Boys Division 1 Central Ohio Review

This past weekend at the Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio, Central Ohio’s top distance athletes took to the track — and they did not disappoint. Across the four distance events, Central Ohio runners captured three state titles, headlined by Dublin Jerome’s historic performance in the 4x800m relay. In this article, we’ll break down each race and highlight the standout performances that made this year’s indoor state championships one to remember.

The day kicked off with the 4x800m relay, and while we predicted Dublin Jerome would claim the title in our preview, few could have anticipated just how fast they would run. Anchored by Charlie Guerrera, the Celtics stormed to a blistering 7:45 — the second-fastest time in Ohio history and the current US #3 time (the fastest mark ever run at a state championship this year). Central Ohio’s depth was on full display in this event, with four teams finishing inside the top six. Olentangy Liberty placed third in 7:52, Westerville North took fourth in 7:54, and Lancaster surprised many with a sixth-place finish in 7:58. The state of Ohio now holds one of the top three, two of the top ten, four of the top twenty, five of the top twenty-five, and eight of the top fifty times in the nation this year — a testament to the elite talent in Ohio's distance scene.

The boys 1600m followed, delivering one of the most thrilling races of the day. Olentangy Orange’s Matthew Schroff pulled off an incredible upset, using a smart and patient race strategy to claim his first-ever individual state title. Heavy favorite Maxwell Friedrich, who had run 4:08 earlier in the season, controlled most of the race, but Schroff sat on his shoulder until the final 100 meters before unleashing a devastating kick to win in 4:13. Central Ohio also placed two more athletes in the top eight, with Dublin Jerome’s Ethan Ishida and Westerville North’s Casey Carlos finishing fifth and sixth, both doubling back from the 4x800m earlier in the day. With both juniors returning next year, expect them to contend for the state title in 2025.

In the 800m, Owen Towler made it three-for-three on the day for Central Ohio state champions, finally capturing his long-awaited individual state title. The Gahanna Lincoln senior dominated the race, pulling away from the field in the final lap to win in 1:53.6, a time good enough for US #42 this season. Reynoldsburg’s Dylan Winters had a huge breakthrough, dropping a personal best of 1:55.8 to take third place, while previous runner-of-the-week honoree Ty Munroe from Olentangy battled to a seventh-place finish in 1:56.6. Rounding out the podium was Lancaster’s Brock Jarrett, who ran 1:56.9 just hours after splitting 1:54-1:55 on the opening leg of the 4x800m.

The final distance event of the day, the 3200m, saw Central Ohio’s hopes for a clean sweep come up just short. Dublin Jerome’s Charlie Guerrera, doubling back from his heroic 4x800m anchor leg, put up a valiant effort but finished second in 9:11, three seconds behind Eli Ilg. Guerrera hung tough on Ilg’s shoulder as long as possible but ultimately couldn’t match his fresh legs down the stretch. Dublin Scioto’s McKinley Norman and Olentangy Liberty’s Gordon Kimberly also turned in strong efforts, running 9:24 and 9:27 to finish sixth and eighth, respectively. Central Ohio dominated the next four places as well, claiming ninth through twelfth with strong performances from Logan Behm of Hilliard Darby, Jeffery Kerns of Westerville North, Bradyn Allender of Olentangy Orange, and freshman standout Austin Benedict of New Albany.

It was a banner day for Central Ohio, with three individual state titles, a historic 4x800m performance, and over a dozen All-Ohio finishes. As the attention now shifts toward the outdoor season, expect many of these athletes to contend for even more championships in the months to come.