4x800m Pre-Track Season Rankings: Boys

1. Westerville North: The Warriors claimed the state title in dramatic fashion last track season and will aim to repeat as the top 4x800 team in the region. While the loss of Ben Gabelman and Michael Dellasanta is significant, Westerville North has a fresh set of runners ready to step up. They are led by Gabe Wise, who boasts a personal best of 1:55.53, and Casey Carlos, with a personal best of 1:58.54—both returning members of last year’s state championship team. Joining them are Jeffery Kerns (1:59.56), fresh off an All-Ohioan cross-country season, and Jordan Mazak (1:59.35). They also have a strong alternate in Noah Kemp (2:01.88).

   
   

2. Olentangy Liberty: Liberty enters the track season as a very close second to North, serving as more of a 1B to North’s 1A. While they lack North’s state championship experience, they bring back a strong group of seniors and are the only other team to return four runners under 2:00 in the open 800. Leading the way is Zee Rabi (1:56.99), followed by Aadi Joshi (1:57.83). The final two spots on their team should go to either Jacob Ogilbee (1:58.67), Sam Brockbank (1:59.47), or Louie Perry (2:00.13).

   
   

3. Dublin Jerome: While Jerome doesn’t quite have the depth of the top two teams, they are led by two standout runners in Charlie Guerrera and Ethan Ishida. Guerrera, a Syracuse commit, doesn’t have a listed open time from 2024, but after running 4:09 in the 1600m last track season, he likely split at least 1:55 on their 4x800 relay. Ishida has the fastest returning open PR on the squad at 1:55.94. Graham Tyler, another member of Jerome’s 4x800 team last season, doesn’t have a listed open time but likely split around 2:00 or better. With Sam Richiutti graduated, they will look to Nikolas Avramov (2:03.90) or Tomek Cymbal (2:04.18) to round out their lineup.

   
   

4. Gahanna Lincoln: Gahanna should also be competitive with the top teams in the region, thanks to their star 800m runner Owen Towler. Towler, the fastest returning 800m runner in the region, placed in the top five at the state meet last season and has an impressive personal best of 1:52.23 in the open. With Towler anchoring, Gahanna has the potential to chase down just about anyone. Completing their squad should be Ethan LaCross (2:01.8), Andrew Dietrich (2:02.30), and Camden Goddard, who doesn’t have a listed open time from 2024 but likely split between 2:01 and 2:03 as part of last year’s 4x800 team.

   
   

5. Olentangy Orange: Like Gahanna, Orange is led by one standout runner, Matthew Schroff, who has a personal best of 1:54.96 in the open. Supporting Schroff are Dylan Willis and Sahil Khandari, both returning members of last year’s 4x800 team with personal bests of 2:01.18 and 2:01.21, respectively. The final spot on their squad will likely go to Bradyn Allender, fresh off an All-Ohio cross-country season, despite having a more modest open PR of 2:05.05. Sid Sivakumar and Rushil Gaddam could also compete for a spot, as they have open PRs similar to Allender.

   
   

6. Marysville: The rankings start to get murkier at this point, with Marysville emerging as the next team. They return only one sub-2:00 runner in Luke Reighard (1:59.39). Mack Weithman (2:01.59) should also be a lock for their relay. Completing their squad will likely be two of Paxton Herring (2:03.89), Lance Bodine (2:03.95), and Levi Weithman (2:04.52).

   
   

7. Westerville Central: The Warhawks return two sub-2:00 runners, with Corbin Morrisey (1:59.31) and Alex Hohman (1:59.82) leading the way. Completing their relay team will likely be Caleb Manoharan (2:03.51) and Dimetrius Floyd (2:02.84).

   
   

8. St. Francis DeSales: The Stallions will rely heavily on their trio of Jacob Reash, Charles Rizek, and Ashton Boyd. Of the three, only Boyd has a fully reflective 800m time from last season, clocking in at 1:58.55. Reash and Rizek don’t run the 800 often, but their 1600m personal bests suggest they could have each split at least 2:03 last year. After this trio, there’s a noticeable gap for the fourth spot. Neither of the runners who rounded out their cross-country top five last season have personal bests under 2:10, meaning the team will need significant improvement in this position to compete at a higher level.

   
   

9. Pickerington North: Junior standout Mick Temple will have his work cut out for him in leading his team to All-Region honors. While his open personal best doesn’t fully reflect his capabilities, he likely split at least 1:55 last season, given his impressive 1600m time of 4:13. Cai Watts is another strong contributor for the squad, with a personal best of 2:01.45. Beyond those two, Pickerington North lacks depth, with no other returning runners under 2:05. Kelly Morgan and Jacob Barker have the next fastest open times but will need significant improvement to bolster their relay's chances.

   
   

10. Dublin Scioto: The Irish bring back one sub-2:00 runner in Quinn Robinson, who has a personal best of 1:59.6. Michael Kinzer is another likely relay member, with a personal best of 2:03.01. Two of McKinley Norman (2:05.31), Haruki Nakamura (2:06.47), Chidi Nwagbo (2:06.75), or Owen Kockentiet (2:06.78) will likely complete the team, though all will need to step up to keep Scioto competitive.