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Spencerville teams win titles, hearts
Ley gives away plaque to runner who finished 36th
By JIM KRUMEL
jkrumel@limanews.com 419-993-2085
LIMA — Championships came in many ways for Spencerville on Saturday.
Both its boys and girls cross country teams left Faurot Park in Lima with Northwest Conference titles. Jonathan Rex and Lyndie Brown won the NWC individual championships in the boys and girls races. And fittingly, longtime Bearcats Coach Brian McMichael was named conference coach of the year.
But the thing that put tears in the eyes of parents and coaches was a selfless act of kindness by Spencerville’s Kelli Ley, which had many calling her the true champion of the day.
Away from the crowd after the race, Ley went searching for Lima Central Catholic runner Mary Huffman. Once she found her, Ley gave the third-place plaque she had won to Huffman, who finished 36th. The two runners didn’t know each other, but Ley had always admired Huffman’s competitiveness. Huffman, a junior, had a stroke at birth and still experiences weakness on her left side, but tirelessly finishes each race with an ever-present smile.
“I’ve watched her at many meets, and today after the race, I just thought she deserves this. So I went looking for her,” said Ley, a sophomore.
Huffman was stunned.
“I saw a bunch of parents wiping away tears and wondered what was going on,” Huffman said. “Then Kelli came up to me with the plaque. I will never forget this. I’ll be at districts next week cheering her on as well as my teammates.”
Spencerville placed seven runners in the Top 10 to win its third straight NWC girls championship. LCC finished second and Lincolnview third. Brown’s first-place time was 20:03. Teammate Ashley Gilroy was second at 20:13 followed by Ley (21:11). Rounding out the Top 10 were Allen East’s Hailey Perkins (21:14), Spencerville’s Alexa Brown (21:19), Claire McConnell (21:26) and Kari Wisher (21:51), Columbus Grove’s Amber Herron (22:17), LCC’s Emily Krumel (22:23) and Spencerville’s Cortney Miller.
The boys’ championship was the first for Spencerville since 2002. Columbus Grove was second and Crestview third.
Rex ran down LCC’s Jim Kesner with 250 yards left to win the boys’ race with a 17:07. Kesner finished with a 17:12.
“We’ve really been dueling the last three weeks. He beat me at the Allen County meet but I got him at the Anna Invitational and today,” said Rex.
Rounding out the Top 10 were Spencerville’s Kevin Lenhart (17:28), Columbus Grove’s Jake Graham (17:43), Crestview’s Garrett Glecker (17:50), Bluffton’s Matthew Herron (17:53), Spencerville’s Nathan Rex (18:04), LCC’s Noah Burkholder (18:11), Columbus Grove’s Alex Shafer (18:12) and Allen East’s Caleb Burkey (18:22).
Edited by Osu4me, 18 October 2009 - 06:55 AM.
