1. Charlie Guerrera – Despite holding the second-fastest 5k in the region, we still rank him as the top runner. Charlie clocked 15:10 at the Hot Summer Bash back in August, and as he continues to recover, we expect him to return to his top form.

2. Mick Temple – After several weeks on the sidelines due to injury, Mick made a strong debut at the Celtic Clash, finishing second behind Guerrera with a 15:21. As he regains full fitness, keep an eye on him as a serious contender for the individual regional title.

3. Matthew Schroff – Matthew currently holds the fastest personal best in the region with a stellar 15:08 performance at the Berlin Bear Dash. He’s another strong candidate in the race for this year's individual regional crown.

4. Tate Ruthers – Tate was right on Schroff’s heels at the Berlin Bear Dash, setting a personal best of 15:13. He completes the group of four runners we consider to be in serious contention for the Region 3 title on the 26th.

5. Charles Rizek – With a 15:30 personal best from the Central Ohio Cross Country Invitational, Rizek has been a consistent performer. He placed third at this weekend’s Les Eisenhart Invitational, finishing just a few seconds behind teammate Jacob Reash, but still rounds out our top five.

6. Jacob Bolton – Bolton has shown great potential, finishing close to Rizek in their last matchup at the McGowan Invitational and earning a season best of 15:31. He’s a highly talented runner, aiming to improve on his 15:20 personal best from last season as we head into the postseason.

7. Jacob Reash – The other half of DeSales' star duo, Reash boasts a 15:36 personal best. After beating Rizek this past weekend, he could move into the top five with another strong showing at the conference championships.

8. Jeffery Kerns – As the top runner from our number-one-ranked team, Westerville North, Kerns has remained consistent. His breakout performance came at the Westerville North Classic, where he ran 15:40, proving that he can compete with the top individuals in the region.

9. McKinley Norman– Norman finished just behind Kerns at the Berlin Bear Dash, clocking a personal best of 15:41. He’ll get another chance to go head-to-head with Kerns for the Capital Division title this Saturday.

10. Owen Towler (Tie) – Towler, the speedster from Gahanna, has a personal best of 15:39 from the Central Ohio Cross Country Invitational. He’s right in the mix with Kerns and Norman, making him a threat in the upcoming races.

10. Bradyn Allender (Tie)– After some time off the rankings, Bradyn made a big statement at the Berlin Bear Dash, running 15:40 and beating both Kerns and Norman. His performance has firmly placed him back in the top ten.

Honorable Mentions:

Austin Benedict – The only freshman on our list, Benedict made waves this season with a 15:37 at the Celtic Clash, earning him an honorable mention.

Ethan Ishida – Ishida also had a breakout race at the Celtic Clash, running 15:36, which secured him a spot as an honorable mention on this list.