Journal-News.com

HAMILTON — Badin High's boys cross country team has gotten better as the season has progressed.

The Rams are hoping that trend continues for one more race.

Badin will make its second straight appearance in the Division II state meet today, Nov. 1, at Scioto Downs racetrack in Columbus.

How many better are the Rams from the start of the season? Take their performance against Greater Catholic League rival McNicholas as an example, coach Steve Smith said.

"As the season moved on, they really improved," he said. "The first meet of the year (Brian Plasman Invitational at Harbin Park) McNick beat us by maybe 50 points. At the regional (last week) we beat them by 48. That's quite a bit of improvement from several of our runners."

Smith is hoping for a top-10 finish on Saturday after a 14th-place finish at state in 2007.

The Rams, who finished third at regionals last week to punch their ticket to state, are led by seniors Jeff Gambrell, Robby Hansen, Andrew Pauly and Chuck Sunderhaus. Junior Brent Fritz and sophomores Evan North and Sam Wade round out the state-qualifying squad.

"Every year our goal is to win the GCL and qualify for regionals," said Smith, whose squad reached both of those targets. "Those are like minimum standards. We didn't talk too much about (getting back to state), we just talked about getting better. The other stuff takes care of itself once you do that."

Other state qualifiers from Butler County are: Lakota West's Aaron Gehring (D-I boys), Amanda Shelby and Samantha Burger (D-I boys) and Cincinnati Christian's Isaiah and Josiah Bragg (D-III boys).

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2506 or jboyle@coxohio.com.

State Meet

At Scioto Downs, Columbus

Division III boys (Cincinnati Christian's Isaiah Bragg and Josiah Bragg), 11:05 a.m.; Division II boys (Badin), 11:50 a.m.; Division I boys (Lakota West's Aaron Gehring), 12:35 p.m.; Division III girls, 1:20 p.m.; Division II girls, 2:05 p.m.; Division I girls (Lakota West's Amanda Shelby and Samantha Burger), 2:50 p.m.