One of the biggest challenges for the Grandview Heights High School girls cross country team has been building depth.

As a result, the Bobcats only reached the Division III regional meet as a team once between 2002 and 2008.

Although the Bobcats still lacked depth this season, they put together a strong enough lineup to reach the regional meet. Their numbers are improving, with five runners expected back next season.

Grandview had just three underclassmen on the team last year.

"Obviously with five coming back, that helps," coach Brian Schoch said. "There are a handful of middle schoolers, and hopefully we'll be able to get a few other kids out. But being at a small school that offers so many sports, you're always fighting that numbers game a little bit."

Like last season, the Bobcats were led by junior Hannah Stefanoff. She spent her freshman season at Clayton Northmont and has steadily improved.

She won conference, district and regional titles, and at the state meet on Nov. 7 at Scioto Downs, she finished fifth in 19 minutes, 21.84 seconds. Stefanoff was 35th at the Division I meet in 2007 and was 15th at the Division III meet last season.

At state, Stefanoff went out a little more aggressively than last season, but she was still able to manage her pace well. She moved up as high as fourth after two miles and nearly held that spot before Lyndie Brown of Spencerville (19.21.68) passed her near the finish.

"(At state) I was pretty much just trying to do whatever it took not to get too far back, but I never want to take the lead too early because I know I'll die," Stefanoff said. "I always use everything on the course, so at the end is when I don't have it all. I just try to make the best of it and hope no one catches me."

At the regional on Oct. 31 at Pickerington North, Grandview scored 205 points to place ninth out of 15 teams. Johnstown won the title with 79, and Northmor (89), Centerburg (121) and Mount Gilead (152) took the other three state-qualifying spots. Sophomore Selby Gage was just 50 seconds from qualifying individually with Stefanoff. Gage was 28th in 22:17.17, with 16th-place Meghan Schulze of Johnstown finishing in 21:27.33.

"Three of our varsity girls had never run cross country before, and so ninth at the regional is certainly something to be proud of," coach Brian Schoch said. "The girls were happy to be fourth (at district) and make it out, and then to turn around and be ninth, they had a really nice day."

At the district 1 meet, Grandview scored 109 points to place fourth behind champion Northmor (49). Second-place Centerburg scored 56, and third-place Fisher Catholic tied Grandview with 109, but won the sixth-runner tiebreaker.

Grandview took second at the MSL-Cardinal Division meet at Millersport, scoring 63 points to place behind Liberty Union (46) and ahead of Berne Union (69), Fisher Catholic (79), Licking Heights (104) and Millersport (131).

The only senior for Grandview is Evelia Pichardo, a first-year runner who generally ran sixth for the Bobcats. Pichardo finished 121st at regional (28:33.97).

Stefanoff and Gage lead the expected returnees, but sophomore Gwen Downey also is a two-year letterwinner. Downey ran third or fourth most of this season and finished 69th at regional (23:35.46).

Sophomore Gretchen Giltner, a first-year runner, was consistently in the top four for Grandview, and she was 36th at district (24:05.96). Sophomore Ashley Hofmaster typically was not far behind, and she finished 37th at district (24:12.38).