Halsey becomes first Raider runner in 21 years to win league title

“I knew I needed to stay because I wanted to accomplish more things and finish it out,” she said. “I wouldn’t have been able to leave Wright State feeling like I did everything I wanted to. And I didn’t want to leave the team just yet — because I love them all.”

Halsey took care of any unfinished business with a victory in the Horizon League championships Saturday in Carmel, Ind.

The Tippecanoe High School grad took an early lead and was never really threatened, posting a time of 22 minutes,10.6 seconds on the muddy, 6K course. Milwaukee’s Mikayla Fox was second in 22:22.9.

It’s just the second individual title in Wright State history for men or women. Jessica Kuhr won in 2000.

“It went perfectly to plan, which is rare,” said coach Rick Williamson, who had a pair of second-place runners in 2019 with Nathan Dunn and Shelby Nolan.

“We talked with both teams about how the tougher the course, especially with mud, it’s really hard to pass people the second half of the race. Everyone is so tired, you’re just kind of racing the people around you.

“She knew if she had a lead going into the last 1,000 meters, it was going to be difficult to catch her. She’s just so fit.”

Halsey was swarmed at the finish line by well-wishers, including her parents, Ken and Matt Halsey, and grandmother Judy Davis.

“They were all so happy. I know my mom was crying,” Halsey said.

Asked if her dad shed any tears, she said with a laugh: “He was about to. I know if he hugged me a little longer, he probably would have cried.”

Williamson changed his normal race routine for Halsey, coming off the course with runners still out there to make sure he didn’t miss her finishing kick.

“When you work for five years for something, and it happens, it’s kind of overwhelming,” he said.

“She’s just a great kid.”

Halsey, the only female runner at Tippecanoe to qualify for the state four times (three with the team and once as an individual), improved steadily with the Raiders. She was 42nd at the HL championship as a freshman, then 34th, 10th and fifth last season.

She gives Williamson much of the credit for her development.

“He’s very understanding. If something comes up, if you’re injured or sick, he’ll accommodate you and modify things,” she said. “That’s needed, and most coaches don’t do it. He’s the reason why I’m still here and thriving.”

The Raider men and women both finished sixth. Tayton Hess, a sophomore from Beavercreek, improved 25 spots in his second HL race, finishing 14th to earn second-team all-league honors.

WOMEN’S SOCCER: Olga Mossombo was named first-team all-league for the second straight year. The junior forward from Montreal had three goals and two assists this season.

Destiny Johnson, a fifth-year senior midfielder from Zanesville, was a second-team pick. She sat out last season with an injury but was first-team all-league in 2019.

Olivia Mace, a midfielder from Centerville, was named to the all-freshman team.

The Raiders finished 5-10-3 overall and 3-6-2 in the league under first-year coach Travis Sobers.

They missed the six-team league tourney for the second straight year. Before that, they qualified for the event five straight seasons.

MEN’S SOCCER:  Reece Allbaugh recorded a hat trick in a 4-3 Senior Night win over Cleveland State on Saturday. The sophomore from Pickerington doubled his season goal total to a team-high six.

All of the Raiders goals came in the second half after spotting the Vikings a 2-0 lead, and the rally kept them in the race for the six-team league tourney. They’re fifth at 4-4-1 with one match left at Detroit Mercy on Wednesday.

VOLLEYBALL: The Raiders tightened the league race going into the final two weeks of the season by knocking off first-place Milwaukee in four sets Friday.

Though Saturday night’s matches, Milwaukee was in first at 12-2, followed by Northern Kentucky at 10-2, UIC 9-2, Wright State 9-3 and Oakland 9-4. All of the Raiders’ league losses have been by 3-2 scores.