The Cincinnati Post, Saturday, September 2, 2000
38
I GCL South teams lead
pack in strong Division I regional By Kevin Goheen Post contributor
It may be tough for the Greater Catholic League South to repeat last season's state cross country success even though its teams could be just as strong. Last season, the GCL South sent all four of its members St. Xavier, La Salle, Elder and Moeller - to the state meet. All four finished in the top 10. St. Xavier has its top three runners back. La Salle .lost state champion Steve Padgett, but junior Allen Bader- a 4:13 miler - could be the Lancers' next state champ and La Salle has its best depth in years. Elder has four of its seven runners back, including No. 1 runner Nick Westerman. Moeller made its first trip to state, has five returnees and beat Elder by three points in a two-mile preseason race.
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So, why shouldn't all four plan on racing at Scioto Downs on the first Saturday in November? Because the southwestern Ohio regional is the toughest in the state and there are at least five other teams in this area alone that believe they can overcome those teams. "We have a strong front runner and a stronger pack than we've ever had," said Kings coach Jim Brant. "We're believing a lot earlier that we can run with those teams than we did last year." The Knights were moved up to Division I just before the start of last season and found out how big a move it was when they finished 12th at the regional meet. Junior Taylor Garvin is Kings' top returner. He finished sixth at regionals and 14th at state. Kings lost just two of its top seven runners to graduation.
Add Colerain, Milford, Fairfield and Middletown to that list. All four qualified for the regional meet and have a good amount of experience. Milford may be the most intriguing of the group. The Eagles return seven seniors from a team that finished lOth at the regional meet. In Divisions II-III, Madeira, McNicholas and Roger Bacon should be the top teams. Madeira returns its top seven as it attempts to make it back to the state meet after missing last season. The Mustangs were regional champions the two previous seasons. GCL North rivals McNicholas and Roger Bacon each have young but experienced teams back. The Rockets lost just one senior from last season after placing fifth at the regional meet. Roger Bacon lost its top two runners after placing fourth at the regionals.