Heartland’s Geiss becomes first county girls champ since ‘92
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OBETZ -- Heartland Christian's Rebecca Geiss posted the school's highest finish at the state cross country meet last year. The sophomore standout won't be able to top what she did Saturday.
Geiss won the school's first state title as she turned back two-time state champion Caleigh Richards of Maplewood in one of the closest finishes in the 95-year history of the OHSAA state cross country meet.
"I thought about it before, but it's not what I was focused on," Geiss said. "I know there is very good competition out there. I went out to have fun. It was a really fun meet."
Her time of 17 minutes, 55.0 seconds is one of the best in area history and was one-tenth of a second ahead of Richards, whom she beat for the first time in cross country.
"I was just in awe," Geiss said. "I don't feel like it's sunk in yet."
"I don't know how she's so fast," Salem sophomore Laura Hovorka said. "She's got some special talent."
Geiss joins Salem's Jenni Brown as the only Columbiana County girls state champions in cross country. Brown won in 1992 as a freshman.
"All the other girls are such great competitors," said Jeff Geiss, her father and coach. "If you run the race next week, you may have different results. But we came out on top today."
Rebecca Geiss worked her way up from 11th early on to fifth after the first mile and second after the second mile.
She and Richards entered the final mile trailing New London senior Reese Landis.
Landis had a nearly 8-second lead until she fell and eventually finished fourth. It was the only race she did not win this year.
"I made a rookie mistake. I looked back and tripped," Landis told the Ashland Times-Gazette. "That's what took the lead away from me."
Then it was down to Geiss and Richards racing for the state title.
"I was right with Caleigh and it was like, we're leading," Geiss said.
Geiss took advantage of the opportunity.
"It's not luck, it's the Lord," she said.
Geiss was barely holding off Richards in the final meters of the race. She could hear Richards closing in by her side.
"I knew if I let it all out there, I would still be happy with myself," Geiss said.
Richards made a surge at the finish line, but so did Geiss.
"I know they are both great competitors and it could have gone either way," Jeff Geiss said.
The top three finishers all came out the Boardman regional as Smithville sophomore Kaitlyn Carr was third.
"I thought with the top five girls, it was just going to be who had the best day," Jeff Geiss said.
That was his daughter.
"It's extremely special," Jeff Geiss said. "I know because I ran in this meet. You think about this race all year. She's a better runner than me. She's more dedicated than I was. I don't know where she gets it from."
Word of Heartland's first state champion spread through the student body.
"They're proud," Jeff Geiss said. "The boys basketball coach stopped practice today and announced it."
It will be exciting to see where she goes in the future.
"Hopefully this gets more kids out running." Jeff Geiss said. "The girls at school see this is someone who is walking in halls with them and you can do this."
Redfern's run
The crowd at Fortress Obetz was still buzzing when the Division III boys took off.
Senior Logan Redfern -- all 114 pounds of him -- became the first Southern runner to compete at the state cross country meet.
"He was nervous, of course," Southern coach Kathy Randolph said. "He ran a great race. Going from 121st at the 450-meter mark to 90th was really great."
Redfern was 90th out of 188 runners (17:24.7).
"That's a good shot in our arm," Randolph said. "The kids know if they buy into the program as much as he has, they can see where they can go."
Meet notes
¯ Richards and Geiss finished one-two in the Division III 3200-meter run at the state track meet in June.
"At the state track meet it was close, but not this close," Geiss said.
¯ Across all three divisions, Geiss was fourth fastest among the 546 girls runners Saturday. She was 36th fastest last year and finished 10th in Division III.
¯ Geiss will be running in the Midwest Regional Championships in Indiana next weekend before taking a couple of weeks off to rest.
"I definitely do want to run, but I like the break," she said. "I think it's good."
¯ Rebecca Geiss wore a pink jersey for the state meet.
"She wanted something different to make it special," Jeff Geiss said. "She'll probably wear it again."
¯ Jeff Geiss said his daughter is looking to pass the cross country times of Boardman's Laurie Gomez, a three-time state champion (1985-87) from Boardman High School. Salem's Jenni Brown set the state mark of 17:15.3 during her 1992 championship run.
"She hasn't looked at Jenni Brown yet," he said.
¯ Everyone calls her Rebecca except for one friend who calls her Bex.
"My dad calls me Becca sometimes," she said. "I don't mind it. He says it to me on the course when he thinks there is something I need to do."