MOVL Led By Newcomers | News, Sports, Jobs - Wheeling Intelligencer

Photo by Seth Staskey Paden City’s Lexi Mathis leads River’s Camryn Caldwell in the MOVL Cross Country Championship held Tuesday in Hannibal. Mathis finished fourth overall to earn All-MOVL distinction.

HANNIBAL — The second annual Mid Ohio Valley League Cross Country Championship was dominated by league newcomers Tuesday.

Barnesville, which was the lone school to have a full girls team and one of just two with a full boys team, reigned in that regard, but even individual, Shamrocks senior Tyler Jenkins and River sophomore Mara Beard were the champions.

While the Shamrocks are competing in their first school year as members of the still relatively new conference, River was a charter member. However, there was no MOVL CC meet held in 2020 due to low numbers among the sport-sponsoring schools, so Beard was taking part in her first league meet as well.

Jenkins ran away with the boys title, touring the 3.1 miles course that is ran in the area near the Hannibal Locks and Dam, in 16:58. He was 70 seconds ahead of his nearest competitor.

“Winning this definitely means a lot to me,” Jenkins said. “Nothing like joining the league, in the first year, and to win a title. Plus, our school won golf, too.”

Jenkins is continuing to keep his eyes on the season’s bigger prizes that are down the road like the OVAC and then into the OHSAA postseason.

“I didn’t expect to run a personal record (Tuesday),” Jenkins said.

“I am trusting the process right now because we’re starting to get into the peaking phase of my training. I am staying at about the same mileage that I’ve been running, but I’ll be dropping it when we start doing more speed workouts.”

Along with Jenkins, the Shamrocks captured four of the top eight spots overall.

Freshman Conner Starr continues to be impressive in his first season. He placed third in 18:16.

Classmate Braedon Willis was seventh in 18:56 and junior Logan Todd was eighth in 19:23.

“I am happier for my teammates, in this meet, honestly,” Jenkins said. “I am really excited to see some of the times the guys are running. It’s more of a team sport than people make it out to be.”

The top eight overall finishers earn the distinction of All-MOVL.

All told, four schools garnered a boys all-league honoree.

Bridgeport’s John Tully was the runner-up, posting a solid 18:08.

The Brothers Salget — Landen and Holden — finished fourth and fifth, respectively for Shadyside. Landen checked in with an 18:29 and Holden crossed the finish line a second later.

Buckeye Local, also competing in the MOVL for the first year, was led by senior Cai McKeever, who was sixth in 18:33.

GIRLS

River sophomore Mara Beard continues to find herself racing more against the clock than the field as she heads toward the latter portion of the season.

And after she crossed the line with the MOVL Championship, she quickly glanced at the clock and saw 20:41, meaning she had ran a new season-best mark.

“I felt like I was running pretty fast, so I thought I would have a good time,” Beard explained.

That was the progress Beard was hoping for because after she won the Belmont County Invitational last Wednesday, Beard wasn’t totally pleased. However, it’s just part of the season-long journey.

“I think I would like to be (running) some better times by now, but we don’t have any meets the next two weeks, so I am really going to work hard and hopefully get my times to drop,” Beard said.

The Pilots entered only two runners and senior Camryn Caldwell joined Beard in the top three, placing third in 21:47.

Barnesville, which was the lone school to field a complete team of at least five runners, snagged four spots on the All-League squad.

Placing fifth was Marah Bethel, who ran 22:10; sixth was Aubrey Johnson, who ran 22:17; seventh was Emma Helmick, who crossed in 22:48, and eighth was Delana Jenkins, who posted a 23:29.

Shadyside’s Kenzy Beckett was runner-up in 21:14.

Paden City, which just joined the league in June, has its first All-League performer in Lexi Mathis, who ran a 21:53 to finish fourth.

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

Adblock test (Why?)