East Liverpool’s Maddox Roach runs along side Div. III state champion Brice Fuller of Fairless on Saturday at the state cross country meet at Fortress Obetz. (Photo by Ron Firth)

OBETZ — East Liverpool senior Maddox Roach wishes he would have been more dedicated to cross country before this year.

“I took it completely serious for the first time,” Roach said. “It was my last season. I didn’t want to go out on a ‘what if?'”

Roach was rewarded with a 22nd-place at the Division III state cross country meet at Fortress Obetz.

“I didn’t run my best race, but you just have to live with it,” he said. “I should have been higher on the podium.”

Roach completed the 3.1-mile course in a time of 16 minutes, 2.02 seconds.

He stayed with the leaders as long as he could, sitting in 13th at the two-mile mark .

“It was muddy and there were a lot of races on it,” he said. “It wasn’t the fastest course today.”

It gave him another podium finish after earning two podium spots in track in June.

Roach, one of the top high school milers in Ohio, recently accepted a partial athletic scholarship to run for Youngstown State University.

“I’m excited. The sky is the limit,” he said. “I’m going to take a week off and rest up for track season.”

Roach was joined at the state meet by Beaver Local junior Luke Warrick and East Liverpool senior Brody Vulgamore, who finished 69th and 127th, respectively.

“It was fun,” Roach said. “I didn’t expect them to get here.”

“I love having him around,” Vulgamore said. “He’s a good teammate. He pushes me to do better.”

Warrick placed 69th in 16:43.93.

“It was rough,” he said. “It was crammed and was a muddy course.”

Warrick is believed to be the first Beaver Local runner to qualify for the state cross country meet since Bob Bentz in 1971.

“I’m proud I was the first one here, but I wasn’t satisfied,” he said. “I definitely want to come back and place.”

Vulgamore was just happy getting to the state meet, placing 127th in 17:15.13.

“I didn’t know I was going to get here,” he said. “I’ve never been here before (to this course).”

Vulgamore is looking forward to track season after joining the Potters’ 3200-meter relay team that finished third at the state track meet earlier this year.

“It’s going to be tough without the same guys,” he said. “But it’s still going to be a great season.”

Salem runners

Salem juniors Sam Yakubek and Luke Stephens know their way around Fortress Obetz.

Yakubek ran at the state cross country meet last year, while Stephens has been there as a spectator twice.

“I knew what to expect and where to go and what to do in the quiet areas where no one is cheering for you,” Yakubek said.

Both ran at the Division II state cross country meet Saturday with Yakubek finishing 49th and Stephens 102nd in the 215-runner field.

“It was a heck of a season,” Salem coach Ted Yuhaniak said. “They ran well. The field went out really fast.”

Yakubek covered the 3.1-mile course in 16 minutes, 27.43 seconds. He improved on his 78th-place finish last year.

“It was the same people and great competition,” he said. “It was very busy all times during the race. I’m just excited to race here again.”

Stephens was fortunate to be able to run after being slowed by tendonitis in his knee. That forced him to miss the district meet.

“It does (hurt),” he said. “It was hard to try and retain for the last two weeks.”

Stephens finished 102nd in 16:52.54 in the 215-runner field.

“It’s a pretty fast course and crazy competition with 80 guys who can run great times,” Stephens said. “I tried to do my best with my injury.”

“It was great having him race here today,” Yuhaniak said. “He deserved it.”

Stephens has time to get healthy for the upcoming track season.

“Definitely some rest for the next month,” he said.