
Buckeye Run Report

Winner: Katy Zang
School: Teays Valley
“It was great to be back, especially with a PR! My goal for the season is to win state in the 3200m and make All-American at New Balance Nationals in the 5K!”
Highlight: She’s back with a bang! Teays Valley superstar Katy Zang competed for the first time since her devastating injury two miles into the Cross Country Regional Championships. Not only is Zang our winner of the coveted Runner of the Week award, but she also becomes our first-ever two-time winner!
The Teays Valley junior dominated at the Shawnee Seitz Memorial Invite, blowing away the girls’ field with a stellar time of 10:44—winning by over a minute and a half. I emphasize "girls’ field" because the invite combined the boys and girls into one race, where Shawnee sophomore Grant Peters won the overall race in 10:39. This arrangement certainly worked to Zang’s advantage, giving her a running mate for nearly the entire race.
But this performance means more than just a single victory. With Zang back at full strength, the landscape of both the regional and state 3200m events shifts dramatically. A healthy and fully firing Zang isn’t just a contender—she's arguably the favorite for both the state and regional titles. While we're uncertain about the rest of Zang's regular-season schedule, she’ll undoubtedly be a major force at the state tournament and a serious competitor at the New Balance Nationals.