Spencer Bush ended the first mile in 28th place.

The South Range senior distance runner knew his team overcame plenty of obstacles this season.

Saturday was a sunny day approaching 70 degrees, very odd for a state cross country meet.

All Bush and his teammates had to overcome was the Division III boys field at Fortress Obetz, southeast of Columbus.

Bush said he ran hard and waited for the race to spread out, or socially distance in 2020 terms.

Last year, South Range finished 20th — dead last at state.

Bush said they were competing for a top-10 finish this season.

Saturday, South Range took eighth with 221 points. Michael Hvizdos, who didn’t crack the top 100 last year, finished 26th (16:25.5). Hvizdos was out the past two weeks because of contact tracing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The top 30 finishers in each race are All-Ohio. The top 20 received medals.

“I’m really proud of Mike,” Bush said. “It was a tremendous performance for not having raced for over a month, and not being able to practice with the team for two weeks.”

Bush wanted more as he surged ahead the final mile to finish fourth in 15:43.9.

Not only Hvizdos sitting out districts and regionals, Bush had his setbacks as well this season with surgery and other ailments he didn’t divulge in a previous story.

“Our coach always says that we train to perform in adverse conditions, and through the season we certainly dealt with a fair bit of adversity,” Bush said. “Having trained for and dealt with adversity all season, then having a race with good conditions and a full team allowed us to perform the way we did.”

McDonald senior Brody Rupe was McDonald’s lone representative at this year’s state meet.

He took sixth with 15:55.5 in Division III.

“I’m really proud of myself for being in the top 10,” Rupe said. “I knew all week this was going to be the hardest race so far. I was super nervous and my stomach was all over the place. Staying with the front pack the whole way might not have been the best plan, but I’m so used to being up front. I couldn’t picture myself anywhere else. I ended up sixth and after my finish. I know that was all I had in me.”

He said the course at Fortress Obetz didn’t have the feel of a state race, unlike last year’s course at National Trail Raceway in Hebron — 40 minutes east of Columbus.

“The hill is where I made my move and led for a little bit, but after the hill I was really broken up until the finish. The course was fast and I ran my best time there this year.”

Rupe is looking forward to the break, but is ready to see these same competitors come track and field season in the spring.

“Everyone has always said I have good foot speed and the shorter races are hopefully going to give me an advantage for track,” he said.

Logan Flament, a Poland sophomore, took 15th in the Division II boys race with 16:12.6.

He said he had a great experience, being an All-Ohioan his sophomore year.

“It generated so much excitement for the next two years,” Flament said. “The course was so flat, which helped me run my fastest time yet. I think it was a huge improvement from the previous course.

“This race gave me a ton of motivation for track season. It’s been a long season, so I will take a short break. I’m already anxious to start my training again.”

Mineral Ridge girls took eighth in the Division III girls race with 275 points.

AREA TOP 30 FINISHERS: Boardman senior Frank Bero took 25th in the Division I boys race (16:06.7), while Salem’s Carly Hall was ninth in the Division II girls race (18:46.6).