Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
Genoa’s cross country program is led by third-year head coach Shane Pierson, and the Comets are coming off one of the best seasons in program history. They’ll look to continue that momentum this year.
Last year, Stella Rethman qualified for state on the girls side, while Braden Lesher did the same for the boys. It was the first time a Genoa girls runner qualified for state since 2012, and the last boy to do so was 1998. The girls have also won three consecutive district titles, while the boys won last year’s NBC title. Lesher claimed the individual title, as well.
“We are looking to continue the same success this year,” Pierson said. “It seems like every year we have younger and new runners step up and fill the holes left by our departing seniors. As a coach, I am truly blessed to work with such an amazing group of athletes along with unwavering support from the parents and community.”
Pierson, who is in his seventh year overall with the program including his four years as an assistant, led the girls to a second-place finish in the NBC last year. They went on to win the district title and finish eighth as a team at regionals.
Rethman, a senior who finished 19th at regionals and 73rd at state last year, headlines a talented group of returners. She is a three-year letterwinner, earning First Team All-NBC recognition last year and now sits as the third-best runner in program history.
Lindsey Brown, who was the state’s runner-up in the 300-meter hurdles in this year’s spring track season, is also a three-year letterwinner. She finished sixth in the league and qualified for regionals. She is the No. 8 runner in Genoa’s history as she enters her final fall campaign.
Another senior, Mya Rethman, is also a three-year letterwinner who qualified for regionals last year. She sits 27th on the program’s all-time list. A fourth senior, Mariah Sprague, looks to earn her second letter this fall. She was 25th at the league meet, qualified for regionals and sits at No. 43 all-time in the program.
Two key underclassmen are also back as sophomores Brielle Ninke and Blair Auxter both earned letters as rookies and qualified for regionals. Ninke was Second Team All-NBC, finishing 10th in the conference and ranking 18th in program history. Meanwhile, Auxter is 46th all-time.
The girls will have to overcome the graduations of Amanda Jones, Amelia Wilcox and Olivia Martin.
“These girls set an expectation of working hard and leading by example,” Pierson said. “Olivia was our vocal leader the last two years. Her leadership and competitive drive will definitely be missed. Olivia is 15th on our top 50 list and was a big part of our league championship team in 2024 and our three straight district titles.”
On the boys side, the Comets won the NBC title, finished fourth at districts and came in 10th at regionals last year. Lesher, who was 15th individually at regionals and 111th at state, is among a large group of graduates that the team will have to find a replacement for. The list also includes Carson Bronowski, Diego Estrada, James Huston, David Nissen, Ben Sommers, Aaron Straka and Nate Wise.
“Those boys continued to keep the strong traditions of our boys program through their dedication and commitment,” Pierson said. “Huston and Wise were both in our top seven last year and helped us win the league title last season. Braden won the (individual) league title. He had a drive and willingness to do whatever it takes to be successful and at the same time make everyone on the team feel included.”
This year, a core group of four key returners are back for Genoa.
Senior Chase Cooper is a three-year letterwinner who was First Team All-NBC before qualifying for regionals. He’s 13th on the program’s all-time list, and he finished just one spot shy of qualifying for state last year. Fellow senior Haiden Pickett is a two-year letterwinner and also a First Team All-NBC selection. He finished second in the conference, qualified for regionals last year and is 44th on the career list.
Junior Sebastian Zellner earned his first letter last year in style, claiming Second Team All-NBC recognition and qualifying for regionals. Sophomore Marcos Mata finished 26th at the league meet last year, claiming his first letter as well.
As for newcomers, Pierson said the program doesn’t like to put too much pressure on them as a group.
“We expect athletes to show up each day and work hard,” he said. “Growth throughout the season is the ultimate goal but things like injury and fatigue can affect performance. In cross country, like most high school sports, there is a period of adjustment from middle school (two-mile race) to high school (3.1-mile race). The same is true of runners new to the sport as they are trying to figure out pacing and conditioning.”
Overall, both programs will feature a combined 11 seniors.
“They are the reason our program continues to have a culture of hard work, gritty competitors and a feeling of family,” Pierson said.
