Through the first mile, Gabby Byrne was in a pack of five runners during the CVC Championships on Oct. 11. The freshman knew she needed to make a move earlier than she planned. On the second mile and back into the portion of the track with the crowd, she emerged well ahead of the field and took home her first CVC Chagrin title with a time of 18:37.62, which is also a PR for her. Racing against former All-Ohioans and state qualifiers, Byrne was aware she needed to make moves early and find ways to make them stick. “Usually I’ll stay with other girls until the second mile,” Byrne said. “Today I was feeling good and started to pick up the pace before the woods. In there, I made my move and still felt good. I was never sure I would come this far, and I’m so happy to be the champion.” Byrne headlined an all-coverage area podium in the division with Hawken’s Brielle Collins (19:06.81) and Beachwood’s Sasha Kheyfets (19:25.00). Orange took home the team title in a tight battle with Crestwood and the Tigers. In the CVC Lake division, Edgewood’s Maddie Crooks and Perry’s Holly Vis battled through the meet for the individual title. In the end, the kick from the Warriors’ senior gave her the title. While Vis settled for second, she did lead the charge for the Pirates to take home the team title. Along with Audrey Morgan-Ard in sixth and Hazel Kananen in seventh, Perry took home the title over Conneaut. Vis also knows the meet served as a good measuring stick for the postseason. She will be seeing all of the runners in the lead-up to state and will be battling not just for advancement spots but places on the podium as well. “It was great having runners in the area around me,” Vis said. “There was a pack of three in front of me that I just used as pacers. It was nice to have the bibs with our divisions on the back of our jerseys. It made it a bit easier to keep track of people and we all go again next week and I could see how they run a race like today.” Kirtland continued its stranglehold on the Valley division, taking home the title for the fifth straight season. The Hornets had all seven of their runners earn first- or second-team honors and four finished in the top 10. Izzie Copeland led the charge with a 19:38.36 for the individual title. She understands the meet can serve as a launching point for the district and regional runs for which the Hornets are aiming. “My goal was to stay ahead in the Valley division and work with some of the other girls,” Copeland said. “I didn’t feel as strong today but tried to keep my head up and stick with them. We’re doing fun things, five braids for five titles, but our team did well and it’s really exciting as well.” Sylvia Vosicky was second for the Hornets, while Kylie Sayle also added a fourth-place finish. On the boys side, while Chagrin Falls’ Tommy Mooney was second in the overall race to Jefferson’s Carter Schaubert, the Tigers’ senior finished first in the Chagrin division with a 15:53.93. He also spearheaded a team title for the Tigers with a podium sweep. Kelan Byrne was second (16:00.12), and Zach Huey came home third (16:22.64). Mooney realizes this is the ideal start to the postseason for which the Tigers are aiming. Not only do they expect to take home team titles, but they are also aiming for state advancement as a team. “I need to lock in and be ready to make that run to state my senior year,” Mooney said. “I’m really happy with how the guys have been running. We’re really motivated for the postseason. Kelan had a great run, and he’s getting better every week.” Schaubert took home the individual title in the Lake Division and led the Falcons to a team title over Madison. But West Geauga’s Jacob Williams shifted his strategies mid-meet. The junior knew Schaubert was out of reach but could eye him and the Chagrin Falls runners in front of him, who he’ll be racing through the postseason. His second place in the Lake (16:26.85) also served as a strong recon mission with district next week. “I knew I was around second in the division most of the race,” Williams said. “I wanted to stay in second. But I knew that if I needed to push for first for like a team battle or to take the top spot, I have the ability to shift that mindset.” Madison’s Owen Bottar rounded out the podium with a PR of 16:31.62. In the Valley race, Cardinal’s Sam Gdovichin found himself in third after the second mile. That’s when the junior made his move. In Cardinal’s last CVC before joining the NAC next season, Gdovichin finished second with a 16:55.63, only behind Fairview’s Roman Ramsdell. After a rough home meet during the regular season, Gdovichin was happy to be able to close the Huskies’ time in the CVC on a personal high note. “Having home course advantage really helps,” Gdovichin said. “I know some places where you can make up more time than others. I knew I needed to pick off runners one by one. Madison is another flat course, and I just need to keep building. Can’t stop or take your foot off the gas now.” Berkshire’s Danny Auth (17:24.05) and Kirtland’s Joey Ciavarelli (17:32.88) also turned PRs with their respective fifth- and sixth-place finishes.