Norwalk girls, Kromer advance to regionals

FINDLAY — The Norwalk girls cross country team placed third as a team after its top five runners each qualified individually on Saturday at the Division II district championship meet at Owens Community College in Findlay. Also advancing for the Truckers was sophomore Casey Kromer in the Div. I boys race. The top five teams and 20 individuals qualified from the girls race, while the top three teams and 12 individuals advanced in the Div. I boys race. Lexington won the girls race with 28 points, followed by Eastwood (58), Norwalk (76), Findlay Liberty-Benton (102) and Lima Shawnee (116). Zuri Immel placed fifth overall for the Truckers in 19:42. Xavi Immel was 14th in 20:43. Isabel Ott was 18th in 21:23, followed by Grace Norris in 19th (21:27.4) and Maddison Trenor (21:27.5) in 20th. Rounding out the top seven for Norwalk was Allison Konik in 40th (23:54) and Kayli Bergman in 47th (24:59). Kromer placed seventh overall in 16:15 as the lone NHS boys runner to advance. The team placed seventh overall. Alex Christophel had a new personal-best time of 16:57 to finish 19th, while Landen Knoll was 49th (18:54). They were followed by Michael Lucas in 50th (18:57), and William Cloud in 51st (19:16), Adam Slate in 53rd (19:25) and Anthony Hall in 60th (19:50). "It was a great day," Norwalk head coach Stephanie Pope said. "It was amazing to see those five girls all earn a spot as an individual. They have been working incredibly hard this season and to see that pack form up to get in the top 20 was wonderful. "The next step is to get our times lower and keep racing the next two weeks. The boys had a great season and are already talking about their goals for next year. We will keep building and improving." At the regional meet next Saturday (Oct. 28) at Hedges-Boyer Park in Tiffin, the girls race is set for noon, while Kromer runs at 2:45 p.m.