The past week has been a rollercoaster for the Minerva girls’ cross-country team. As the defending Division II state champions, the Lady Lions have had a target on their backs week in and week out.
When Athens edged Minerva to win the team title at the Division II regional meet at Pickerington North on Oct. 26, it seemed the dynasty Coach Olivia Scott painstakingly forged over her six years at Minerva might be veering off track.
However, after the dust settled at the OHSAA Division II Cross Country State Championships at Fortress Obetz and Memorial Park, Minerva’s thrilling ride ended in triumph as the Lions outpaced Athens and withstood a tough challenge from Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown to claim their second consecutive team title and third in four years.
Minerva finished with 100 points, 10 more than runner-up Hathaway Brown, the state’s third-ranked team according to the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches’ Division II final poll. Athens, the second-ranked team, took third with 142 points.
“It’s a pretty good feeling, especially after last week,” Scott said. “You know, we got beat by Athens, so we knew they were going to be tough again this week. And we knew Hathaway Brown would be, too, since they beat us earlier in the season. So we knew we were going to have to run a great race, and we did that.”
The Lions were led by Gabby Lupshu, who finished 13th overall with an impressive time of 18:31.13. The junior, who started in the 87th position, methodically worked her way up the leaderboard, picking off runners over the 5K course to finish seventh in team scoring.
Makenzie Beavers, who led Minerva at regionals, finished 23rd overall. The sophomore took 12th in team scoring, clocking in at 18:47.35, about 21 seconds ahead of teammate Tateum Richard, who placed 42nd in 19:08.51. The multisport freshman phenom’s finish counted as 22nd in team scoring.
Minerva’s final two scoring runners were senior twins Katie and Hannah Ison. Katie finished 50th overall with a time of 19:10.98, while Hannah claimed the 60th spot at 19:24.74. In team scoring, they placed 26th and 33rd, respectively.
Rounding out the Lions’ lineup were sixth and seventh runners Kayla and Annabelle Crissman. The seniors placed 68th (19:36.11) and 111th (20:28.56).
Much like last season, Minerva won with depth and consistency. While Hathaway Brown boasted Anna Prusak, who finished third overall and second in team scoring, and Athens had Sophia Szolosi, the Division II individual champion, no team could match Minerva’s strength across the board.
Additionally, Minerva’s returning roster from last year’s championship team brought valuable experience.
“I feel like the experience was definitely on our side,” Scott said. “And I told the girls, ‘You guys are experienced.’ They knew what they needed to do, and they went out and did it.”
The Lions certainly felt the pressure, knowing they were the team to beat.
“I mean, with Athens beating us last weekend at regionals, that definitely put a lot of pressure on us,” Lupshu said. “But I wouldn’t say it was enough to knock us off the podium.”
Not at all. The Lions rallied to another title. For the seniors – Katie and Hannah Ison and Kayla, Annabelle, and Samantha Crissman – it was a memorable way to cap their careers in Minerva’s crimson and gray.
“It’s meant everything,” Katie Ison said of winning her third team championship in four years. “It’s just really exciting, and I’ll remember it forever. And hopefully, they’ll have a good chance next year to do it, too.”
It’s a thought that might be daunting for Minerva’s rivals, but the team is young, and, according to Scott, many runners are ready to step up.
“We’re going to be strong again next year,” she said. “I don’t know about winning another state championship, but we’re still going to be strong, and we have a whole bunch of girls waiting to be in that top seven who, on any other team, would be in a top seven.”
