Submitted photo The Mineral Ridge girls cross country team advanced to the Division III state meet for the second time in three years. This year’s team includes, from left, Olivia Jackson, Olivia Rossi, Riley Cowles, Tabitha-Grace Toth, Sylvia Traw, Moriah-Ruth Toth, Grace Miller and Lydia-Faith Toth.

MINERAL RIDGE — Olivia Jackson, Olivia Rossi, Riley Cowles, Tabitha-Grace Toth, Sylvia Traw, Moriah-Ruth Toth, Grace Miller and Lydia-Faith Toth.

The Mineral Ridge High School girls distance runners are heading back to the Division III cross country state meet for the second time in three years. This time, it’s not at National Trail Raceway in Hebron, but at Fortress Obetz, southeast of Columbus on Saturday.

Five out of the seven runners are Academic All-Ohioans and they carry a team GPA of 3.83.

“These girls are ferocious warriors, serious academics, talented athletes, highly personable and beautiful inside and outside to boot,” Mineral Ridge cross country coach Ron Toth said. “What a GIFT it is to be their coach.”

Three of these runners are daughters of Toth.

“It is honestly a gift from God that I get an opportunity to coach my own children,” he said. “To train alongside them, to encourage them. We’ve adopted all these girls on this team into the family, not just the three daughters that are running for me that have the last name of Toth.”

Training runs are fun for Toth, especially running by his daughter, Tabitha-Grace Toth, a two-year captain.

“She has such a wonderful, calming personality that really fits into the leadership role that she has filled for us these last couple of years,” Ron Toth said.

Another daughter, Hannah-Abigail Toth, is the team’s junior high cross country coach. The Rams’ boys junior high team finished second at this year’s Trumbull County Meet.

“We have to figure out transportation oftentimes, getting so many Toths to this location and that location,” Ron Toth said. “That’s a great blessing to be able to do that.”

He said the girls cross country team has been embraced by the Mineral Ridge community as well.

Thursday, there was a walkthrough during which the girls went outside for their final practice of the season around the Mineral Ridge grounds. The Division III girls state meet begins at 10 a.m., at Fortress Obetz.

The high school halls were lined, socially-distanced, with people wishing the team well before state.

“It’s been a very exciting time as a family, but for us as a Mineral Ridge community family,” Ron Toth said.