Salem’s Maggie Hall, Beaver Local’s Hannah Ruberto, Heartland’s Rebecca Geiss and Salem’s Maggie Hopple compete in the Columbiana County Cross Country Meet on Thursday. (Photo by Ron Firth)

SALEM — Heartland Christian junior Rebecca Geiss wasn’t worried about her place in her last race. She was Thursday at the Columbiana County Cross Country Meet.

Geiss won her third straight county title in runaway fashion, covering the 3.1-mile course at Waterworth Memorial Park in 18 minutes, 30.78 seconds.

“I feel like toward the middle the season times don’t matter as much,” Geiss said. “All of the courses are different and you can’t compare times.”

At the Suburban League Championships last week, the defending Division III state champion was the pacesetter for freshman teammate Gabby McDowell and finished 29th instead of trying to repeat as the race champion.

“A lot of people thought it was nice,” Geiss said. “I think it’s about building team atmosphere. She was happy. She had a huge PR (personal record). I thought it was really good helping her.”

Geiss pulled ahead from the start Thursday and finished 84 seconds ahead of Salem senior Maggie Hopple.

“I don’t have to tell (our girls) anything,” Salem coach Ted Yuhaniak said. “They know.”

“She’s such a nice girl,” Hopple said. “She’s always a good face to see.”

The county meet was postponed two days due to the weather forecast on Tuesday.

“I just won’t be able to do as many workouts this week,” Geiss said. “We split them up.”

She said she runs about 40 miles a week plus cross training.

Geiss will be running at the Legends Meet on the fast Trumbull County Fairgrounds course on Oct. 5 before going on tempo run at the Clipper Invitational on Oct. 12.

“I want to PR again,” she said. “I came close at Wooster.”

Geiss’ top time is 17:55.0 during her state championship run last November.

Her time of 17:56.90 at the Wooster Invitational on Sept. 7 ranks in the top 10 times in Ohio this season.

Geiss in aiming at chasing her PR at the Legends Meet.

“They’ll fly there,” Yuhaniak said. “Hopefully it will be dry.”

Meet notes

¯ Geiss doesn’t think she is unbeatable.

“We’re all racing the same course,” she said. “We’ve got an equal shot at the beginning of the race.”

¯ There were 55 boys and 46 girls in the high school races. Salem accounted for 18 boys and 12 girls.

¯ The top runner for the Columbiana girls, Maddie Jackson, went to the sectional golf tournament instead on Thursday. She helped the Clippers win the Division III sectional title at Pine Lakes Club.

¯ Columbiana, East Palestine, Lisbon, Southern and United will be at the Eastern Ohio Athletic Conference Meet at Columbiana High School on Tuesday.

¯ Salem swept the junior high races with Taven Tice winning the boys and Addison Hopple –Maggie’s younger sister– the girls for the second straight year.