Winner: Elena Wanek

School: Olentangy

“It was honestly a really close race, and Cali Kent and Annie See pushed me to my best that night.”

Highlight: Wanek has only competed five times (across four meets) so far this season, winning three of those five races. Her latest victory came in the 1600m at the Olentangy Invite, where she ran a season-best 5:18. Combined with her season opener of 2:27 in the 800m, those performances earned her our nomination—and your votes—for this week's Runner of the Week.

While her personal bests stand at 5:16 in the 1600m and 2:25 in the 800m (both from last season), Wanek’s performance at the Olentangy Invite was particularly impressive. A soccer player in the fall rather than a cross country runner, she defeated two of the region’s most well-known competitors—Annie See and Cali Kent—to win the 1600m. With her ability to beat top-tier competition, Wanek is poised to be a major contender this postseason.

“This season, my goal is to qualify for states after falling short last year at regionals—in either the 1600m or 3200m,” Wanek said when asked about her postseason goals. Last year, she placed 6th in the 3200m at the regional meet with a personal best of 11:19, narrowly missing one of the two wild card spots.