WESTERVILLE, Ohio — The Marietta College men's and women's cross teams competed in the Ohio Athletic Conference Championship Saturday (Nov. 1) hosted by Otterbein University at the Dave and Claudia Lehman Cross Country Course. The Pioneer men finished eighth, while the women were ninth.
 
In the men's 8,000-meter race Otterbein claimed the team title with 40 points. Mount Union was second with 65 points, followed by Baldwin Wallace (67), Ohio Northern (107), Capital (121), Wilmington (158), Heidelberg (165), Marietta (247), and Muskingum (262).
 
Otterbein's Payne Ratliff was the men's individual champion finishing the course in 25:21.1. Charles Putnam (Marietta, Ohio/Marietta) was Marietta's top finisher with a time of 27:19.2.
 
The rest of the Pioneer lineup included Kevin Hernandez (Plymouth, Ohio/Willard) (27:47.7), Charles Estadt (Caldwell, Ohio/Shenandoah) (28:09.8), Hunter Uptain (Millersburg, Ohio/West Holmes) (28:29.5), Max King (Granville, Ohio/Granville) (30:45.1), Cooper Warren (Logan, Ohio/) (31:58.2), and Hunter Wick (Seymour, Ind./Seymour) (40:00.9). King's time was a new personal record time at this distance.
 
Ohio Northern won the women's team championship with 31 total points. Otterbein was second with 45 points, followed by Mount Union (56), Baldwin Wallace (120), Heidelberg (152), Capital (170), Muskingum (215), Wilmington (230), and Marietta (275).
 
Mount Union's Savannah Dennison posted a time of 22:09.4 to win the women's 6,000-meter race. Audrey Helmick (Berkeley Springs, W.Va./Berkeley Springs) was Marietta's top finisher with a personal record time of 25:24.0.
 
Three other Pioneers set new personal record times at this distance. Michaela Hieronymus (Letart, W.Va./Wahama) (26:48.9), Leilani Navarro (Mineral Wells, W.Va./Wood County Christian School) (30:01.7), and Eden Tepe (Oregonia, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) (32:05.3) each had personal best times. Rami Padilla (St. Clairsville, Ohio/St. Clairsville) (33:02.5) rounded out the Marietta lineup.
 
Marietta will close out the 2024 season at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional on Saturday (Nov. 15) in Louisville, Kentucky.
 
Fans can follow all the Pioneer teams all year long at pioneers.marietta.edu. You can also follow the Pioneers on Facebook at facebook.com/MariettaCollege and @MariettaPioneer on X and Instagram.