Local Sports

Salem’s one big, happy family at state

OBETZ -- The more than better for the Salem girls cross country team.

The Salem girls ran at the state cross country meet for a sixth year in a row and both boys and girls teams reached state for the first time since 2005.

“It is a very special moment sharing in this with the boys,” Salem sophomore Addison Hopple said. “It’s exciting we’re both down here.”

The boys finished eighth and the girls were ninth out of 24 teams in their respective divisions.

“It was a pretty historic weekend,” Salem coach Ted Yuhaniak said. “I’m awfully excited for them and their families. There is no better spot for the season to end. All their hard work paid off.”

The Salem girls were ninth in the Division III girls, one place behind Minerva, with 264 points.

“We came in here ranked (18th), so we are happy,” Hopple said.

Three Quakers ran under 20 minutes with three runners getting career bests, two with season bests and Hopple missing her fastest time by one second.

“We’re all super close,” Hopple said. “We’ve all been running together for so long.”

Hopple finished 17th out of 212 runners. She completed the 3.1 mile course at Fortress Obetz in 18 minutes, 48.2 seconds, just one second off her personal best and 77 seconds better than last year’s state time.

All of the Quakers joined in.

Junior Liliana Pimentel Alexander was 51st (a career-best 19:51.5), senior Emily Sinsley was 61st (a career-best 19:58.0), sophomore Chaya Murray was 113th (a season-best 20:33.4), senior Cassidy Wallace was 159th (a season-best 21:05.4), senior Chloe Webber was 178th (a career-best 21:35.7) and freshman Ali Herold was 196th (22:33.0).

“It was the best race of the season,” Yuhaniak said.

The Quakers talked during the week about the 2005 season when both teams won state titles.

“We brought up the history,” said Yuhaniak, who was a freshman on the 2005 team. “They know there is a long tradition. It’s a reminder the job wasn’t done just by going to state.”

Every year the Quakers lose key seniors and someone else steps into their place.

“We have a couple of good seniors (next year) and a good front-runner,” Yuhaniak said.

“They’re going to have a really good junior high group coming up. “Some of them will play big roles as freshmen.”

MEET NOTES

• The Eastern Buckeye Conference had three girls and boys teams qualify for state.

In the Division III girls, Marlington was third, Minerva eighth and Salem ninth.

“Three girls teams in the top nine, the EBC was well represented,” Yuhaniak said. “It will be sad leaving that conference, especially in cross country.”

The Quakers will be joining the Northeast 8 for all sports but football next school year.

• Hopple’s 17th-place finish is the highest for a Salem runner since Maggie Hall was sixth and sister Maggie Hopple was ninth as freshmen in 2021.

• Her oldest sister, Molly, is now wearing green is an assistant coach at West Branch.

“I don’t mind it,” Addison said. “The girl at West Branch (Tenley Stitle) is a good runner. I’m friends with her.”

Molly is still allowed in the family house.

“So many people ask me that,” Addison said. “Sometimes we’re all on her.”

• Addison Hopple she will take two weeks off before training for track season. She expects to run about 40 miles a week in the offseason.

“It’s so hard to run in the winter,” she said. “It’s challenging.”

So usually runs indoors at the Salem Community Center or the high school’s new Wellness Center.

• There were 821 girls and 821 boys runners at the state meet Saturday. The total of 1,642 runners was five fewer than last year.