The cross country season gets under way for real Saturday when the 32nd Annual Avon Lake Early Bird Cross County invitation will take place at Lorain County Community College.

While I have not seen the final list of entrants in this year's event, this event annually attracts the best teams in the area. Not only do the fine people at Avon Lake run a fantastic event every year, but teams also want to come and test themselves on the LCCC course that will host the boys and girls Division I and II sectional races in October.

Fans and parents also have to be early birds to catch the action Saturday, as the first race gets under way at 8 a.m.

By Matt Lofgren

Norwalk swept Fostoria, 5-0, led by No. 1 singles player Olivia Kasten in Northern Ohio League action. In Sandusky Bay Conference action, Perkins beat Edison by a final score of 4-1. Dalal Hamad had a strong showing by beating Perkins’ Taylor Stoll in straight sets 6-0, 6-0. Elsewhere in the conference, Oak Harbor tamed Huron, sweeping them 5-0. The doubles team of Kristina Blatt and Hannah Signedson dominated Paige Peiples and Morgan Griffin 6-2, 6-1.

In boys soccer, Amherst took down Southwestern Conference rival Avon Lake, 3-0. A team effort came together well for the Comets as Connor Kekota, Jake Stark and Alex Obbey all scored goals. North Olmsted topped Midpark 2-0, also in SWC play. In the West Shore Conference, Avon made a big statement, beating the Rangers of North Ridgeville, 7-0. In non-conference play, EC beat rival Elyria 3-1 led by David Elwer, who scored all three goals. Finally Lutheran West and Columbia ended in a deadlock tie at 2.

In girls soccer action, Keystone edge Wellington 1-0 in Patriot Athletic Conference action, thanks to an unassisted goal by Alyson Broschk. In the Southwestern Conference, Amherst took out Avon Lake 2-0. Westlake romped Berea 8-0 with a solid team performance. In the West Shore, the Eagles trounced a solid North Ridgeville squad 6-0. Bay had a scoring fiasco on Midview, defeating them 7-0. Opposite of the scoring fiasco has to be a 1-0 barn burner at Fairview, as the Warriors edged Vermilion. Adrian Bendo of Fairview scored the lone goal over the Sailors. Rocky River topped Firelands 4-1, with the help of Vitou’s pair of goals. Oberlin and Brooklyn also played in a Patriot Athletic Conference match, ending in a 2-2 tie.

Edison dominated boy’s and girl’s cross country, winning at Huron’s Fabens Park. The top runners were Nick Lowery of Huron for the boys, posting a time of 18:12 and Abbi Plunkett of Edison for the girl’s with a time of 21:24.

In girls golf, North Olmsted outperformed Amherst and Midpark at Springvale Golf Course. Carly Babinec shot a match low 43.
Avon beat Rocky River and North Ridgeville in a WSC tri-match. Jenna Getner of Rocky River shot the lowest score of the day, 42.