800m Pre-Track Rankings: Boys

(Disclaimer: These rankings are based on our projection of each individual’s main event.)

1. Owen Towler - The Gahanna senior holds the number one spot on our list. He posted the fastest time of any runner in the region last year, clocking 1:52.23, and placed 5th at the outdoor state meet. Coming off a solid cross-country season, watch for him to contend for the state title, both indoors and outdoors.

2. Jayden Beverly - Beverly, a junior from Chillicothe, is the only other legitimate contender for the regional 800-meter title (at least at this point in time). He had a breakout season last year, running 1:53.47 and placing 9th at the outdoor state meet.

3. Evan Graessle - Graessle burst onto the scene during his junior year at St. Charles, running a time of 1:55.26 at districts. With limited experience in the 800, he should be poised for further improvement as he grows more familiar with the event.

4. Gabe Wise - The Westerville North senior has steadily improved throughout his career, holding a personal best of 1:55.53 from last season’s district meet. While he may not yet be on the level of Towler or Beverly, he is well-positioned to earn a state-qualifying spot with a strong season.

5. Ethan Ishida - After breaking 2:00 during his freshman campaign, it was clear that Ishida had a bright future. The Dublin Jerome junior improved on his freshman time last season, running 1:55.94 at the district meet last season. Similar to Gabe Wise, Ishida is firmly on the bubble for a state-qualifying spot.

6. Brendan Steele - Steele had a breakout junior campaign at Hilliard Darby, improving his personal best by over 10 seconds. He finished last season with a time of 1:55.68 and should be in the mix for a state-qualifying spot.

7. Brock Jarrett - Jarrett, a junior at Lancaster, showed tremendous improvement from his freshman to sophomore season. His breakout performance at last year’s district meet saw Jarrett obliterate the two-minute barrier with a time of 1:56.34.

8. Dylan Winters - The Reynoldsburg senior was one of many who made massive strides last track season, dropping his personal best to 1:56.72 at the district meet,  despite not dipping under 1:59 until the district meet.

9. Ty Munroe - Munroe is the last remaining member of the Olentangy 4x800 team that earned All-American honors at New Balance Outdoor Nationals last season. The recent Akron commit achieved a personal best of 1:57.62 last season, despite limited opportunities to race the open 800.

10. Kyle Hughes - Rounding out our top 10 is Upper Arlington junior Kyle Hughes. He holds a personal best of 1:57.52 from his conference championship last season and will look to be the de facto leader of the Upper Arlington distance squad following the graduation of current Pitt freshman, Thomas McMahon.

Honorable Mention:

Aadi Joshi: The Olentangy Liberty senior is the only other returner in the region with a personal best under 1:58. Joshi will more than likely play a key role in Olentangy Liberty's hopes for a regional 4x800 title.