Winner: Alex Hohman

School: Westerville Central

Quote: “My goal is to make it to the state meet in cross country and track, and maybe even have a date to prom.”

Highlight:

After breaking the 16-minute barrier for the first time in his career, Westerville Central junior Alex Hohman earned your vote for our Runner of the Week award. Hohman has been a model of consistency throughout the season, following his breakout campaign as a sophomore last year. In his first four races of the year, he ran between 16:10 and 16:15. Now, following a breakthrough at the Berlin Bear Den Dash, he’s poised to make his presence known this postseason.

“I had to learn patience,” Hohman said when discussing his mindset entering the race. Another factor pushing him to perform his best was the competition from fellow Warhawk Corbin Morrissey. He joked, “I just knew I wasn’t losing to my teammate Corbin.” Morrissey and Hohman will partner with a now-healthy Andrew Gould to form one of the strongest trios in the region.

When discussing his goals for the rest of the year, Hohman stated, “My goal is to make it to the state meet in cross country.” A strong regional performance from him could propel the Warhawks to qualify for the state championships for the first time in program history. Despite five straight regional appearances, the team has yet to crack the top eight—but with Hohman leading the charge, their chances look better than ever.

This coming weekend, Hohman will challenge for the runner-up position at the OCC Championships (assuming Mick Temple cruises to a fourth straight individual title) while aiming to help the Warhawks claim their first-ever team title.