Boys' Conference Recaps

Boys’ Week of 5/8 Runner of the Week:

Your week of 5/8 “Runner of the Week” is Olentangy sophomore Will Simons! He earned your vote after an impressive breakthrough performance at the Delaware County Invitational, where he improved his personal best in the 1600 meters by over 10 seconds to finish as the county runner-up with a time of 4:29. If he continues this positive trajectory, he is sure to become one of the region’s top distance runners.

OCC Central:

The OCC Central boys distance races featured several close battles throughout the evening, led by Olentangy Liberty’s victory in the 4x800 in 8:09.35 ahead of Hilliard Bradley’s 8:11.86. Upper Arlington senior Matt Schmersal captured the 1600 conference title in 4:30.86, narrowly holding off Olentangy Orange junior Cowen Allender (4:31.49) and Hilliard Bradley junior Griffin Ley (4:31.94) in a tightly packed race. 

Olentangy Liberty senior Jacob Ogilbee later secured the 800 title in 1:58.11 before the Patriots added another conference championship in the 3200 through Gordon Kimberly’s 9:34.19 performance. Dublin Coffman junior Ben Canales remained right on Kimberly’s shoulder in 9:34.49, while Cowen Allender continued his strong evening with a 9:41.29 effort and Liberty junior Brandon Craig followed closely behind in 9:42.49.

OCC Ohio:

The OCC Ohio boys distance events produced several high-level performances, particularly from the underclassmen-heavy groups at Gahanna Lincoln and New Albany. The 800 featured one of the closest finishes of the meet as New Albany sophomore Austin Pfeifer narrowly edged Gahanna Lincoln sophomore Gavin Swain 1:57.88 to 1:57.94, while Westerville Central senior Corbin Morrisey (1:59.41) and New Albany junior Lavon Wilborn Jr. (1:59.88) also dipped under the two-minute barrier. Swain later returned to capture the 1600 conference title in 4:20.30 ahead of Morrisey (4:22.44), Gahanna Lincoln senior Ethan LaCross (4:22.96), and New Albany sophomore Austin Benedict (4:26.48). 

Benedict responded with one of the top performances of the meet in the 3200, winning convincingly in 9:21.34, while Gahanna Lincoln teammates Brayden Storch (9:31.12) and Liam Irvin (9:38.30) both delivered strong sub-9:40 performances. Gahanna Lincoln also showcased its impressive depth in the 4x800, running 7:54.33 to secure the conference title ahead of Westerville Central.

OCC Cardinal:

The OCC Cardinal boys distance events were completely controlled by Dublin Jerome, who further cemented themselves as one of Ohio’s premier distance programs. The Celtics opened the meet with a dominant 7:52.63 victory in the 4x800 before placing three runners in the top three of the 1600 as Graham Tyler (4:22.67), Ethan Ishida (4:23.04), and Hunter Coakley (4:23.07) all dipped under 4:24. Hilliard Darby also impressed in the metric mile with Kole Hyer (4:23.42), Logan Behm (4:24.47), and Aidan Fisher (4:24.61) all finishing within two seconds of each other, while Olentangy Berlin senior Vansh Sethi remained in the mix with a 4:24.71 effort.

The 800 produced another major breakthrough as Thomas Worthington junior Wesley Nash stormed to victory in 1:56.34, while Graham Tyler doubled back for runner-up honors in 1:56.85 and teammate Jonah Hein also dipped under 1:59 in 1:58.46. Jerome’s dominance continued in the 3200, where Carter Hutchinson led a 1-2 finish alongside Lincoln Kelly in 9:27.78 and 9:30.92 respectively, although Olentangy Berlin senior Christian Passerini continued his excellent spring campaign with a personal best of 9:33.21. Hilliard Darby’s distance depth was also on full display throughout the evening, highlighted by Logan Behm’s 9:36.22 and Cameron Burke’s 9:40.22 performances in the 3200.

OCC Buckeye:

The OCC Buckeye boys distance events featured several tightly contested races, highlighted by Lancaster senior Brock Jarrett capturing the 1600 conference title in 4:18.95 ahead of Canal Winchester senior Grant Hamilton, who ran a personal best of 4:19.88. Lancaster junior Gabriel McNeil also delivered a major performance in the metric mile, finishing third in a personal best 4:23.30, while Logan’s Andrew Perry remained competitive in 4:24.78. McNeil later returned to win the 800 in 1:57.49, with Newark’s Sean Brechbill also dipping under 2:00 in 1:59.49. The 3200 produced another quality battle as Hamilton secured the conference crown in 9:34.29 ahead of Andrew Perry’s strong 9:38.15 effort for Logan.

OCC Capital:

The OCC Capital boys distance races featured several of the strongest performances of the evening, highlighted by a thrilling 1600 showdown between Westerville North senior Casey Carlos and Dublin Scioto senior Michael Kinzer. Carlos ultimately edged Kinzer by just over a tenth of a second, winning in 4:16.29 to Kinzer’s 4:16.40. The 800 produced another loaded field as Delaware Hayes sophomore Aaron Maus continued his breakout season with a massive personal best of 1:57.25, while Big Walnut sophomore Ethan Shultz (1:58.50), Casey Carlos (1:58.67), and Dublin Scioto’s Quinn Robinson (1:58.78) all dipped under 1:59. 

Westerville North’s distance depth remained evident throughout the meet, particularly in the 3200 where Gregory Kerns (9:35.41) and Holden Gray (9:37.67) both delivered major personal bests behind event winner Michael Kinzer’s 9:31.60, while Westerville South’s Willis Guard-Batchelder also impressed with a 9:45.90 effort. Big Walnut also secured a conference title in the 4x800, narrowly defeating Westerville North 8:12.10 to 8:12.91 in one of the closest races of the night.