Heartland Christian’s Rebecca Geiss gets passed by Legacy Christian’s Caroline Hamilton, who won the Division III state cross country title Saturday. (Salem News/Ron Firth)

OBETZ — Heartland Christian junior Rebecca Geiss has more things on her to-do list.

Geiss finished 1.19 seconds from a second state championship Saturday at the Division III state cross country meet.

Her time of 17 minutes, 44.44 seconds was one of the fastest in Columbiana County history as she took second place on the 3.1-mile course at Fortress Obetz.

“It gives me a drive to keep going,” Geiss said. “There’s more I can do. I’m going to keep getting better and come back next year and do even better.”

Caroline Hamilton, a senior at Legacy Christian Academy in Xenia, passed Geiss in the final 50 meters to win the state title in 17:43.25.

Hamilton and Geiss ran the fastest times in the five years the Division III state meet has been held at Fortress Obetz.

“It depends on the day,” Geiss said. “She was a little better today.”

Hamilton was near the leaders until she fell with about a mile to go.

“My goal was just to stick with Kaitlyn Carr and Rebecca Geiss and let them pace me because I’ve had to run by myself a lot this year,” Hamilton told the Dayton Daily News. “I felt amazing. They paced me perfectly until I fell.”

She closed the gap and caught up with Geiss on the final straightaway.

Last year Geiss beat two-time state champion Caleigh Richards of Maplewood by one-tenth of a second in one of the closest races in the state meet history.

“It was the same race as last year,” Geiss said.

South Range senior Emmitt Slabach watched after placing seventh in the boys race.

“It was close,” he said. “She ran really good.”

It was Geiss’ personal best by five seconds.

“I’m so happy,” she said. “In these conditions, I thought I could run a PR (personal record).”

Geiss was 20th early in the race before getting up to fourth after the first mile.

“That was my plan– to start at the back and work my way up,” she said.

Hamilton has come on this season after placing 26th at the state cross country meet last year (19:20.5).

Geiss didn’t remember her from last year.

“I knew she had the best time coming out of regionals,” she said.

Hamilton also was 12th in the 1600-meter run at the state track meet earlier this year.

“Going into her senior year, she’s just running faster,” Geiss said.

She has another year of high school to get back on top of the podium.

“It’s something I can aim for next year,” Geiss said. “I’m really grateful for getting this far and for the Lord for bringing us this sport.”

Meet notes

• Four of the top five finishers in the Division III girls race came from the Boardman regional.

Geiss, the regional champion, was second, Smithville junior Kaitlyn Carr was third (17:49.86), McDonald freshman Noami Sheesley was fourth (17:50.63) and Loudonville senior Tess Shultz was fifth (18:18.65).

• Athens junior Sophia Szolosi — who beat Geiss in the OHSAA Early Bird Invitational at Fortress Obetz on Aug. 17 — won the Division II state title by nearly 29 seconds.

Her time of 17:39.61 would have been faster if she hadn’t missed the last gate and had to run back through it.

• Geiss said she plans to take this week off before running at the Nike Midwest Regional in Indiana on Nov. 17.

She’ll take a small break after that and will resume training outside, even throughout the winter.

“It’s definitely not my favorite,” she said.

Geiss also will run in “one or two” indoor track meets.