Potential is a beautiful thing in high school sports.
For the athletes coming in at Nos. 181-190 in the Richland 200, the potential is off the charts. Some will see major role additions on their teams next season while others have individual talent and potential that they have to be looked at as those who can make a huge jump in 2026-27.
Let’s meet our next batch of Richland 200 athletes.
190. Chloe Jeffers, Madison
Jeffers had a huge impact on the Rams’ run to a Division III regional softball championship this season. She earned honorable mention All-Ohio Cardinal Conference as a designated hitter when she hit .305 with 18 hits, three doubles, a triple, five RBIs and seven runs scored in just 23 games. She swung a great bat in the district tournament and gave the lineup a much-needed boost after a tough regular season. She will be a senior next season and should be a key contributor in the batting order again.
189. Ella Schmidt, Clear Fork
Schmidt narrowly missed out on a district golf tournament berth last season after shooting a 54-44-98 during the Division II sectional tournament. She showed a ton of poise after shooting a tough front 9 dropping 10 strokes on the back to take 12th overall. She seems to have taken the offseason between her junior and senior year seriously as she competed in Indianapolis in a showcase tournament of 128 golfers and took 20th with an 89 in her last round. Don’t be surprised if she is one of the athletes making the biggest jump this season.
188. Kendyll Tolbert, Plymouth
Tolbert earned All-Ohio honors in basketball during her sophomore season. She battled through some injuries this year on her way to honorable mention All-Northwest District, second team All-District 6 and second team All-Firelands Conference honors. She did tear her Achille’s before the Big Red’s tournament game so her status for the 2026-27 season is up in the air, but if she can some back 100%, she can be one of the best girls basketball players in Richland County.
187. Courtney Howarth, Shelby
Howarth teamed up with Payton Bruskotter to make a sectional runner-up and district qualifying doubles tennis team. In the sectional tournament, they cruised to the final before falling in three sets including a third-set tie breaker where they were just one key point away from being sectional champions. In the district tournament, Howarth was huge in helping the Whippets win a first-round match before falling in the quarterfinals. She will be back for her senior year looking for that state berth.
186. Finn Devaney, Lexington
Devaney was the No. 7 runner on Lexington’s Division II state championship cross country team. At state, he ran a 17:05.97 to take 122nd overall in the Division II race. With the graduation of four of the Top 7 runners on the team, Devaney will be looked at as a kid who will be relied on during the 2026 season and with it being his senior year, he should be up for the task.
185. Christian Estep, Lexington
Just a sophomore last season, Estep saved his best run for last for the Division II state cross country champions. Estep took 70th at state with a 16:39.91 and was No. 5 on the scoring table for the Minutemen. Estep is another runner who will be looked at to help carry on the Lexington cross country tradition after seeing several runners graduate after last season.
184. Lane Weber, Lexington
Weber played a great midfield for the Minutemen last season earning second team All-District and honorable mention All-Ohio Cardinal Conference honors during soccer. His role is about to explode in 2026 after the graduation of leading scorer Cohen Lautzenhiser. Weber might be the guy who is asked to pick up the scoring slack and keep things rolling for the program. The Minutemen will be loaded with young talent and Weber will be the senior leader of the group. Watch for him to make a big name for himself.
183. AJ Swendal, Clear Fork
Swendal earned second team All-District and second team All-Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference honors last soccer season when he scored five goals and handed out an assist. He played a great midfield position helping on both ends of the pitch as a goal-to-goal player. The Colts have to be looked at as the favorite to win the MOAC and district championship in 2026 and it’s because of selfless players like Swendal.
182. Meredith Rizzo, Mansfield Senior
Rizzo earned second team All-District and second team All-OCC honors during the 2025 girls soccer season. She earned those honors despite the Tygers going 0-14-2 on the season which shows the kind of respect she earned from coaches around the district and league. She will be the returning team captain in 2026 and hopes to be a leader on a team that is looking for some positives this season as she looks to close out her career with a winning season.
181. Keegan Beverly, Plymouth
Beverly qualified for the Richland 200 in two sports. First, he was honorable mention All-Northwest District in football after running for 152 yard and a touchdown on offense while adding 61 tackles and a sack on defense. In baseball, he earned honorable mention All-District 9 and second team All-Firelands Conference after hitting .303 with 23 hits, 11 RBIs and 20 runs scored and catching 144 ⅔ innings with just five passed balls. He also plays basketball for the Big Red and will be the senior leader of a team absolutely loaded with talent. Expect a huge senior year from this kid.
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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Potential, expectations off the charts for Nos. 181-190 of Richland 200
Reporting by Jake Furr, Mansfield News Journal / Mansfield News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jake Furr, Mansfield News Journal | USA TODAY Network
