The Mirror Newspapers Reflecting Life Along The Maumee River
It was a really special weekend in Columbus for the Anthony Wayne High School cross country team, as seniors and regional champions Connor Long and Hailey Kahl raced at the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division I State Championship on November 4 – proving themselves to be among the best in the state.
“Hailey Kahl has run track for the Generals in the spring, but this was her first cross country season,” said coach Kevin O’Connor. “After the start to her season was delayed, Hailey came on strong to win the district and regional meet races. The state championship race was just her sixth high school varsity meet and, remarkably, Hailey earned All-Ohio honors by racing to 30th.”
Kahl took first place in the regional championship with a time of 18:16 and finished the state race in 18:51.
Long finished first in the regional with a time of 15:28 and finished eighth in state with a time of 15:29. Both he and Kahl were among an elite pool of 182 of the state’s top runners.
“Connor Long has had a distinguished high school cross country career,” O’Connor said. “He led the Generals to Northern Lakes League championships in 2021, 2022 and again this year.
“This season Connor won every race including the NLL, district and regional championships. At this weekend’s state championship, Connor raced to a place on the podium by finishing eighth.”
This season, overall, was a successful one for the Generals, with the boys earning the NLL title and that of district runner-up. The girls finished second in the league and qualified as a team for the regional meet.
