Central Ohio’s top cross-country runners competed for state berths in four divisions at regional meets Oct. 25 at Pickerington North.
In Division I, the top seven boys teams, top 14 boys not on qualifying teams, top eight girls teams and top 16 girls not on qualifying teams advanced to state Nov. 1 at Fortress Obetz.
Five teams and 10 individuals advanced in Division II, eight teams and 16 individuals advanced in Division III and six teams and 12 individuals advanced in Division IV.
Here are the central Ohio team and individual state qualifiers:
Division I boys
Dublin Jerome (113) capped the day by winning its first regional title since 2013. Hilliard Darby (124), Westerville North (130), Thomas Worthington (166), Olentangy Orange (173), Olentangy Berlin (197) and New Albany (214) also advanced to state.
Lincoln Kelly finished 12th (15:38.72) to lead Jerome, and Pickerington North’s Mick Temple (15:15.8) won on his home course to earn an individual berth.
Other area runners advancing from non-qualifying teams were Lancaster’s Brock Jarrett (seventh, 15:32.86) and Gabe McNeil (22nd, 15:56.98), Dublin Coffman’s Ben Canales (eighth, 15:33.98), Hilliard Bradley’s Anton Shishlo (11th, 15:37.36), Westerville Central’s Corbin Morrisey (13th, 15:40.22), Alex Hohman (18th, 15:52.1) and Andrew Gould (29th, 16:10.87), Olentangy Liberty’s Gordon Kimberly (15th, 15:45.21), Gahanna Lincoln’s Liam Irvin (20th, 15:53.32) and Beckett Anderson (39th, 16:20.44), Pickerington North’s Dominic Mercurio (25th, 16:05.48), Marysville’s Paxton Herring (26th, 16:06.7) and Worthington Kilbourne’s Hayden McComb (33rd, 16:16.15).
Division I girls
Liberty’s Elena Aldrink continued her unbeaten season by winning (17:13.74) ahead of runner-up Katy Zang of Teays Valley (17:37.37).
Gahanna (77), Hilliard Davidson (102), Liberty (124), Upper Arlington (145), Teays Valley (161), Jerome (163), Lancaster (193) and Coffman (283) qualified for state.
Area runners advancing from non-qualifying teams were Orange’s Brooke Chapman (fifth, 17:57.62), Licking Heights’ Addison Caudill (ninth, 18:17.14), New Albany’s Kyla Benedict (17th, 18:57.62), Bradley’s Chelsee Fischer (19:00.81) and Lucy Buschur (26th, 19:19.23), Watkins Memorial’s Kate Michael (25th, 19:10.46), Berlin’s Georgia Speelman (33rd, 19:29.33), Joanna Jegan Jose (45th, 19:50.78) and Claire Heitkamp (47th, 19:51.71), Marysville’s Lyla Channell (34th, 19:30.74) and Cameron Cave (50th, 19:57.18), Westerville South’s Lily Zappin (37th, 19:44.47) and Katelyn Hogenbirk (48th, 19:52.04), Darby’s Emmaline Anderson (38th, 19:46.14), Kilbourne’s Evelyn Cavin (43rd, 19:49.35) and Westerville North’s Lilah Roblee (51st, 19:59.24).
Division II boys
Watterson (117) captured its first regional title, outdistancing runner-up New Philadelphia (156).
Jack Hangen finished fifth (15:42.19) to lead Watterson.
Jonathan Alder (fourth, 166) and Dublin Scioto (fifth, 170) also qualified for state.
Michael Kinzer finished second (15:31.06) for Scioto and Lincoln Wilson finished eighth (15:56.16) for Jonathan Alder.
Canal Winchester’s Grant Hamilton won the race (15:26.16) to earn an individual berth.
Other area runners advancing from non-qualifying teams were Hartley’s Rowan Smith (sixth, 15:50.23), London’s Cameron Carn (ninth, 15:59.42), Bexley’s Owen Comes (15th, 16:11.84) and Everett Lynch (19th, 16:18.08) and Granville’s Logan Miller (20th, 16:18.2).
Division II girls
It was also a banner day for the Watterson girls (61) as they won their first regional title, finishing ahead of runner-up Athens (116).
Katelyn Van Zandt finished second (18:04) to lead Watterson.
Canal Winchester (third, 124), Big Walnut (fourth, 127) and Granville (fifth, 152) also qualified for state.
Granville’s Elsa Tonnessen finished fourth (18:38.01), Big Walnut’s Grace Buskirk was sixth (18:48.28) and Canal Winchester’s Peyton Hughey finished 15th (19:04.78).
Advancing from non-qualifying teams were Mount Vernon’s Lucy Rush (third, 18:05.71), Jonathan Alder’s Ella Luker (fifth, 18:45.32) and Addison Ranly (eighth, 18:50.2), Whetstone’s Miriam Rule (17th, 19:10.2) and Bexley’s Amelia Lynch (23rd, 19:30.07) and Penelope Sidel (27th, 19:35.6).
Division III boys
Fairfield Union led area teams, finishing third (125) behind champion Minerva (72).
Connor Runkle finished third (15:50.09) to lead Fairfield Union.
Mount Gilead (fifth, 163), Utica (sixth, 237), Highland (seventh, 249) and Columbus Academy (eighth, 261) also advanced to state.
Advancing from non-qualifying teams were Johnstown’s Cameron Beverick (16th, 16:18.63) and Heath’s Ryan Baker (18th, 16:21.33).
Division III girls
Fairfield Union (fourth, 198) and Fairbanks (seventh, 278) advanced to state, finishing behind champion Zoarville Tuscarawas Valley (114).
Vera Henderly finished fifth (18:46.93) to lead Fairfield Union, and Sadie Miller finished 20th (19:51.15) to pace Fairbanks.
Area runners advancing from non-qualifying teams were Buckeye Valley’s Abbie Montgomery (10th, 19:15.84) and Brookelynn Hedges (33rd, 20:04.83), Johnstown’s Ella Hiebel (25th, 19:54.8) and Worthington Christian’s Olive Edgel (28th, 20:21.48).
Division IV boys
Fisher Catholic won the title (114), ahead of second-place Galion Northmor (145).
Roman Funk finished 11th (16:45.74) to lead Fisher Catholic.
Area runners advancing from non-qualifying teams were Fairfield Christian’s Jordan McQueary (eighth, 16:38.71), West Jefferson’s Ethan Roberts (ninth, 16:41.87) and Centerburg’s Andrew Dickhof (19th, 17:07.49).
Division IV girls
Grandview Heights easily won the race (44) ahead of runner-up Mechanicsburg (94).
Columbus Academy finished sixth (233), edging Mount Gilead (237) for the final state berth.
Julia Albright (fifth, 19:11.23) and Sydney Hatta (eighth, 19:37.27) led Grandview, and Claire Chan finished 34th (21:10.48) to lead Academy.
Individual runners who qualified for state were Centerburg’s Payton Tucker (11th, 19:58.2), Columbus School for Girls’ Maggie Carney (18th, 20:17.86), Fairfield Christian’s Audrey Sisco (19th, 20:22.41), West Jefferson’s Ella Hostetler (25th, 20:38.28) and Fisher Catholic’s Mary Grace Crabtree (27th, 20:54.83).
High school sports reporter Frank DiRenna can be reached at fdirenna@dispatch.com and at @DispatchFrank on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: See which Columbus-area cross-country runners advanced to OHSAA state meet
Reporting by Frank DiRenna, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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