After finishing top five during her first three years, which included a runner-up effort in 2023 to teammate Ava Huck, Fort Frye senior Cadence Waller sped to victory with a time of 19 minutes and 45 seconds to win Saturday's 25th annual Elizabeth S. Broughton Memorial Invitational and help the Cadets repeat as team champions. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

Here Saturday morning during the 25th annual Elizabeth S. Broughton Memorial Invitational, persistence finally paid off for Fort Frye senior Cadence Waller.

After finishing fifth, fourth and runner-up last year to teammate Ava Huck, Waller eclipsed the 20-minute mark on the new course and topped the field with a winning clocking of 19 minutes and 45 seconds.

Fort Frye, which had five of the top 11 finishers thanks to Camryn Huck (5th, 20:35), Laine Spindler (6th, 20:53), Ava Huck (7th, 21:34) and Natalie Rauch (11th, 22:26), secured a 29-53 victory against Warren to defend its title.

“That’s pretty good. I mean we have big goals as a team so I like to see that now. That’s good,” said a drenched Waller, who noted she was wearing a hoodie earlier in the morning. “Everyone on my team is a senior except we have two freshmen.

Warren High School sophomore Luke Rettenberger is in full stride coming down the final hill during Saturday's 25th annual Elizabeth S. Broughton Memorial Invitational. The Warrior topped the field with a time of 16 minutes and 11 seconds. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

“Big year. A lot we want to do. It’s going good. Everyone trained really hard in the summer. Definitely put more work in than we ever have. I think we’re coming in a lot stronger than we have before so that’s good.”

Waller finished ahead of runner-up Ida Estadt from Shenandoah by 13 seconds. The Zep was third in 2023.

Shadyside’s Chloe Meholovitch (3th, 20:09) and Warren’s Ashlee Pate (4th, 20:21) rounded out the top five.

The course was altered as the thinclads no longer run across the low water bridge.

“I looked at the course map, but I’ve ran the old course the last five years,” Waller said of not walking it. “Looking at the map I could kind of tell because I know the course very well. It was a lot easier than the old one because you don’t climb the double hill. You only climb one hill on the second mile, so it was a lot faster for sure. I’ve never broke 20 here before and I don’t think I would’ve with the old course. Today was more about strategy, getting used to our paces because it’s one of our first races.

Waterford's Gavin Offenberger (5823) runs with Shenandoah's Jarrett Wentworth (5804) during Saturday's 25th annual Elizabeth S. Broughton Memorial Invitational. The Zep finished runner-up with a time of 16:31, which was 11 seconds ahead of Offenberger. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

“We just wanted to get comfortable with the paces we are planning on running so we just kind of played around a little today and it worked out good. It definitely warmed up. It was a good race because I like my spot obviously, but I did not really listen to what my coach said to do as far as pacing. I did not pace. I was supposed to go out faster the second mile and slower the first and I didn’t really listen. I didn’t mean to, but it was good. I can’t complain about winning.”

Warren also had top 20 showings from Rania Singh (8th, 21:50), Cate Edgell (14th, 22:47), Julianna Huffman (18th, 23:46) and Abby Whited (19th, 23:51).

Belpre, which was led by Shy Miller’s ninth-place clocking of 21:59, nipped Shadyside for third, 96-97.

Host Marietta was led by Hailey Powell’s time of 22 minutes and 30 seconds, which was good for 12th.

Also earning top 20 efforts were West Muskingum’s Ayla Mower (10th, 22:03), Waterford’s Emma Schaad (13th, 22:40), Shenandoah’s Jusdena Clark (15th, 23:14), Caldwell’s Megan Lowe (16th, 23:29), Buckeye Trail’s Kloie Eagon (17th, 23:35) and Shadyside’s Val Boltz (20th, 30:56).

Shenandoah's Isa Estadt placed second in Saturday's Broughton Invite. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

The Shenandoah boys had just enough to edge Warren for the team title, 37-45, but Warrior sophomore Luke Rettenberger crossed in 16:11, which was 20 seconds ahead of Zep Jarrett Wentworth’s runner-up effort.

“I’m just so happy for them seeing a lot of them so far who just did great,” the Warrior said of his teammates. “They ran out and got it done. I just watched a few of them come in that I didn’t think were going to come in so fast. I didn’t think I was going to come in so fast either.

“It’s the first time running the changed course. There was a few small field loops and there’s some strategy to getting around people in there, but a lot of it is just in the field so nothing really changed that much.”

Rettenberger said he basically just ran his race.

“We got up the hill and I just tried to keep catching up to him and staying on him,” admitted the Warrior. “I stayed around him until about a mile and a half and then I was able to work my way past him. I was sick a few weeks before.

“My dad had me training all through the summer, especially working with the coaches and it’s just great they were able to help me through to get here. I’m so excited to see what we can do this season. I see we have a lot of potential and it’s time to put that into action.”

Although Wentworth was more than happy to help his team win the championship, he was hoping to make his final Broughton run a victorious one.

