Boys Division 2 Central Ohio Preview

While our coverage of Division 2 indoor track will be less extensive, we still wanted to provide a Central Ohio preview for this weekend’s meet. The OATCCC recently changed the number of indoor divisions from two to four, effectively splitting the previous Division 1 into the new Divisions 1 and 2. The strength of competition in these top two divisions is fairly similar, though Division 2 is slightly weaker. However, since these divisions are based on school population sizes—and Central Ohio schools tend to have larger enrollments—most of the top Division 1 competitors from the OHSAA-sanctioned outdoor season have remained in that division. While Division 2 primarily consists of schools from outside Central Ohio, a few notable local athletes will be key factors in the outdoor season's Division 1 races.

4x800m Central Ohio Qualifiers: Granville

There’s not much to say about this entry. Granville comes into the meet with a seed time of 8:23.72, the second slowest in the field. While anything can happen on race day, it will take a significant improvement for them to earn All-Ohio honors in this event.

1600m Central Ohio Qualifiers: Jacob Reash, Cohen Stump, Charles Rizek

Each of these runners is coming off an impressive cross country season, having all broken 15:40 during the regular season. Stump, a junior from Granville, did not qualify for the state meet in cross country, unlike the DeSales duo of Reash and Rizek, but he joins them as a qualifier for the indoor state meet.

Reash leads the group with a season-best time of 4:24.13, making him the fifth-fastest seed in the 1600m and a strong contender for a top finish. The top seed, Lexington’s Chance Basilone, has an indoor PR of 4:18.72, followed closely by Austintown Fitch’s Justin Sahli at 4:19.41. If Reash can match his 4:19 performance from last year’s outdoor district meet, he could be a dark horse candidate for the win.

Stump enters with the eighth-fastest seed (4:25.29) and has a solid chance of earning All-Ohio honors. Rizek, who has a season-best of 4:29.48, is the final entry in the field and will be doubling back in the 3200m later in the meet, which could impact his performance.

800m Central Ohio Qualifiers: Evan Graessle

While not a major factor in cross country, Saint Charles senior Evan Graessle has established himself as a formidable track athlete since his breakout last outdoor season. He enters the indoor state meet with a PR of 1:56.69, the eighth-fastest seed in the 800m.

Interestingly, the Division 2 800m field is actually deeper than Division 1 this year, with the top three seeds in Division 2 boasting faster times than the top seed in Division 1. Graessle faces tough competition, but with a strong performance, he has a good chance of earning All-Ohio honors.

3200m Central Ohio Qualifiers: Tate Ruthers, Charles Rizek

This year’s regional runner-up and All-Ohioan, Tate Ruthers, will be a top contender in the Division 2 3200m. The Sheridan senior comes in with a seed time of 9:21.40, the second-fastest in the field. With the top seed only a few seconds ahead, Ruthers could be in contention for an indoor state title if he runs at the level he did during cross country season.

Joining him is DeSales’ Charles Rizek, doubling back from the 1600m. His seed time of 9:33.53 ranks him sixth in the field, positioning him as an All-Ohio contender. However, the difficulty of the 1600m-3200m double in high school track presents a challenge. Fortunately, with Division 1 and Division 2 alternating events throughout the day, he will have significantly more recovery time than usual.

While Central Ohio has fewer Division 2 qualifiers than in Division 1, several athletes have strong chances to make an impact at the state meet. Jacob Reash is a potential dark horse in the 1600m, while Cohen Stump and Charles Rizek will look to secure All-Ohio finishes. Evan Graessle faces a deep 800m field but has the ability to contend, and Tate Ruthers is one of the top title threats in the 3200m. With solid performances, Central Ohio’s Division 2 competitors could bring home multiple All-Ohio honors and possibly a state champion.