'Faster than I expected': Rittman's Luke Snyder destroys the field at WCAL Championships
WOOSTER — Luke Snyder wanted to leave no doubt Saturday at the Wayne County Athletic League Championships.
The Rittman sophomore did just that as he put together his fastest opening mile of the season and captured his second straight county championship, winning the 5K race annual conference meet at Wooster.
With fellow All-Ohioan Kade Tegtmeier of Northwestern and state qualifier Jackson Varner of Waynedale expected to be on his heels, Snyder made a point after the opening gun to solidify his position up front.
The move paid off as he dominated his way to victory in 15:20.06, nearly 43 seconds faster than the rest of the field.
“I wanted to get out hard, set the tone for the race and I think I did,” Snyder said. “I wasn't sure (about my time). I knew it was fast, but that was faster than I expected it.”
A blistering-fast 4:38 through the first mile on the same Wooster course he ran a personal-record 15:02.30 on earlier this year created some major separation against Tegtmeier and Varner.
Snyder seemed to pick up pace as the rain started to come down a little heavier, adding to some more moisture to an already-rain-soaked course after the Ohio Cardinal Conference championships earlier in the day on the same course.
And to the underclassman, who was the Division III state runner-up last fall, the win was just another step in what has been an impressive second season.
“I think I'm in a good spot,” said Snyder, whose summer training was delayed after a stress-fracture injury. “I think I've gotten a lot better this year and I think I've been progressing throughout the season.”
Tegtmeier crossed in 16:03.52 to second overall, followed by Varner in 16:13.96 as the tandem finished in over 20 seconds before the next runner came through.
It was the league title that Tegtmeier was hoping for in his final WCAL meet, but Snyder had a lot to do it.
“I ran like a 4:45 first mile and he like a 4:30-4:35; that’s just crazy fast,” he said of his league rival. “You just have to keep pushing yourself because he gets going right off the bat and you have to go with it.
“I wanted to win and, in all honesty, I don't think the conditions effected time today. It was just getting dropped right off the gun.”
Despite not getting the win, Varner helped the Golden Bears capture the team championship with 50 points over Norwayne (64 points). Both Dalton and Rittman tied for third overall with 75.
Waynedale had its next three runners place in the top 11 overall, with Jayden Varner (17:03.15) and Nick St. John (17:05.67) finishing sixth and seventh, respectively, with Wyatt Moore placing 11th in 17:15.38.
And Jackson Varner is hoping for some better weather than the dreary conditions that dominated the conference meet on Saturday.
“It was kind of tough because it was wet and it was hard to get your traction,” the sophomore said. “You just have to just try as hard as you can keep hammering down.
“It wasn't terrible, but there were some spots that was muddy and made it hard to keep your balance.”
Ahead of Jayden Varner and St. John was the Norwayne pairing of Tripp Wingate (4th place, personal-record 16:33.44) and Romagn Wingate (5th, 16:50.20) each breaking the 17-minute mark.
Dalton’s Caleb Hofstetter placed eighth (PR 17:05.72), followed by Norwayne’s Beau Polen in ninth (PR 17:06.39) and Smithville’s Joey Clabaugh in 10th (17:08.98). Polen’s career-best finish was even more impressive in the fact that the senior lost one his shoes through the first mile and a half.
The area will turn its attention to the postseason with the entire set of WCAL schools — outside of Chippewa — moving north to the district meet at Lorain County Community College.
It’s a race that Tegtmeier is hoping he can stick closer to Snyder as he looks to get back to the state meet.
“I just have work on getting out of the gun a little faster,” he said. “I need to try and hang with him right from the start.”
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Boys XC: Rittman's Snyder wins WCAL race