“I just wanted to get out strong and set the tone and see where it takes me from there and hold my pace,” Wentworth said. “I was looking to win today, 100%. I’m not content until I get first. It (the course) was a little different.

“There are a lot of turns there toward the end of the second mile and a little bit into the third. I think I’m fine with this. I like the new change. We got a good future ahead of us with me and my team behind me.”

Waterford’s Gavin Offenberger knew he was up against some tough competition and tried to stay within himself.

“My goal was to run with Jarrett this race and I ran with him more than I usually do,” admitted the Wildcat junior, whose 16:42 was 11 ticks off Wentworth’s showing.

“I have to go out strong and fast and try to hold that because I don’t have the length-wise to make it up later in the race. I 100% PR’d today.”

The Warriors of head coach Ryan Werry also had scoring runs from Spencer Rehl (5th, 17:24), Alex Bishop (8th, 17:42), Tyler Frye (12th, 18:01) and Carter Norman, whose 19:54 placed him one position outside the top 20.

Wentworth was followed by fellow Zeps Chuck Estadt (4th, 16:55), Emmitt Slevin (6th, 17:30), Peyton Forshey (11th, 17:59) and Noah McElroy (15th, 18:18). Shenandoah’s Kaden Rossiter didn’t factor in the team scoring, but crossed in 18:47 to place 18th.

The race for third came down to a single point with Marietta besting Waterford, 104-105.

Ian Putnam (9th, 17:51), Elliott Schramm (16th, 18:25) and Emmett Parman (19th, 18:53) led the Tigers, while the Wildcats received a 10th place effort from Troy Gibson (17:57).

Belpre’s Johnny Miller (7th, 17:31), West Muskingum’s Jacob Agin (13th, 18:11), Fort Frye’s Brody Griffen (17th, 18:42) and Philo’s Ryan Morris (20th, 18:58) also picked up individual hardware.

Sauro leads WHS girls to Autumn Classic three-peat

ST. MARYS – For the third consecutive year Williamstown High School was led to the Autumn Classic championship with the help of now senior Alyssa Sauro.

The Yellowjacket, who won with a time of 16:52 in 2022 and 17:18 last year, finished in 17 minutes and 12 seconds to outlast runner-up Maysen Fletcher of Herbert Hoover by 10 seconds as WHS posted a winning effort of 58 points with Braxton County (85) and the host Blue Devils (97) following.

Cassie Sites finished fifth with a final clocking of 19:37 for the Yellowjackets, who also had solid runs from Lexi Wynn (13th, 20:42), Sylvia Harris (25th, 21:59) and Kina Engle (34th, 22:34).

Anna Bennett (10th, 20:16) was one of three St. Marys runners to finish in the top 30 alongside Natalie Bartrug (16th, 21:22) and Maddie Smith (24th, 21:58). Savana Burd (37th, 22:46) and Avry Bennett (47th, 23:18) also scored for the Blue Devils.

John Marshall’s Zoe Zervos, who was runner-up in 2023 as a freshman, finished fourth with a time of 18:43. Buckhannon-Upshur’s Samantha Shreve placed third with a 17:55.

Rounding out the top 10 were Hampshire’s Bailey Nichols (6th, 19:58), Oak Glen’s Lacey Cameron (7th, 20:01), Doddridge County’s Bailey Holden (8th, 20:06) and Braxton County’s Laura Cain (9th, 20:09).

Also collecting hardware from the area for top 30 efforts were South Harrison’s Savannah Holden (11th, 20:19) and Dakota James (20th, 21:38), Doddridge County’s Cassidy Cumberledge (14th, 20:53) and Kaitlyn Key (26th, 22:03) along with Braxton County teammates Bethany Payne (19th, 21:32), Reece Carpenter (27th, 22:04) and Teagan Huff (29th, 22:10).

Tyler Consolidated’s Amos Kimble went 15:29 to win the title ahead of Williamstown runner-up Julian Johnson’s 16:07 effort. Grafton’s MJ Niggemyer (16:16), Silver Knight Travis Moore (16:24) and Doddridge County’s Carter Sias (16:25) rounded out the top five.

St. Marys, which had top 30 finishes by Max Dauch (6th, 16:29), Bryce Bills (21st, 17:17) and Parker Barnes (29th, 17:35), also had scoring runs by Reece Westfall (31st, 17:38) and Jay Mote (41st, 18:09) as the Blue Devils’ 119 total was three points better than runner-up Charleston Catholic.

Grafton (144), Williamstown (150) and Buckhannon-Upshur (171) placed third through fifth.

Following Dauch for the remainder of the top 10 were Hampshire’s Wyatt Thorne (16:36), Williamstown’s Will Coiner (16:39), Charleston Catholic’s Will Barton (16:41) and Buckhannon-Upshur’s Jack Waggy (16:43).

Bulldog Samuel Gola (16th, 17:00), Magnolia’s Landen Davis (18th, 17:13), Ravenswood’s Gavin Wilburn (24th, 17:24), Wood County Christian’s Koa Navarro (25th, 17:25) and Silver Knight Brody Nice (27th, 17:27) were the only other area thinclads to finish in the top 30.