 31 before leaving for their first-ever appearance in the OHSAA State Cross-Country Meet. (Photo courtesy of West Union Athletics)

By Mark Carpenter

People’s Defender

It’s been a memorable fall cross-country season for a number of local runners and there’s really no way to make it more memorble than running the final race of the season at Fortress Obetz. Obetz, of course, is the site of the Ohio High School Athletic Association State Cross-Country Meet, which was held on Saturday, November 1 and featured the entire girls team from West Union, the first state appearance ever for the Lady Dragons, plus Manchester senior Ryan Butcher-Raines, running his final race at the state level.

The race likely didn’t go as well as West Union head coach Donnie McCarty and he squad may have liked as they finished 22nd overall in the team standings, but their individual performances gave a lot of hope for the future for a young team.

The Division IV girls race consisted of a field of 214 runners and for the Lady Dragons, their top finisher was sophomore Stella Rhonemus, who placed 85th overall with her state time of 20:32.26. Next down the chute from West Union was junior Lydia Armstrong, finishing 122nd with a time of 21:14.19. Senior Emma Crawford claimed the 197th spot in a time of 23:29.64, while Tabitah Armstrong was #205 with a time of 24:37.04. On the big stage, freshman Aubree Hoop placed at #211 in a time of 27:06.41 and finally senior Nina McCann 213th with a time of 27:54.60.

There were 213 runners in the Division IV boys race, including Manchester’s Butcher-Raines in his final high school race. Butcher-Raines, who earlier thiss eason broke the school record for boys croscountry, ran a 17:19.47 state race, putting him in the top half of the finishers, placing 98th.

“It’s hard to believe I’ve got just one more day to coach this young man,” said Manchester head coach in a social media post before the race. “It’s been an incredible four years watching him grow on and off the course.”