Heartland’s Sawyer Szabo and Salem’s Sam Yakubek compete in the Columbiana County Cross Country Meet on Thursday at Waterworth Memorial Park in Salem.

SALEM — The Columbiana County Cross Country Meet means more to the Salem Quakers.

“It’s important,” Salem sophomore Sam Yakubek said.

“We build it up for the program,” Salem coach Ted Yuhaniak said.

The Quakers swept the county meet for the 10th straight year Thursday. The Salem girls have won 11 in a row and 21 of the last 23 years.

“We’ve been working and trust our training,” Salem senior Maggie Hopple said. “At the end of the day, if you do the miles, it shows at the end of the race.”

The Salem boys — with six of the top nine runners — won with 20 points. Beaver Local was second with 54.

The Salem girls had five of the top seven runners for 18 points. Columbiana was second with 67 points, one point ahead of Southern.

“I am very pleased,” Yuhaniak said. “The big goals strategywise was to keep the gaps down. They did a great job.”

Yakubek won the boys race for his first varsity victory.

“I wanted to place in the top five,” he said. “I never thought I’d win.”

He passed Heartland Christian senior Sawyer Szabo with about 400 meters to go and sprinted to the finish with a winning time of 16 minutes, 48.47 seconds at Waterworth Memorial Park.

“I thought he’d be in there,” Yuhaniak said.

The meet was postponed Tuesday due to the weather forecast.

“I was kind of bummed, but I was excited we had two more days of rest,” Yakubek said.

Following Yakubek for the Quakers were senior Parker Warren in third, sophomore Luke Stephens in fifth, junior Aiden Wright in seventh, junior Cooper Barth in 11th and freshman Alex Rea in 12th.

“I think they all pushed their hardest,” Yakubek said. “They pushed and our training paid off.”

The county meet was so important that Hopple returned for her first race in three weeks, suffering from what may be a bone spur on her heel.

“I was in the pool for a week,” she said. “I missed running with the girls. I’ve been getting back into it. I’ve been cutting down on miles.”

It was a race day decision.

“I didn’t know she was going to run until 5-10 minutes before the race,” Yuhaniak said.

“I was a little nervous,” Hopple said. “I didn’t know how it would feel because I got new shoes. The other ones were rubbing against my heel.”

There was no need to worry. Hopple finished the 3.1-mile course in 19:55, good for second place behind Heartland Christian junior Rebecca Geiss.

There were many Quakers right behind her. Senior Maggie Hall was third, sophomore Cassidy Wallace was fifth, senior Klaire Jaquette was sixth and junior Laura Hovorka was seventh.

“If the girls can get healthy, they both look like they are right in there (for state),” Yuhaniak said.

Jill Pieren, who was the Quakers’ third runner earlier this season, did not run Thursday due to a knee injury.

“You do your best,” Hopple said. “The goal at the end of the season (is state). We hope so, but you never know everything will align. We’ll know in the end, we did our best.”

Meet notes

¯ Salem will compete in the Legends Meet on Oct. 5 and the always-tough Eastern Buckeye Conference Meet at Marlington on Oct. 12.

The Minerva girls have won Ohio Division II state titles two of the last three years and could be on track for another.

“The boys are right there with Minerva,” Yuhaniak said. “The girls, you’ve got Marlington and Minerva is going to be tough. They are going to be there again.”

¯ The Quakers will open the district meet at Canton GlenOak on Oct. 19.

“Our team would like to make it to state, but our region is going to be tough,” Yakubek said. “We’ve got a lot time to work.”