Girls Matchup of the Week: Bizzarri Mile at the Mason Rod Russell Invitational

This one is Central Ohio (Hilliard Davidson) versus the world. While we were surprised to see only two Central Ohio athletes entered in the girls’ Bizzarri Mile, Celia Schulte and Erica Kaulen are certainly nothing to scoff at. The future Furman Paladin and Youngstown State Penguin will line up against many of the top female distance runners in the state for a full mile at Mason High School. There are not one, not two, not three, but eight runners seeded under 5:00—meaning this race should be blistering fast. The meet will provide both 1600 and full mile splits, so we’ll get a clear picture of how each competitor paces the race.

Kaulen is seeded at 5:03, but I expect her to break 5:00 in the 1600 at the very least—if not dip under 5:00 for the full mile. As for the win, I’m backing the best mid-distance runner in the state: Celia Schulte. She’ll have her work cut out for her against top competitors like Kaitlyn Reese, Hannah Jicha, Sophia Szolosi, and Evelyn Prodoehl, but she’s nearly impossible to bet against. If I had to guess, she wins the full mile in a time somewhere between 4:50 and 4:55—and if the race plays out just right, don’t be surprised if she dips under 4:50.