The 2025 OHSAA Division I State Championship brought together some of the most talented runners in Ohio, delivering one of the most competitive races in recent memory. With elite individuals, powerhouse programs, and a deep Central Ohio field, the race provided no shortage of excitement from start to finish.

Top Five Individual Finishers: Dom Ellis, Max Friedrich, Ryne Reynolds, Mick Temple, Caden Winship

Top Three Team Scorers: Beavercreek, Perrysburg, Mason

The individual race for the state title was fiercely contested, with several runners still in contention entering the stadium. Pulling away with the victory was St. Xavier’s Dom Ellis, who outkicked St. Ignatius’s Max Friedrich and Little Miami’s Ryne Reynolds down the home stretch. Ellis’s win served as redemption over Friedrich, who had edged him out by just half a second earlier in the season. Behind the lead trio of Ellis, Friedrich, and Reynolds, Pickerington North’s Mick Temple crossed the line in fourth, followed by Mason’s Caden Winship. While we did not quite nail the order, we correctly predicted all five of the top finishers.

After those five, all bets were off. As we mentioned before, this race was bound to feature plenty of surprises, making it nearly impossible to predict the rest of the All-Ohio finishers. Two other Central Ohio runners placed inside the top 10: Lancaster’s Brock Jarrett and New Albany’s Austin Benedict. Both delivered standout performances, with Jarrett putting together his best race yet and Benedict building on the momentum from his impressive regional showing.

Several more waves of Central Ohio All-Ohio finishers followed. Dublin Jerome’s Lincoln Kelly, Thomas Worthington’s Calvin Watson, and Logan Behm finished just outside the top 10, placing 11th, 12th, and 13th respectively. Behind them, Hilliard Darby’s Kole Hyer, Westerville North’s Holden Gray, and Thomas Worthington’s Rishi Jha all earned top-20 podium finishes.

Other Central Ohio runners who earned All-Ohio honors included Dublin Coffman’s Ben Canales, Olentangy Liberty’s Gordon Kimberly, Westerville North’s Casey Carlos and Khalid Guled, and Olentangy Berlin’s Vansh Sethi. Out of the 30 Division I All-Ohio honorees, nearly half (14) came from the Columbus area, showcasing the region’s incredible depth and strength.

While there were still plenty of strong individual showings, team performances from Central Ohio were not quite as dominant. First, we have to give credit where it is due: to the Beavercreek squad that proved us wrong. They pulled off a commanding upset, winning by 40 points behind top-10 finishes from Jackson Davis and Aidan Allen, along with strong efforts from Nick Szymanski, Owen Tuinstra, and Tom Ward. Perrysburg also turned heads with a surprise runner-up finish, standing out as the only Northern Ohio team to crack the top five.

Dublin Jerome placed fourth, narrowly falling behind Mason after a tiebreaker, with standout races from Lincoln Kelly and Hunter Coakley, while Ethan Ishida, Graham Tyler, and Peter Guerrera rounded out their scoring five. Westerville North completed the top five with strong performances from Holden Gray, Khalid Guled, and Charlie Bosler. The remaining Central Ohio team qualifiers finished as follows: Hilliard Darby in seventh, Thomas Worthington in tenth, Olentangy Berlin in eleventh, Olentangy Orange in twelfth, and New Albany in sixteenth.

The Division I boys race lived up to its billing, delivering thrilling finishes and unforgettable performances across the board. Central Ohio once again proved its strength on the state’s biggest stage, with a mix of veteran leaders, breakout stars, and programs that continue to raise the bar each season. With so much returning talent, the 2026 season is already shaping up to be another exciting year for the region.