Story by Cort Reynolds
Photo by Jamie Nygaard
TIFFIN - The youthful Bluffton boys cross country team finished 22nd in the 23-team Div. III regional meet at Tiffin's Hedges-Boyer Park on a cool, wet Saturday morning.

New London won the boys team title with 68 points. Sandusky St. Mary's Central Catholic was second with 125 points, followed by Hopewell-Loudon (164) in third.

Holgate (192) came in fourth, followed by Minster (203), Ashland Crestview (204) and Liberty Center (209).    

Only the top seven teams and those individuals who finished in the top 28 advance to the state meet Saturday, November 2 at Hebron's National Trail Raceway.

Bluffton scored 546 points, with its seven runners averaging a time of 18:37.08. The Pirates beat out Marion Local by 17 points.        

Senior Noah Fisher of Defiance Ayersville won the individual title in the field of 188 runners with a time of 15:41.1.

Bluffton freshman Erik Nygaard finished 68th in 17:32.11 to finish first among the top Pirate runners. 

Junior Pirate Elijah Conley crossed the finish line 124th in 18:16.66. Freshman Isaiah Conley was 144th, followed by freshman Wyatt Lovell in 167th.

Another Bluffton freshman, Sam Derstine, took 169th. Sophomore Trey Boblitt came in 184th while junior teammate Carter Dyar came in one place behind him.

The top seven Bluffton runners are comprised of four freshmen, two juniors and a sophomore, so they earned valuable experience for next season by making it to the regional level.                                             

Among other locals running as individual qualifiers, freshman Joe Parker of Upper Scioto Valley finished 41st in 17:16.43. Junior Ram teammate Zack Britton finished 106th in 17:55.92. Sophomore Hunter Sidle of Allen East came in 72nd in 17:34.07.

Bluffton individual finishers:
Place     Runner         Time        Points    Class
68th      Erik Nygaard     17:32.11     52        Fr
124th Elijah Conley     18:16.66     97          Jr
144th Isaiah Conley     18:40.87     117         Fr
167th Wyatt Lovell     19:16.78     139          Fr
169th Sam Derstine     19:18.96     141          Fr 
184th Trey Boblitt     21:18.51     156          So
185th Carter Dyar      21:20.50     157          Jr

Div. III Tiffin Regional team standings:
1 New London 68 points           
         Average:    16:47.89                                                     
2 Sandusky St. Mary's CC 125            
         Average:    17:08.13                                                     3 Hopewell-Loudon 164    
         Average:    17:08.42                                                     
4 Holgate 192   
         Average:    17:23.70                                                     
5 Minster 203    
         Average:    17:13.27                                                     
6 Ashland Crestview 204                                                     
         Average:    17:24.40                                                     
7 Liberty Center 209                                                      
         Average:    17:20.44                                                     
8 Columbus Grove 217   
         Average:    17:26.44                                                     
9 Lakota 262
         Average:    17:30.56                                                     
10 Woodmore 281   
         Average:    17:30.82                                                     
11 Lincolnview  333              
         Average:    17:43.56                                                     
12 Maumee Valley Country Day 339    
         Average:    17:44.48                                                     
13 New Riegel 352                                                      
         Average:    17:49.76                                                     
14 Defiance Tinora 353   
         Average:    17:48.65                                                     
15 Sherwood Fairview 356    
         Average:    17:51.84                                                     
16 Bucyrus Wynford 377                                                 
         Average:    17:53.77                                                     
17 St. Paul 396   
         Average:    17:59.26                                                     
18 Waynesfield-Goshen 447                                                    
         Average:    18:14.79                                                     
19 Parkway 453   
         Average:    18:23.09                                                     
20 Defiance Ayersville 475                                                    
         Average:    18:13.58                                                     
21 Edgerton 482   
         Average:    18:17.35                                                     
22 Bluffton 546   
         Average:    18:37.08                                                     
23 Marion Local 563   
        Average:    18:44.13