One of the biggest reasons for a teams success and failure boils down to one thing.
Leadership. And the best forms of leadership for high school teams comes directly from the players themselves. The athletes coming in at Nos. 161-170 are about to embrace leadership roles on their teams in 2026-27 and those teams are about to thrive around them.
Let’s meet the next batch of Richland 200 athletes and see who the new leaders of Richland County will be.
170. Adria Sharrock, Lexington
Sharrock was a member of Lady Lex’s cross country team that took third in the Division II state championships last Fall. She ran a 20:49.30 at state to take 155th overall as a sophomore. She is going to be a huge key for the future success of Lady Lex if she can develop into a Top 3 runner for the team in the next year or two.
169. Evalynn Adkins, Lexington
Adkins was Lady Lex’s No. 5 runner during the Division II state cross country championships. She took 128th at state after running a 20:25.46 and will be looked at as someone who can keep the train rolling for the program. Lexington graduates two of their Top 3 runners so Adkins has a golden opportunity to take on a key role for the 2026 season.
168. Cayden Brown, Lexington
Brown had a stellar freshman season on the soccer pitch for Lexington. A lockdown defender, Brown earned first team All-District honors in Division III after helping Lexington make it to the district semifinal game where they gave Madison a run for its money. With Brown as the centerpiece of the Lexington defense for the next three years and a young offensive core looking to figure its way, he will be instrumental in the success of this season.
167. Coy Bieri, Clear Fork
Bieri was a standout defender for the Division IV district soccer champion Clear Fork Colts. He earned first team All-District and honorable mention All-Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference honors last season when he helped the Colts post seven shutouts on their way to a 12-7-1 record. The Colts have won two straight district championships and with Bieri back leading the defense, No. 3 looks very realistic.
166. Aiden Henry, Mansfield Senior
Henry scored 10 goals and added four assists for the Tygers’ boys soccer team last season earning himself first team All-District and second team All-Ohio Cardinal Conference honors. The Tygers won five games, but they underwent a youth movement for the 2025 season. With Henry back ready to step into a leadership role, the Tygers could have a solid 2026 season especially if he keeps scoring goals at a high clip.
165. Kayn Patton, Crestview
Patton put together a nice junior baseball season for the Cougars in 2026. He hit .372 with 29 hits, seven doubles, a triple, 13 RBIs and 19 runs scored. He earned second team All-District 9 and first team All-Firelands Conference honors for his efforts. The Cougars got out to a hot start before faltering down the stretch, but with Patton back along with eight of his classmates, the Cougars should challenge for a league title with that kind of experience. Patton will be looked at as a leader next season and the Cougars will flourish around him.
164. Braden Smith, Crestview
Smith earned first team All-District and first team All-Mid-Buckeye Conference as a member of the Crestview boys soccer team last season. The Cougars went 5-12 on the season, but played a pretty tough schedule for their size. With Smith returning to the pitch, they expect to compete in many more matches in 2026 and maybe even give it a run at a league championship.
163. Braelyn Llewellyn, Ontario
Llewellyn is going to be a household name by the end of the 2026 soccer season. Last year, she was second team All-District and second team All-Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference after she scored 11 goals and handed out four assists. Ontario graduates their Top 2 goal scorers and Top 3 players in assists, so naturally, Llewellyn will step up into a key role for the Warriors in 2026. She has always been a key contributor on both ends of the pitch since her freshman year, but this will be her year to take ownership of the team as the leader. She is going to have a massive, massive season.
162. Cambree Howe, Madison
Howe is a two-sport Richland 200 qualifier after earning second team All-District and second team All-OCC honors in soccer and honorable mention All-OCC honors in basketball. She had three goals for the soccer team leading it to a 7-10-2 record before taking to the hardwood and leading the Rams to the Division III district championship game for one of the best stories of the 2025-26 athletic year. She will be back for both teams in 2026-27 and the Rams will be in great shape with Howe at a leadership role in both sports. Expect Madison soccer and girls hoops to compete for league championships because of Howe.
161. Claire Hammer, Lexington
Hammer was instrumental in leading Lady Lex to a Division III district championship in soccer in 2025. She earned second team All-District and second team All-OCC as the goalkeeper for Lexington. She recorded 64 saves with 11 shutouts to her credit. She was 13-5-3 as the starting keeper going up against arguably the toughest schedule of any Richland County team in 2025. With her leadership in goal, Lady Lex should be right back in the thick of the OCC and district championship conversation.
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Richland 200 Nos. 161-170 athletes will own leadership roles in 2026-27
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
