Knights Excel Across All Divisions in Season Opener
Nordonia’s cross country teams showcased impressive talent across all divisions at the Kenston Frank Gibas Invitational on September 6, with multiple squads earning top-five finishes in challenging conditions at Chagrin Falls.
High School Boys Varsity: Fifth Place Team Finish
The Knights’ boys varsity squad posted a team score of 145 points to finish fifth out of 17 teams in a highly competitive field. Senior Anderson Seredick led Nordonia with a strong sixth-place individual finish, clocking 16:17.2 on the demanding Kenston course.
Junior Aiden Flynn provided excellent support with an 11th-place finish in 16:31.5, giving the Knights two runners in the top 15. The team’s depth was evident with their remaining scoring runners placing 32nd, 43rd, and 53rd, resulting in a time spread of 1:54.3.
Woodridge dominated the team competition with 45 points, followed by Medina (103), Brunswick (126), and Kenston (134). The race featured particularly challenging conditions, with rain coming in the middle of the boys race on a course featuring a double-tiered hill followed by heavily wooded areas.
High School Girls Varsity: Fifth Place Team Finish
Nordonia’s girls varsity team matched the boys with a fifth-place finish, posting 150 points in a competitive field of 12 complete teams. Junior Olivia May led the Knights with a strong sixth-place individual performance, crossing the line in 20:05.2.
Senior Olivia Pecic provided solid support in 23rd place (21:40.2), followed by sophomore Riley Lingo in 27th (21:59.0). The team’s scoring was completed by juniors Sofia Bonanno (46th, 23:06.6) and Ella Bonanno (48th, 23:11.5), giving Nordonia a time spread of 3:06.3.
Aurora won the girls team title with 48 points, followed by Woodridge (67), Medina (78), and Brecksville (91). The girls raced in cooler 60-degree overcast conditions with calm winds.
High School Girls Open: Eighth Place Showing
Nordonia’s girls open team finished eighth with 235 points out of 10 complete teams. Senior Madison Cambell led the way in 30th place (24:45.1), followed by junior Clara Simenc (42nd, 25:21.4) and freshman Claire Pohlmeyer (44th, 25:22.3). Freshmen Marissa Halsey (59th, 28:31.7) and junior Anna Lammers (60th, 29:09.9) completed the scoring.
Solon captured the open division title with 44 points, ahead of Brecksville (65) and Perry (73).
Middle School Boys: Strong Second Place Finish
The Knights’ middle school boys delivered an outstanding performance, finishing second with 41 points behind champion Solon (30 points). Eighth-grader Collin Melvin won the individual race in 10:18.4, while teammate Eni Onabajo placed second in 10:44.0, giving Nordonia a powerful one-two punch.
Andrew Johnson added an 11th-place finish (11:14.7), with Lucas Obradavic (13th, 11:20.3) and John Rizzo (14th, 11:27.1) rounding out the scoring. The team’s time spread of 1:08.7 demonstrated solid pack running.
Middle School Girls: Fourth Place Team Result
Nordonia’s middle school girls placed fourth with 105 points in a competitive field led by Solon (41 points). Eighth-grader Alexa Geosano paced the Knights with a ninth-place finish in 12:51.5.
Seventh-grader Sophia Auck followed in 17th place (13:18.2), with eighth-grader Maddie Zivkovich placing 20th (13:44.5). Emily Fink (22nd, 13:54.4) and Mia Bedran (37th, 14:36.5) completed the team scoring, giving Nordonia a time spread of 1:45.0.
Course and Meet Background
The Kenston course utilizes a mile of wooded, on-campus trails and is known as a challenging cross country layout containing open fields, narrow woods, moderate hills and a variety of scenery. The meet honors Frank Gibas, who became Kenston’s boys coach in 1974 and started the girls program in 1976, leading teams to 11 state meet appearances including a state championship in 1983.
