The Division 1 boys’ regional at Pickerington North delivered one of the most dramatic and unpredictable races of the postseason. With individual breakthroughs, late-race surges, and teams rising at the perfect moment, the meet reshaped expectations heading into the state championship.

Top 5 Individual Finishers: Mick Temple, Logan Behm, Austin Benedict, Casey Carlos, Calvin Watson

State Qualifying Teams: Dublin Jerome, Hilliard Darby, Westerville North, Thomas Worthington, Olentangy Orange, Olentangy Berlin, New Albany

The only surprise about the winner of this race was how close it ended up being. Pickerington North’s Mick Temple cruised to the regional title in 15:15, only a few seconds ahead of the next two finishers. He appeared composed and in control the entire way, doing just enough to secure the win while keeping himself fresh. He now heads into a marquee state title showdown against St. Ignatius’s Max Friedrich and St. Xavier’s Dom Ellis next weekend with a potential state meet record also in play.

After Temple, there were two big surprises in the second and third spots. Hilliard Darby’s Logan Behm and New Albany’s Austin Benedict broke out in a massive way, sprinting to the line and finishing in 15:18 and 15:19. These were major personal bests for both athletes, each entering the race without ever having broken 15:30.

Rounding out the top five were Westerville North’s Casey Carlos and Thomas Worthington’s Calvin Watson, both also setting new PRs by 6 and 15 seconds. Carlos continues to carry strong momentum from his OCC performance two weeks ago, while Watson, who is just a freshman, continues to turn heads with each race he runs.

The remaining top ten included Hilliard Darby’s Kole Hyer, Lancaster’s Brock Jarrett, Dublin Coffman’s Ben Canales, Olentangy Berlin’s Vansh Sethi (who raced while dealing with a fever), and Thomas Worthington’s Rishi Jha. The group featured a mix of expected results and breakout performances, showing once again that anything can happen at regionals. With top-ten finishes secured, their next goal will be to battle for All-Ohio honors next weekend.

Other non-team qualifying individuals to advance to the state meet included Hilliard Bradley's Anton Shishlo, Westerville Central's Corbin Morrisey, Olentangy Liberty's Gordon Kimberly, Westerville Central's Alex Hohman, Gahanna Lincoln's Liam Irvin, Lancaster's Gabe McNeil, Pickerington North's Dominic Mercurio, Marysville's Paxton Herring, Westerville Central's Andrew Gould, and Worthington Kilbourne's Hayden McComb.

While the shock of the individual results reverberated through the finish area, the team race brought even more twists. As Hunter Coakley and Peter Guerrera crossed the line in 30th and 31st, it became clear that Dublin Jerome had finally turned the corner after years of regional heartbreak, capturing the regional title. The Celtics are peaking at the perfect time. What’s even more notable is that their top trio of Lincoln Kelly, Ethan Ishida, and Graham Tyler all ran slower than their personal bests, leaving the door open for another jump at the state meet. They are absolutely in the state title conversation.

The upsets continued with Hilliard Darby finishing runner-up, beating pre-race favorite Westerville North. Behm and Hyer led the charge, while Venny Kurapati, Cameron Burke, and Aidan Fisher delivered when it mattered. Westerville North still got strong runs from Carlos, Holden Gray, and Khalid Guled, but off days from their fourth and fifth runners proved costly. Charlie Bosler and Greg Kerns will look to rebound next weekend with championship hopes still alive.

Thomas Worthington placed fourth, qualifying for the state meet for the first time in several years, powered by the continued legacy of the Jha family, now carried by the youngest brother, Rishi. While their fifth runner had an off day, their front four of Watson, Jha, Wesley Nash, and Fraser Kirk showed the talent and depth that brought the program back to statewide relevance.

Olentangy Orange once again proved to be a steady postseason presence. Their trio of Sahil Khandari, Cowen Allender, and Sid Sivakumar each secured podium finishes, while freshman Adam Ellison stepped up with a big race in 16:22. Their ability to address the fifth runner gap will determine how high they can climb at state, and that improvement is within reach.

The final two qualifiers were Olentangy Berlin and New Albany. For Berlin, this marked the first state qualification in school history. Despite dealing with a fever earlier in the day, Vansh Sethi delivered a 15:35 performance to anchor the effort. Christian Passerini placed 19th, and freshman Micah Ballinger emerged with a clutch 32nd-place finish. New Albany secured the eighth and final spot behind Benedict’s breakout run. While they didn’t have another scorer until Connor Sammons in 35th, the efforts of Ean Berberich, Lavon Wilborn, and Austin Pfeifer kept the team score low enough to advance.

With the field now set for Obetz, the team and individual battles feel more wide-open than ever. Temple enters the state meet as a top contender for the individual crown, while Dublin Jerome, Hilliard Darby, and Westerville North each have realistic paths to the podium, and potentially the title. The final chapter of the season is still unwritten, and after this weekend, anything feels possible.