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Seniors Krista Roehlig (second) of Green and Paige Szabat (first) of Wadsworth were the top girls finishers at Saturday's Suburban League Cross Country Super Duals.

WESTFIELD TWP., Ohio – It’s a whole new ballgame in Suburban League boys and girls cross country as seven established league members had to make way for newcomer Nordonia at Saturday’s Super Duals contested at Cloverleaf High School.

The Knights have replaced Barberton and they did so in style, posting a combined boys and girls record of 14-0 at the league’s 5,000-meter midterm exam.

“Our boys and girls both ran great today,” Nordonia coach Mike Martin said. “I thought if our girls placed second or third that would be a good day for us.”

The new-look Suburban League is more than just Nordonia making the league stronger. Wadsworth’s Paige Szabat is back from injury. Revere’s All-Ohioan Josh Sabo has graduated to Ohio State and Wadsworth ace Russ McCune has graduated as well.

Garth Gucker is the new boys and girls coach at Cloverleaf. And Wadsworth has made a temporary coaching shuffle to cover for the new mother of triplets – Jen Echols.

Defending Super Duals champions, Wadsworth’s boys and Green’s girls, both were displaced by the new kid on the block.

“Everyone has been real nice (with us being new to the Suburban League),” said Nordonia senior Patrick Osborne, who placed second (17:03.55) to Copley senior Nick Pupino in the boys varsity race. “But we’ve kind of stayed to ourselves. We just wanted to talk with our feet.”

In the boys race, Nordonia had five in the top 15 and four of the top six on the girls side.

“I’m real proud of my team right now,” said Knights’ senior John Ciocca, an overall sixth-place finisher (17:40.97). “We wanted to make a point to the other teams that we’re actually here to run, we’re serious.”

Pupino, having won the North Canton Hoover Dave Clegg Invitational a week ago, gradually pulled away from Osborne and the rest of the field to defend his Super Duals title (16:16.26) by a wide margin.

Wadsworth senior Nathan McDevitt was third (17:20.25).

Asked what motivated the Knights to run so well, Osborne replied, “A little pride. We wanted to come in and show that we’re actually here to compete with people. Let them know we’re here to play. And hopefully set it up for years to come.

“We’ve got seven or eight quality runners who can pull a race out at any time.”

In fact, Nordonia senior Troy Mulhall, timed at 1:56.9 at 800 meters in track, won the boys open race (18:07.99).

SUBURBAN LEAGUE Boys Super Duals Results, CLICK HERE

Coach Martin’s girls were equally impressive. After Szabat (19:12.13) in first place and defending individual champion Krista Roehlig of Green in second (19:50.91), Nordonia took the next four spots – Heather Ross (20:45.13), Leah Vesarhelyi (20:46.25), Emily Porter (21:29.21) and Frankie Simmons (21:29.85) – in that order.

Szabat has worked her way back from a fracture in her femur bone.

Simmons said she was nervous, but more about the unknown, rather than the race itself.

“It was different coming into a big meet that we had no idea about,” she said. “Plus, we’ve never run here before as a team.”

Martin was exceedingly proud of his team and then acknowledged “there is a lot more work to be done.”

For Simmons, the race was a blur as she and her teammates ran past completely unfamiliar opponents.

“It’s nice when you run by people and think, ‘I’ve never seen that team before, but I’m like, ‘We’re out there -- make a statement,’” Simmons said.

Wadsworth junior Ally Malkowski won the girls open race (22:46.75).

SUBURBAN LEAGUE Girls Super Duals Results, CLICK HERE

In other meets:

Led by Caroline Sauers' winning time of 21:56.60, Hudson placed four runners in the top 10 to win the Brecksville Bruce Lerch Invitational.

Drake Sulzer's (18:25.34) fourth-place showing paced Woodridge to second in the team standings at the Brecksville Bruce Lerch Invitational. Chardon edged the Bulldogs by two points (71-73) for top prize.

Tony Howkins of Walsh Jesuit (16:23), Michael Dober of Benedictine (17:35), Therese Haiss of Solon (19:48) and Samantha Bockoven of CVCA (19:44) were winners at the Walsh Jesuit Tomahawk Run.

BRECKSVILLE BRUCE LERCH INVITATIONAL Boys Results, CLICK HERE

BRECKSVILLE BRUCE LERCH INVITATIONAL Girls Results, CLICK HERE

WALSH JESUIT TOMAHAWK Boys GOLD Results, CLICK HERE

WALSH JESUIT TOMAHAWK Boys MAROON Results, CLICK HERE

WALSH JESUIT TOMAHAWK Girls GOLD Results, CLICK HERE

WALSH JESUIT TOMAHAWK Girls MAROON Results, CLICK HERE