By Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

If someone tries to use the old TV sitcom name with the latest Rock Hill Redmen Ohio Valley Conference cross country title, don’t you believe it.

The old “Eight Is Enough” probably won’t sit well with the Redmen after winning their eighth straight cross country title. The Redmen had 13 runners entered in the meet and only one — Sam Simpson — is a senior.

With junior Connor Blagg finishing third to lead a parade of 7 all-conference runners as the Redmen had just 24 points.

The Fairland Dragons were second with 51 points, the Gallipolis Blue Devils had 77 and the Ironton Fighting Tigers had 83 points.

The Fairland Lady Dragons won the girls meet with 37 points followed by Gallipolis with 41, Rock Hill 58 and Ironton 74.

The individual champions came from teams that did not have enough runners to qualify for the team title.

Portsmouth Trojans junior Charles Putnam won his third straight title with a time of 16:13.31. Fairland sophomore Brody Buchanan was second at 17:41.76 and Blagg was third at 17:47.93.

Coal Grove Lady Hornets’ junior Laura Hamm who ran 20:35.32 to win the girls’ race with Ironton Lady Fighting Tigers’ senior Anna Davis second at 21:27.71.

Earning All-OVC honors for the boys were Putnam, Buchanan, Blagg, Faairland’s Owen Baker, Rock Hill’s Sam Simpson, Jayson McFann, Ryan Riddle, Dylan Griffith and Nixon Snavely, Ironton’s Bryce Markins and Rock Hill’s Ben Simpson.

On the girls’ side, after Hamm and Davis were Fairland’s Molly Dunlap, Gallipolis’ Madison Clagg, Rock Hill’s Kylie Gilmore, Gallipolis’ Krystal Davison, and Fairland’s Brinkley Spears and Bailey Russell.

See complete results on Page 3B.