The Margaretta Polar Bears boys cross country team turned in a strong performance Saturday, October 31, at the Division III Regional Cross Country Meet at Tiffin's Hedges-Boyer Park, finishing 9th overall with 241 points. While the team came up just short of qualifying for the state meet, the day belonged to junior standout Cole Zang, who delivered an outstanding performance to finish as the Division III Regional Runner-Up! Zang crossed the finish line in an incredible time of 14:59.3, earning second place overall against a talented regional field. His performance was especially impressive considering the adversity he faced during the race. Cole fell during the first mile, putting himself at a disadvantage early. Despite the setback, he battled back and continued to push toward the finish, ultimately securing a runner-up finish. Cole will race for a State Championship next Saturday at 2:20pm. Zang's regional performance adds to what has already been a remarkable season. His time from the previous week's District Meet remains the fastest time in all of Division III heading into next weekend's State Championship race. With that performance, Cole has established himself as one of the top runners in the entire division and will now have the opportunity to compete for a state championship. The Polar Bears received several other strong performances on Saturday. Kyle Walton finished 33rd in 17:14.2, followed by Cash Ward in 42nd place with a time of 17:29.2. Cain Orosco crossed the finish line in 76th place in 18:14.2, while Will Coffman finished 142nd in 20:58.0. Jackson Covell rounded out the Margaretta lineup, placing 144th in 21:33.5. The Polar Bears' top five runners combined for a team time of 1:28:55, averaging 17:47 per runner. Although the team season came to a close at the regional level, Margaretta will be represented on the biggest stage next weekend as Zang advances to the Division III State Championship Meet. With the fastest Division III time from the District Meet and a regional runner-up finish already under his belt, Cole will head to the state meet with his sights set on another outstanding performance. Congratulations to Cole Zang and the entire Margaretta Polar Bears boys cross country team on an outstanding season! Best of luck to Cole at the STATE MEET!