Senior Tyler Ross wasn't all smiles when he found out he was the first member of the Olentangy Liberty High School boys cross country team to reach the Division I state meet.

Ross, who finished 14th overall in 17 minutes, 43.35 seconds at the regional meet last Saturday at Pickerington North, was upset his teammates weren't joining him

The Division I state meet is at 2:50 p.m. Saturday at Scioto Downs.

"It was exciting and disappointing at the same time," Ross said. "There's a little more pressure on me to represent the whole team."

The Patriots were eighth with 227 points, behind champion Pickerington North (75) and state qualifiers Reynoldsburg (118), New Albany (139) and Dublin Coffman (147). Only the top four teams and runners who finish in the top 16 advanced to the state meet. Pickerington North senior Daniel Garleb won the meet in 17:04.64

Seniors John Buffington (24th, 18:08.79), Josh Frash (56th, 18:42.97) and Luke Miller (80th, 19:02.98) and sophomore Josh Cottrill (94th, 19:29.76) all scored for Liberty.

Members of the team will be out practicing with Ross this week as he gets ready for state.

"We're trying to keep things the same as they've been the last couple of months," coach Jared Mills said. "Tyler's never run there before. He needs to make sure he's under control."

•The Orange girls team finished 12th (282) at the regional meet, behind champion Sylvania Northview (61) and qualifiers Dublin Scioto (71), Toledo Notre Dame Academy (111) and Canal Winchester (131).

Sophomore Shauni Kerkhoff (26th, 21:15.46), freshman Hannah Hartzell (41st, 21:34.69), senior Heather Knight (76th, 22:47.57), sophomore Madison Gadawski (110th, 24:22.06), senior Alyse Demme (114th, 24:44.74) and freshman Grace Smith (120th, 25:15.9) all competed for Orange. Northview senior Meredith Wagner was first (19:22.57).

"This was bonus time for us," coach Ingrid Simpson said. "As a second-year program, the experience they gained is going to help us next year."

Hartzell and Kerkhoff helped Orange take fourth with 90 points at the OCC-Capital meet on Oct. 17 at Watkins Memorial, behind champion Watkins Memorial (48).

Orange then finished fourth (101) at the district 1 meet on Oct. 24 at Watkins, behind UA (45), Hilliard Davidson (51) and Thomas Worthington (88). Hartzell (fifth, 20:20.37) and Kerkhoff (sixth, 20:35.56) led the Pioneers.

•The Olentangy girls team's regional representatives, Tara Walker, (36th (21:30.6) and McKenzie Dove (57th, 22:06.91), didn't advance to state.

"Tara and McKenzie were realistic about their chances of getting to the state meet, so most of their goals were based on time," coach Dwight Dewese said. "They got discouraged because the course wasn't going to allow them to do that."

Olentangy finished fourth at the OCC-Cardinal meet Oct. 17 at Westerville North behind Scioto (15), Liberty (95) and Dublin Jerome (107) and ahead of Westerville Central (113), Marysville (158), Westerville South (176) and Westerville North (202). Walker placed seventh (20:07).

The girls were sixth (145) at the district 3 meet behind champion Canal Winchester (59). Walker (10th, 20:42.83), Dove (13th, 21:00.03), juniors Chrissy Steinhaus (33rd, 22:09.63) and Candace Dove (37th, 22:15.87) and sophomore Elizabeth Potter (52nd, 23:16.65) all scored.

The Braves graduate Heather Moore, who missed most of the season after sustaining a stress fracture in her back.

"We had high hopes for this year, but things never materialized," Dewese said. "At the banquet I challenged the underclassmen to work hard and leave their mark."

•The Olentangy boys, Orange boys and Liberty girls teams didn't make it to the regional meet. The Olentangy boys team finished ninth (187) in district 2 and the Pioneers were 10th (256) in district 1. The Patriots girls took sixth (155) in district 2.

Olentangy boys coach Mike Moran said the biggest hallmark of the Olentangy boys team was individual improvement.

"We had 23 of our 29 runners set personal records," Moran said. "

The Braves finished sixth (107) at the OCC-Cardinal meet, behind champion Westerville North (47).

Cody Ostrander, (19th, 17:34.3), Ryan Thede (25th (17:53.5), Patrick Zuelke (36th, 18:14.9), Zach Hunn (38th, 18:21), and Will Simpson (52nd, 18:55.8) led Olentangy.

The Braves graduate Simpson and Hunn, who were four-year letterwinners. Key returnees include juniors Jack Schlabig, Ostrander and Joe DeFrancisco, sophomores Zuelke, and Andrew Catoneze and freshman Thede.

•The Orange boys program continues to move forward.

"We saw some improvement, both physically and mentally this year," coach Sam Lehman said. "I hope that leads to some more improvement next year."

The Pioneers finished sixth (148) at the OCC-Capital meet, behind champion New Albany (38). Earning team points were Danny Meyung (12th, 17:22.2), Chris Gearinger (26th, 18:12.46), Connor Brown (29th, 18:21.71), Sam Meyung (37th, 18:53.94) and Garrett Swisher (44th, 19:03.38).

The Pioneers lose Alex Flesch, Brian French, Ryan Hartman, Sam Meyung, Zach Roush and Taida Wang to graduation, but return juniors Sebastian Cardenas, Aaron Hargrove and Garrett Swisher, sophomores Ryan Benecke, Connor Brown and Dar Faroughi, Chris Gearinger, Blake Hoskins, Danny Meyung and freshmen Evan Saloon and Eric Aumuller.

• Liberty girls coach Larry Sweeney said placing second in the OCC-Cardinal meet with 95 points was among the season's highlights.

Liberty loses seniors Erica Hamon, Katherine Stanfill, Kaitlin Beetner and Alyssa Heydorn.

"Those four meant a lot to us," Sweeney said. "All of them have been with us for four years and provided a strong foundation for the team."

The team returns junior Alicia Nelson and sophomores Devon Moske and Emily Yax.

At the OCC-Cardinal meet, Hamon (ninth, 20:23.4), Heydorn (20th, 21:06.5), Beetner (21st, 21:06.5), Moske (25th, 21:34.2) and Stanfill (30th, 21:48.9) scored.