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A banner with the text West Carrollton Pirates Champions Miami Valley League Valley Division and an image of a group of nine people wearing black and red shirts standing on grass with bleachers and blue sky behind them

Cross-Country Champions

West Carrollton Schools

October 19, 2026

It had been nearly 30 years since a boys’ cross-country team had won a trophy for the trophy case. The Pirates turned that around last year, winning the Miami Valley League (MVL) Divisional Championship trophy. Now they’ve brought it home again, earning back-to-back titles.

Cross country is a 3.1-mile endurance race. The Pirates have faced teams from bigger schools, but according to Coach Larry Barnes, “The guys have held their own and earned respect from other schools.” The Divisional Championship is a team event that combines the five lowest individual times into a team time.

The team's top runners during the season have been Michael Towle and Cooper Hensley. Towle placed 5th with a best time of 16:44, and Hensley placed 7th with a best time of 16:58.10 among 143 MVL cross-country athletes. UPDATE: Following the meet in Yellow Springs, Towle and Hensley are tied for 5th with matching times of 16:28.

Barnes has been impressed by the older team members taking new members under their wing, providing mentoring and encouragement. “They’ve been a very good group of kids to coach.” An important part of the encouragement the team receives from Barnes is hearing the message, “Why not West Carrollton? Why not us? I believe in you. You have to believe in yourself.”

Barnes said there has been a lot of excitement around the team, and he is looking forward to new athletes joining next season. He added, “We have fun, but we take care of business.”

The team didn’t take much time to celebrate the Divisional Championship. They are already working to move on from districts to regional competitions, and from there to state. Barnes is feeling confident. “I think they’ll make it.” He is already thinking about next season and is looking forward to the team winning a district title. “Why not us?”

The team roster includes seniors Kaden Davis, Tyson Nguyen, Yahir Portillo, and Michael Towle; juniors Cooper Hensley, Preston Pierson, Geovanny Santiago, and Lukas Wenzel; sophomores Axel Hernandez and London Smith; and freshman Zane Williams.